CULTURAL STUDIES AND POPULAR
CULTURE: AN INTRODUCTION University, para. 1).
What is Cultural Studies?
Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary
field concerned with the role of social institutions
in the shaping of culture. Cultural studies
emerged in Britain in the late 1950s and
subsequently spread internationally, notably to
the United States and Australia. Originally
identified with the Center for Contemporary
Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham
(founded 1964) and with such scholars as Richard
Hoggart, Stuart Hall, and Raymond Williams,
Cultural Studies later became a well-established
field in many academic institutions, and it has
since had broad influence in sociology,
anthropology, historiography, literary criticism,
philosophy, and art criticism. Among its central
concerns are the place of race or ethnicity, class,
and gender in the production of cultural
knowledge.
Stuart Hall (1992) pointed out that:
Cultural Studies has multiple discourses; it has a
number of different histories. It is a whole set of
formations; it has its own different conjunctures
and moments of the past. It included many
different kinds of work . . .It always was a set of
unstable formations . . .It had many trajectories,
many people had and have different theoretical
positions, all of them in contention. (Storey 2010,
p. 2)
In other words, Cultural Studies offer an avenue
for academic discourses that derive concepts and
arguments from different domains: anthropology,
history, literary studies, philosophy, political
economy, and sociology (George Mason
University, para. 1). It strives to comprehend,
analyze, and revolutionize certain cultural
practices (George Mason University, para. 5).
Researches within Cultural Studies place cultural
objects under circumstances that account for
power, conflict, and change (George Mason
Relationship Between Culture and Cultural
Studies
Cultural Studies is concerned not only
with one definition of culture. Instead, it
encompasses Culture and culture. The former
pertains to what Matthew Arnold (2009) called
‘the best which has been thought and said.’
Hence, written with a capital letter “C.” On the
other hand, culture written with a small “c” is
something that is not classifiable in the former—
that which is popular among the masses.
To simplify, Cultural Studies recognizes
all types of culture (but most studies have greatly
focused on the ‘popular’). For this field of study,
it treats culture as a meaning-making entity. It
pertains to how people live within nature
(including people’s own biology); it is the ‘shared
meanings’ people develop and come across in
their everyday lives. Furthermore, the meaning-
making process happens with the texts and from
the texts that people encounter. In this manner,
cultures are derived from the ‘production,
circulation, and consumption of meanings.’
Therefore, ‘to share a culture is to interpret the
world in recognizably similar ways’ (Storey
2011, pp. 2-3).
However, this does not mean that
Cultural Studies treat culture as a harmonious and
organic whole. Instead, it recognizes that
meanings across cultures are negotiated,
meaning, they can mean different things. It is in
this negotiation between cultures and the role of
power where the core of Cultural Studies lies
(Storey 2011, p. 3).
definitions by Raymond Williams (1983):
• Culture can be used to refer to ‘a general
process of intellectual, spiritual and
aesthetic development.’
 • Culture suggests ‘a particular way of
life, whether of a people, a period or a
group.’
• Culture can be used to refer to ‘the works
and practices of intellectual and
especially artistic activity.’
Another essential term in popular culture studies
is ideology. Graeme Turner (1996) proclaims it
to be ‘the most important conceptual category in
cultural studies’ (Storey, p. 2). Just like culture,
the term ideology also has competing definitions.
Examine the following meanings of ideology and
try to understand each.
Ideology can refer to a systematic body of ideas
articulated by a particular group of people. Think
about the different political groups in the country.
Why do you think certain arguments arise when
it comes to making decisions for the welfare of
the Filipino citizens?
A second definition suggests a certain masking,
distortion, or concealment (as in the capitalist
ideology). Ideology is used here to indicate how
some texts and practices present distorted images
of reality. They produce what is sometimes called
‘false consciousness.’ Such distortions, it is
argued, work in the interests of the powerful
against the interests of the powerless. For
instance, why do you think does the capitalist
society keep on producing strong and persuasive
advertisements even if some products being
released in the market are not really effective or
have devastating effects to the environment?
A third definition of ideology (closely related to,
and in some ways dependent on, the second
definition) uses the term to refer to ‘ideological
forms.’ This usage is intended to draw attention
to the way in which texts (television fiction, pop
songs, novels, feature films, etc.) always present
a particular image of the world. This definition
depends on a notion of society as conflicting
rather than consensual, structured around
inequality, exploitation and oppression. Texts are
said to take sides, consciously or unconsciously,
in this conflict. For instance, when you watch a
certain documentary, it presents a particular
reality (i.e. condition of people living in the
slums) in a way that it wants to invoke a certain
reaction from the audience (i.e. people may show
empathy towards the oppressed or they may feel
anger towards the system).
A fourth definition is one that was very influential
in the 1970s and early 1980s. It is the definition
of ideology developed by the French Marxist
philosopher Louis Althusser. For him, ideology is
not simply a body of ideas, but a material
practice. Principally, what Althusser has in mind
is the way in which certain rituals and customs
have the effect of binding us to the social order: a
social order that is marked by enormous
inequalities of wealth, status and power.
For example, if you live a lavish life, your daily
practices would differ greatly from the practices
of the poor. In what ways do you think would
inequalities arise from this societal difference?
Williams (1983) suggests four current
meanings of the word popular: ‘well- liked
by many people’; ‘inferior kinds of work’;
‘work deliberately setting out to win favour
with the people’; and ‘culture actually
made by the people for themselves’
(Storey, p.5).
To better understand the concept, the term
popular must be juxtaposed with the term high
culture or highbrow culture. Traditionally,
highbrow culture pertains to the culture of the
intellectuals, the rich, or the elitist. Using this
idea, popular culture can be identified as the
culture that is left over after we have decided
what is high culture. This definition of popular
culture is often supported by claims that popular
culture is mass-produced commercial culture,
whereas high culture is the result of an individual
act of creation. Hence, popular culture explores
the relationship and the tension that arises
between the two in terms of their cultural
practices and ideological differences.
Furthermore, it focuses on how the popular or the
masses use their own power to challenge the high
class society including the capitalist one.
One example of this power struggle is observed
in the production of popular products that have
fake counterparts such as in the image below.
The highbrow culture and the capitalist society
produce the ‘original’ products while the
lowbrow produces their replica for the
consumption of the masses. In this case, the
original products, which are usually overpriced,
only cater to those who can afford them while the
lowbrow finds ways to come up with products
that are similar but uses cheaper and more
affordable materials. In this case, the lowbrow
trying to come at par with the highbrow society is
a challenge in itself as it poses threats to power of
the latter.
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a
particular group of people, encompassing
language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music
and arts. The Center for Advance Research on
Language Acquisition goes a step further,
defining culture as shared patterns of behaviors
and interactions, cognitive constructs and
understanding that are learned by socialization.
Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a group
identity fostered by social patterns unique to the
group.
"Culture encompasses religion, food, what we
wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage,
music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we
sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we
behave with loved ones, and a million other
things," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at
Barnet and Southgate College in London, told
Live Science.
The word "culture" derives from a French term,
which in turn derives from the Latin "colere,"
which means to tend to the earth and grow, or
cultivation and nurture. "It shares its etymology
with a number of other words related to actively
fostering growth," De Rossi said. A culture is
learned and is passed from one generation to the
next.
Folk and High Culture
Popular culture is usually distinguished from folk
and high culture. In some ways, folk culture is
similar to pop culture because of the mass
participation involved. Folk culture, however,
represents the traditional way of doing things.
Consequently, it is not as amendable to change
and is much more static than popular culture.
Folk culture represents a simpler lifestyle, that is
generally conservative, largely self- sufficient,
and often characteristic of rural life. Radical
innovation is generally discouraged. Group
members are expected to conform to traditional
modes of behavior adopted by the community.
Folk culture is local in orientation, and non-
commercial. In short, folk culture promises
stability, whereas popular culture is generally
looking for something new or fresh. Because of
this, popular culture often represents an intrusion
and a challenge to folk culture. Conversely, folk
culture rarely intrudes upon popular culture.
There are times when certain elements of folk
culture (eg Turkish rugs, Mexican blankets and
Irish fairy tales) find their way into the world of
pop culture. Generally, when items of folk culture
are appropriated and marketed by the popular
culture, the folk items gradually lose their
original form.
A key characteristic of popular culture is its
accessibility to the masses. It is, after all, the
culture of the people. High culture, on the other
hand, is not mass produced, nor meant for mass
consumption. It belongs to the social elite; the
fine arts, opera, theatre, and high intellectualism
is associated with the upper socioeconomic
classes. Items of high culture often require
extensive experience, training, or reflection to be
appreciated. Such items seldom cross over to the
pop culture domain. Consequently, popular
culture is generally looked (down) upon as being
superficial when compared to the sophistication
of high culture. (This does not mean that social
elites do not participate in popular culture or that
members of the masses do not participate in high
culture.)
ASPECTS OF CULTURE:
A set of patterns of human activity within a
community or social group and the symbolic
structures that give significance to such activity is
called Culture. There are different aspects of
Culture such as:
1. Material Culture. Material culture refers to
physical or technological aspects of our daily
lives. They are tangible in our environment (man-
made) and intended for human survival. Some
examples of this are: Food items, dresses,
buildings and factories and other raw materials
among others.
2. Non-Material Culture. This aspect of culture
refers to the cultural adjustments to material
conditions such as customs, philosophies, beliefs,
governments, pattern of communication and even
ways of using the material objects.
3. Culture Lag. It is the period of maladjustment
when the non-material culture is adopting to the
new normal conditions. Example of this are the
ethics on privacy of censorship on the usage of
internet.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE:
1. Culture is LEARNED. Humans are not born
with genetic imprint of a particular culture.
Learning depends on the uniquely developed
human capacity to use symbols, signs that have
no necessary or natural connection to the things
they signify or for which they stand. Remember
that people have the power to create, remember
and deal with ideas. Enculturation is the process
by which an individual learns his/her culture. It is
transmitted through observation and is absorbed
unconsciously. It involves beliefs, norms and
social culture, that is why it is sometimes also
referred to as socialization.
2. Culture is SHARED. Because we share
culture with other members of our group, we are
able to act in socially appropriate ways as well as
predict how others will act. Therefore, it affects
behavior. Culture is an attribute not of individuals
per se but of individuals as members of groups.
3. Culture is based on SYMBOLS. A symbol is
something that stands for something else.
Symbols vary cross-culturally and are arbitrary.
They only have meaning when people in a culture
agree on their use. Language, money and art are
all symbols. Language is the most important
symbolic component of culture.
4. Culture is INTEGRATED. This is known as
holism, or the various parts of a culture being
interconnected. All aspects of a culture are related
to one another and to truly understand a culture,
one must learn about all of its parts, not only a
few. It is more than the sum of all its parts.
Economic, familial/kinship, political and social
control, marriage, religious.
5. Culture is DYNAMIC. This simply means
that cultures interact and change. Because most
cultures are in contact with other cultures, they
exchange ideas and symbols. All cultures change,
otherwise, they would have problems adapting to
changing environments. And because cultures are
integrated, if one component in the system.
changes, it is likely that the entire system must
adjust.
There are two processes involved when culture
is changed:
a. Internal Changes or Innovations – It refer to
the process of introducing an idea or object that is
new to the culture. Forms of innovation involved
are discovery and invention.
b. External Changes or Cultural Diffusion – It
is the process of spreading materials of culture
from group or society to another.
ELEMENTS OF CULTURE.
1. Language.
Perhaps our most important set of symbols is
language. In English, the word chair means
something we sit on. In Spanish, the word silla
means the same thing. As long as we agree how
to interpret these words, a shared language and
thus society are possible. By the same token,
differences in languages can make it quite
difficult to communicate.
According to Bill Benzon “Language is a key
symbol of any culture. Humans have a capacity
for language that no other animal species has, and
children learn the language of their society just as
they learn other aspects of their culture” To what
extent does language influence how we think and
how we perceive the social and physical worlds?
The famous but controversial Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis, named after two linguistic
anthropologists, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee
Whorf, argues that people cannot easily
understand concepts and objects unless their
language contains words for these items (Whorf,
1956). They explained that language structures
thought. Language thus influences how we
understand the world around us.
2. Norms.
Cultures differ widely in their norms, or standards
and expectations for behaving. We already saw
that the nature of drunken behavior depends on
society’s expectations of how people should
behave when drunk. Norms of drunken behavior
influence how we behave when we drink too
much.
• Norms are the formal and informal rules
regarding what kinds of behavior are
acceptable and appropriate within a
culture.
• Norms are specific to a culture, time
period, and situation.
There are two types of Norms:
a. Formal norms, also called mores (MOOR-
ayz) and laws, refer to the standards of behavior
considered the most important in any society.
b. Informal norms, also called folkways and
customs, refer to standards of behavior that are
considered less important but still influence how
we behave.
Some norms may change over time within a given
culture.
3. Rituals.
Different cultures also have different rituals, or
established procedures and ceremonies that often
mark transitions in the life course. As such, rituals
both reflect and transmit a culture’s norms and
other elements from one generation to the next.
4. Values.
Values are another important element of culture
and involve judgments of what is good or bad and
desirable or undesirable. A culture’s values shape
its norms. Values often suggest how people
should behave, but they don’t accurately reflect
how people do behave. Values portray an ideal
culture; the standards society would like to
embrace and live up to. But ideal culture differs
from real culture, the way society actually is,
based on what occurs and exists. In an ideal
culture, there would be no traffic accidents,
murders, poverty, or racial tension. But in real
culture, police officers, lawmakers, educators,
and social workers constantly strive to prevent or
repair those accidents, crimes, and injustices.
Two Types of Values:
a. Cultural Adaptive - Contains customary
activities and tools - Although humans continue
to adapt biologically, reliance on social and
cultural means of adaptation has increased during
human evolution.
b. Maladaptive - Are traits, patterns, and
inventions that are threat to a specific surviving
culture.
Examples: The use of air conditioners and
automobiles. Both can produce chemical
emissions increase air pollution, deplete the
ozone layer and contribute to global warming.
5. Sanctions.
Sanctions are a form of social control, a way to
encourage conformity to cultural norms.
Sometimes people conform to norms in
anticipation or expectation of positive sanctions:
good grades, for instance, may mean praise from
parents and teachers.
LEVELS OF CULTURE
International culture refers to cultural traits that
extend beyond national boundaries. These
cultural traits and patterns spread through
diffusion, migration, colonization, and
globalization (Kottak and Kozaitis 2012).
In contrast, national culture is the beliefs,
behavior patterns, values, cultural traits, and
institutions shared within a country. National
culture is most easily recognizable in the form of
symbols such as flags, logos, and colors as well
as sound including national anthems and musical
styles.
Subcultures, another level of culture, are smaller
groups of people who share cultural traits and
patterns within the same country. Subcultures
have shared experiences and common cultural
distinctions, but they are a part of the larger
society or cultural system. Subcultures have their
own set of symbols, meanings, and behavioral
norms, which develop by interacting with one
another. Subcultures develop their own self-
culture, or idioculture, that has significant
meaning to members of the group and creates
social boundaries for membership and social
acceptance (Griswold 2013).
“Youth subcultures communicate through acts of
consumption” (Storey 2011, p. 143).
Modes of Acquiring Culture
1. Imitation - it is when you imitate or mirrors
the doings of the people or country men in the
new country. It is also the process of socialization
plays a very important role in the development of
every individual
2. Indoctrination - The Latin word for
"teach,"doctrinais the root of indoctrinate, that is
why indoctrination is often called as Formal
Teaching. It is the process of inculcating ideas,
attitudes, beliefs, and cognitive strategies during
the transfer of cultural traditions from one
generation to the next with the expectation that
such traditions will not be questioned but
practiced in the future.
3. Conditioning - Conditioning is the way to
make you remember what are the beliefs or
traditions culture you want to adapt. It is called a
punishment for yourself to not forget their beliefs.
It is the way to make us more skilled or for us to
practice and always remember what are things in
need to be remembered.
Causes of Cultural change PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE
STUDIES: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
1. Discovery - refers to a process of finding a new
place or object that is previously existed. It is
Read the following introduction by Gary C.
initial awareness of existing but formerly
Devilles from the book, “Kritikal na Espasyo ng
unobserved. Relationship of elements of nature to
Kulturang Popular.”
human life.
2. Invention - the process of creating something
Isang Pagdalumat sa Espasyo at mga Araling
that has never been made before: creating,
Pangkultura
producing something new.
Hindi nalalayo sa isang pulong ang paghahain ng
3. Cultural diffusion - refers to when certain
isang antolohiya ng mga aralin sa Kulturang
cultural values, ideas, or even cultures are
Popular. Kung dadalumatin ang kahulugan ng
adopted by different cultures.
“pulong” hindi lamang bilang pagtatagpo,
- refer to spread of cultural traits (immediate or
pagkikita, o pakikipanayam, kundi ang mismong
gradual)
“pulo” na tumutukoy sa anyo at hugis ng lupain
Parts of cultural diffusion
na pinagdadausan nito, masasabing isang
pagtatagpo at sabay na tagpuan ang antolohiyang
Assimilation - is the process of taking individuals
ito.
or social groups and absorbing them into
Isang pagtatagpo ito dahil may pangangailangan
mainstream culture. It encouraged to “adopt the
na rin na magkaroon ng malinaw na pagtalunton
culture, values, and social behaviors of their host
sa Kulturang Popular, mula pa sa mga pag-aaral
nation.”
nina Bienvenido Lumbera, Nicanor Tiongson at
Acculturation - is the process by which a culture
Soledad Reyes tungo kina Rolando Tolentino at
adapts the customs and ideas of another culture.
sa bagong henerasyon sa larangang ito.
It is a process of learning and adapting the values,
behaviors, and traditions of another group or
society.
Amalgamation - refers to action or process of
uniting or merging more cultural concept through
biological and hereditary fusion.
Enculturation - refers to a process of learning the
surrounding culture values and norms that
accepted in a particular culture through Sinasabi na nakaugat sa mga aralin nina
socialization. Raymond Williams, Richard Hogart at Stuart
4. Colonization - refers to the invasion or seizure Hall ng University of Birmingham Centre for
of land with the land, political and cultural Contemporary Cultural Studies ang mga araling
expansion in land. pakikipagtalastasan at pang-media noong dekada
5. Revolution/Rebellion - refers to when certain 80 kung kailan namutawi ang araling ito sa
cultural values, ideas, or even cultures are akademya ng Pilipinas. Bago nito, nakaangkla
adopted by different cultures. Refer to spread of ang araling pang-media sa US, sa ideolohiyang
cultural traits (immediate or gradual) liberal kung saan tinitingnan ang lipunan sa
optimistikong pananaw, kung saan nagkakasundo
ang lahat, umiiral ang nakararami at pragmatiko.
Dala ng ganitong pananaw, nakatuon lamang ang
pag-aaral sa media sa idinudulot nito sa gawi at
kilos ng tagapagtangkilik, ang masama at
mabuting bias ng media. Simplistiko kung gayon
ang ugnayang itinatakda ng media at
tagapagtangkilik at hindi itinatanong ang
mismong pinagmulan ng media at ang pwersang
sangkot at kinasasangkutan mismo sa buong
produksyon. Lumabas na ang halos lahat ng
araling pang-media ay nag-aanyong
tagapagsulong ng mga pagpapahalagang
indibidwal, demokrasya at ang mismong
pangarap ng sinumang Amerikano.
Noong dekada 70, unti-unting nilansag ang
ganitong pakiwari sa araling pang-media nina
Adorno, Horkheimer, Marcuse, at Habermas at
naghain sila ng ibang pananaw sa pagsusuri ng
kapangyarihan, pagbabago at tunguhin ng
lipunan at media. Dito na rin pumapasok sa US
ang mga pag-aaral nina Hogart at Hall mula sa
Britanya at sinasabing malaking impluwensya
rito ang pagkadismaya sa ideolohiyang liberal na
namumutawi sa Humanidades at mga Agham
Panlipunan.
Sa Pilipinas, nagmula sa araling panitikan at hindi
sa araling pang-media ang araling kultural.
Bagaman ang nagsusulat na sina Bienvenido
Lumbera sa pelikula, Doreen Fernandez hinggil
sa pagkaing Pilipino, at Valerio Nofuente tungkol
sa dyip, si Soledad Reyes ang unang masinop na
nagtaguyod ng Kulturang Popular sa Pilipinas.
Mula sa kanyang pag-aaral ng nobelang Tagalog
at sa pagtalunton niya sa genre na ito sa popular
na babasahin na komiks, naging pangunahing
tanong ni Reyes ang usapin ng panlasa at kung
paano ang panlasa o estetika ay nakapaloob sa
malawak na usapin ng tunggalian ng uri, mga
tanong na ginagalugad din sa mga araling kultural
sa US at Inglatera noon. Mula sa pag-aaral ni
Reyes nagkaroon ng mga serye ng panayam at
palihan sa Kulturang Popular noong 1988, na
nagbunga ng mga babasahin na pinamatnugutan
din ni Reyes, ang Reading Popular Culture na
inilimbag ng Pamantasang Ateneo noong 1991.
Tampok sa Antolohiyang ito ang mga sanaysay
hinggil sa dyip, komiks, soap opera, pelikula o
Original Pilipino Music. Layunin ng antolohiya
ayon kay Reyes na maglaan ng puwang sa
akademikong pag-aaral ang mga bagay na ito at
ilantad ang mala-burgis na oryentasyon ng pag-
aaral ng panitikan at kultura.
Sa Kanluran, nagmula rin sa mga panayam at
palihan ang pagkakaroon ng mga antolohiya sa
Kulturang Popular. Isa na rito ang The Cultural
Studies Reader ni Simon During na nailathala
noong 1999 at ang Cultural Studies na
pinamatnugutan nina Lawrence Grossberg, Cary
Nelson at Paula Treichler, at batay sa palihan na
naganap sa Pamantasan ng Illinois Urbana-
Champaign noong 1990. Sa pagsusuri ni Ien Ang,
malaking suliranin ng mga antolohiyang ito ang
balintuna ng pagkalat ng Kulturang Popular. Sa
isang banda, nagkakaroon ng puwang ang
diskursong kritikal sa mga akademya, na may
kakayanan na suriin ang usapin ng
kapangyarihan, uri at panlasa. Subalit kapansin-
pansin din ang tila pagiging unibersal ng ganitong
diskurso na sa halip na maging mapagpalaya ay
lalo pang nagpapatibay sa mala-kolonyal na
bias ng kaalaman.
Sa ganitong konsepto ng pagtatagpo nais naming
ipaliwanang ang espasyo ng Kulturang Popular sa
Pilipinas. Una, tila may pagkakahawig sa mga
suliraning kinakaharap ng akademya dito sa
Pilipinas at maging sa US kaya hindi
nakapagtataka kung isang puwersa ang papel ng
kasaysayan ng pananakop ng US sa Pilipinas at
ang patuloy na pagiging dominante ng kulturang
Amerikano dulot ng globalisasyon. Kung tinurol
na nina Soledad Reyes at Bienvenido Lumbera
ang usapin ng panlasa at ang kaakibat na
tunggalian ng uri dito, ginalugad din sa US at
Inglatera ang mga usaping ito. Ayon kay Simon
During, paksa na ang tunggalian ng uri sa araling
kultural sa Inglatera noong katapusan ng
digmaang pandaigdig, batay sa pag-aaral ni FR
Leavis. Ayon kay Leavis, hindi lamang isang
anyo ng libangan ang kultura, kundi isang
tunggalian ng naghaharing uri laban sa masa.
Sinusugan nina Richard Hogart at Raymond
Williams ang ganitong mga pag-aaral ni Leavis at pananaw tungkol sa pinanood o binasa sa isang
kung titingnan ang kalipunan na mga pag-aaral na atas o pamantayan, may nagaganap lamang na
ito tila nagkakaroon ng “mala- pagtatagpo” ang isang uri ng pagtatagpo, isang uri ng pag-
mga kritiko sa iba’t ibang lupalop ng mundo. amin na may angking bisa ang itinatanghal at
Subalit kailangan ding idiin na hindi lamang sabay na pagtataya na mauunawaan ng marami
pagtatagpo ang umusbong na espasyo ng ang pagtatalaban ng mga teksto sa mambabasa ng
kulturang popular sa akademya. Kailangan ding mga sandaling iyon. Batid ng kritiko o
makita na isang tagpuan din talaga ang espasyo mambabasa na walang pamantayan ang isang
ng kulturang popular. Pansinin na sa mga pag- paglalayag o paggalugad. May kutob lamang
aaral nina Reyes malimit niyang ginalugad ang siya, kinakapakapa lamang niya ang kanyang
tunggalian ng kapangyarihan sa panlasa at pinanuod o binasa. Hindi nakapagtataka na sa
estetika at kadalasang madudukal sa laylayan ngayon dumarami ang mga espasyo na
gaya ng komiks ang artikulasyon nito. Kaya para gingalugad sa kulturang popular—nariyan ang
kay Reyes, isang espasyo kung tutuusin ang pagtuunan ng pansin ang katawan bilang espasyo
komiks kung saan umiiral ang ideolohiya, panlasa mismo at ang mismong lunan gaya ng Maynila.
ng naghaharing-uri, at maging ang kakaibang Sa ganitong konteksto nais naming ihain ang
pagtanggap ng mambabasa, na may sariling kahulugan ng Kritikal na Espasyo ng Kulturang
pakiwari at paggamit sa nasabing babasahin. Popular. Kritikal na Espasyo ito dahil tumutukoy
Pansinin din ang mga pagsusuri sa iba’t ibang ito sa pagtatagpo ng mga aralin at iba’t ibang
media gaya ng telebisyon at pelikula nina tagpuang ginagalugad sa antolohiyang ito.
Lumbera, Tiongson, at Rolando Tolentino kung
saan tinahak din nila ang ahensya ng mambabasa,
manonood at tagapagtangkilik nito at naghain ng
masalimuot na konsepto ng kaakuan o popular.
Malimit mabatid sa mga akdang ito ang
kakaibang pagturing sa popular na hindi lamang
isang uri ng tao sa lipunan kundi isang
dinamikong gawain o pakikipagtalaban ng teksto
at mambabasa. Kung pagbabatayan ang sinabi ni
Derrida na walang nasa labas ng teksto o walang
labas ang teksto, masasabing ang kulturang
popular ay nasa tumatangkilik nito, ang patuloy
na pagbabago nito ayon sa panlasa ng manonood,
at ang paggigiit ng kanilang mga hangarin sa
konteksto ng umiiral na suliranin ng kanilang
panahon at lugar. Samakatuwid, isang espasyo
ang mismong kulturang popular at sa ganitong
punto rin nagiging tagpuan ang pagtalunton sa
kasaysayan ng kulturang popular at ang iba’t
ibang diskurso ukol dito. Hindi lamang
pagbabalangkas ng panahon ang
pagsasakasaysayan ng kulturang popular. Higit
na angkop na isang pagtawid, pagtahak, o
paglakbay sa mga lansangan at kalye ng
kulturang popular. Naglalayag ang sinumang
kritiko at tagapagtangkilik ng kulturang popular
at sa halip na magmula ang isang pasya o