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From Folk Culture to Popular Culture: What Amazing Transformation Has Happened in This Period of History?
When we look back at the evolution of culture, we can find that popular culture is not only a product of the times, but also a microcosm of the interaction between societies, between values and commercial interests. From early folk culture to today’s popular culture, this history shows amazing transformations and developments, making our understanding of its nature more complicated.
Popular culture is the collection of behaviors, beliefs, and artistic creations that a society designates at a particular time.
Popular culture covers a wide range of aspects including entertainment, art, sports, news, politics and fashion. These cultural categories not only reflect current social dynamics, but also subtly shape people's interpretation of the world around them. Taking music as an example, the evolution of popular music has fundamentally affected the pattern of music consumption, beyond simply expressing emotions or conveying messages.
With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, changes in social structure gave rise to new forms of popular culture. The public's demand for entertainment gradually increased, and various types of literary and theatrical works were born. These works were once considered entertainment for the poor, but over time, they began to enter mainstream society and even influenced the upper class. cultural taste.
Cultural industry refers to a homogeneous and standardized cultural product system controlled by a small number of elites in a capitalist environment.
Cultural industry theorists such as Adorno and Horkheimer point out that in the context of capitalism, popular culture is often just a product that meets market demand. In this case, the uniqueness and authenticity of the idea are often overlooked. In contrast, folk culture relies more on word of mouth among communities, which gives it a primitive vitality and authenticity.
However, with the advancement of media technology, especially the advent of television and the Internet in the 20th century, the scope of popular culture has expanded rapidly. Radio and television programs deliver a variety of cultural content to thousands of households, allowing ordinary people to have ready access to art works and entertainment forms that were once considered exclusive to the upper class.
Popular culture is no longer just a symbol of a specific social class; it has become a common cultural experience for all people.
Such changes are not without controversy, however. Many critics argue that the commodification of pop culture has led to a lack of cultural exchange, with the market instead being flooded with homogenized products. The monopoly of large enterprises has threatened cultural diversity, which has led to the marginalization of original folk culture.
In addition to commercial interests, popular culture is also influenced by political factors. Many works are used as tools of social movements. Whether it is on gender equality, racial issues, or environmental issues, they all attempt to raise voices of resistance or reflection. Therefore, the content of popular culture itself is a field of power struggle.
The continuous evolution of popular culture is a concrete manifestation of social change, and each cultural phenomenon reflects the current trends and values of society.
Looking back, how to define the scope of popular culture is still a controversial topic. Different people often have different definitions of what is "popular". Whether from the perspective of the commercial market or the perspective of social history, we can find that culture is alive and it is constantly changing and adapting.
In today's globalized world, cultural boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred, and the integration of folk culture and popular culture is becoming more prominent. To this day, the impact of popular culture on society continues to ferment, affecting everyone's thoughts and lifestyles. Faced with such a changing cultural phenomenon, how do we understand this process and the meaning hidden behind it?
