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DOCUMT 41151110 ED 178 421 SO 012 081 AUTHOR Turner, Thomas N. TITLE Using Popular Culture in-the SocialStudies. How to Do It Series, Series 2, No. 9. INSTITUTION National Council for the SocialStudies, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE 79 NOTE 7p.; For related documents, see SO012 079-080 AVAILABLE FROM National Council for the SocialStudies, 3615 Wisconsin Avenue, N.V. ,Washington D.C.20016 ($1.00, quantit disocnOts available) - EDRS PRICE aF01 li.us Postage. PC RotAvailable from IDES. DESCRIPTORS Career Education; *ClassActivities; Clothing; Films; *L.darning Activities; Mass Media;ausic; *Pppular Culture; Publications; secondaryEducaticin; *Social Studies; *Teaching Procedures;Television ABSTRACT - The booklet offers a variety cfsuggestions for integrating a study of popular cultureinto the high school social studies classroom. Popular cultureis described as thcse elements im society whiah have the primary functionof entertaining or selling and which axe becoming a familiar,recognizable, and identifiable entity for a large number of people. Somereasons far studying popular culture are that itis intimately connected vith the individual's personal and socialdevelopment; students possess an intimate and detailed knowledgeof popular culture; the resources are abundant and inexpensire: andpopular culture has lasting social importance and significance.leaching suggestiors include the areas cf popular music, televisionand movies, social gatherings,printed materials, fads and fashions, midcareeri. Music activities include listing qualities and rating stars,rewriting lyrics to tell of a local incident, and voting onvalues depicted in selectedstatements from songs. Televisionprovides a study of propaganda and of distortion of reality through videotechniques. An examination of -Social gatherings could lead tosimulations and creative writing exercises. Popalar magazines cambe investigated according to audience appeal and a historyof clothing fashion show coulddepict fads and fashions. Finally,strategies for career education include exploratory mini7courses andclassifying jobs in terms cf glamour. (KC) a *********************************************************************** best that can be made -311 Reproductioes supplied by EDRS are the from the original document. * *********************************************************************** '.! eaNarrallikt OP NIALTII. ItSWAIM' a allairana aairilaaL alartrivta OP allanalveas '100$ 0000NIVa Has MON it1P*0. PPM!EXACTLY ASNlativao Paam Toga Mt ION Oa 0*OANIZATOQ*twN. aT Ma IT POINTS Mr VIM 0111 001111101115 STATICS CO NOT IINICISSAMILY RINCE 0.COLIN Min OP P I CIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OP ----t EDUCATION POSITION Oft POLICY 0"It7Q- IL- 977 "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS _ 4.1 MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY HAS BEEN GRANTER BY $) 14 1 5" 10 THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)," Using PopularCulture in the CO Social Studies Thomas N..Turner Associate Professor of Education University of Tennessee, Knoxville What interests, students? What do they like anddislike? What do they wear? What is this year's slang?What do students talk about outside of class? What do theydo with their time? What do they see, as valuable Or important inthe world around them? The answers to such questions as these define the field of popular culture. That culture haspowerful impact on how students learn and on theirknowledge, habits, skills, and concept development. Popular culture as an area of concern for socialstudies programs isrelated to ihe growing importance of mass entertainment and mass media as ,social forces.Although a variety of definitions of popular culture exists,the descriptive framework provided by Herbert Gans in Popular Cultureand High Culture seems most useful to the social studies.Gans distinguishes popular culture from mass culture. Thelatter, he says, is a pejorative term indicating a mobchoice rather than an individeal choice, and even a negativejudgment that there is a lack of culture. Gans states that there are anumber of popular cultures, all of which are taste cultureswhich function io entertain, inform, and beautify life. Tastecultures consist of values, the cultural fOrmswhich express these values, and the media through which they areexpressed. Taste cultuse Is not limited to leisure time or toaesthetic values. However, it is a partial culture, providingvalues for only a part of life. Further, Gans points outthat popular culture is a "vicarious" culture rather than a"lived" culture. For the purposes of the approaches consideredin this booklet, something may be defined as being partof the popular culture if it meets the followingconditions: It is a visible, continuing element in the currentlives of members of the culture. Its primary functicin is to entertain, bring enjoyment, orsell something to p.K)ple. ColIVAIINI IV, by der Wilma Coma Ix the sada Steam USING POPULAR CULTURE IN THE SOCAL STUDIES ,. its continued popularity and existence are mattersof many In choosing content for the sttidy of popular culture,the people choosing them over other things. teacher should keep in mind that "popularity" is partially It is, or is becoming, a familiar, recognizable, andidentifi- function of age, raci4 and ethnic group, sex-role expetta- able entity for a large number of people. tions, and culturai backgrocind. A crucial question is "Whose popular culture are we talking aboati" Tohave meaningful popularity for a particular student, the culture Why Study Popular Culture in Social Studies? that is studied giust he part of his or her own experiences and tasks. Social studies curricula have given increasing attention to 4. the modern world and to factors deemed relevant to everyday Teaching Thmugh the Popular Culture life. The study of popular culture seems particularly appro- priate and important, not just because "it'sthere" but for a Study of the popular culture may serve manyuseful number of vital curricular reasons, including the following: educational purposes. These may fit into one or more of the following categories: 1. The popular culture is intimately_connected tothe indi- vidual's personal and social development. It is related to Gaining information about popular culture anddeveloping personal habits, individual self-concept and ideals, awareness of that culture. psychological needs, aspirations, and dreams. The popular Developing research Skills through inquiry into the popular culture is the student's own culture, his or her "turf," culture. which surrounds and influences the student andwhich the Strengthening skills in finding what others think about student most desperately needs to understand. elementsin the popular culture. 2. Popular culture provides an ever-presentworkshop where 'Examining values and tastes. instances of social manipulatiokand controlof people are Using understanding of popular culture as a basisfor ready.made for students to study and analyze.Every extending one's ability to comprehend other cultures and known form of social communicationand media is used other peoples. upon the public and awaitsstudent discovery and scrutiny. the broad living con- In order to enable teachers to see sorpething of 3. The poPular culture is the arena in which field of popular culture, the remainder of this booklet at- troversy and dissent have meaningand reality. Here that culture and to conflicts in tempts to ideritify selected elements"within sensitivity, awareness of personal values, and illustrate types of techniques that might be used. Itshould be measiingfully values can he most realistically and recognized that the sampling of activities offered for any one explored. element could often be adapted to other facets of thatculture. 4. Students at all levels possess, an intimateand detailed knowledge of the popular culture. They are themselves excellent resource people and are oxsually familiar with the Popular Music resources through which they mayobtain still more infor- culture is the complicated A major purpose in the study of popular mation. Therefore, the often frustrating and understanding of human motivation, especially of one's own task of becoming familiar with resources is unnecessary. and motivation. Students can focus upon the processes of inquiry Perhaps, no other element of the popular culture is so learning. universally a part of youth culture as popular music.What- 5. The resources and materialsfor studying the popular ever the type ofcommercia4zed music, it is still reflective of culture are abundant, easily accessible, often inexpensive and personally involved wilth human motivation.Students or free,an-d often already part of students' kveryday lives. advantage of existing identify with singers and musicians, hold thefts as folk heroes b. Study of the popular culture takes and heroines, and admire and often internalize thevalues student interest and curiosity. Therefore, the teacherdoes expressed in their songs and life styles. not need to create student interest, concern, orinvolve- that level of One of the strategies useful for studying popular music ment, hut can concentrate on maintaining involves student rating. Students can produce their own excited involvement which already exists. These and rating sheet to evaluate individual stars and groups. 7. The popular culture has lasting social importance individual notebooks of significance. The elements within the popularculture of_ can then be copied for class or comparative ratings. In preparing the rating form,students any time nr groupcontribute to the total pattern of any those values or will need
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