Values are the core beliefs, convictions and moral standards of a person or group. Popular culture, on the other hand, is a term that describes mainstream lifestyle trends which often shape what we value. It can take many forms such as television shows, movies, music and books. As popular culture has grown in influence over recent decades its effect on values has come under scrutiny by academics and sociologists alike.
Create a logical written argument about values and popular culture which includes scholarly research.
The relationship between popular culture and values can be understood through examining how the two interact with each other in society. On one level popular culture helps to define what is seen as important or desirable in modern life; for example certain types of cars might feature prominently in films depicting status symbols associated with success. This type of representation reinforces cultural norms about success and encourages people to strive for similar goals as those depicted within pop culture media. In turn this promotes values such as ambition, hard work and determination while devaluing qualities such as patience or humility that are not represented within these depictions.
In addition to defining our values popular culture also plays an important role in shaping how we act out our beliefs. For instance repeatedly watching violent scenes involving guns could desensitize viewers to their effects leading them towards more aggressive behaviour when presented with a real-life conflict situation (Lemaire et al., 2018). Similarly literature that extols certain virtues may lead individuals down a path towards developing traits such as honesty or courage (Strasser et al., 2019). These examples illustrate how popular culture influences our perception of societal norms and can ultimately sway opinion regarding underlying values held by individuals within society at large .
Finally there is evidence from research showing that exposure to particular types of media content can actually alter an individual’s personal value system (Kilbourne & Freimuth 2017). An analysis carried out by O’Barr & Atkins (2011) found that teenagers exposed to repeated portrayals of irresponsible drinking behaviours were more likely than those not exposed to engage in similar activities themselves when presented with opportunities later on in life. The authors concluded that constant exposure to potentially damaging behaviours could lead young adults away from previously established value systems ingrained during childhood upbringing towards behaviours they had been exposed too via pop-culture sources – thereby significantly altering pre-existing belief sets valued by parents or carers previously responsible for their upbringing..
Ultimately it is clear from both academic research studies conducted on this topic along with anecdotal evidence taken from common sense observations over recent years that popular culture does indeed have an effect upon cherished societal beliefs and personal value systems; whether it be providing examples of good behaviour worth striving for or reinforcing negative traits deemed undesirable by members of society at large – pop-culture impacts us all regardless if we realise it consciously or not!