What is Popular Culture?
Pop culture by
definition is music, TV, cinema, literature, etc. that is popular and enjoyed
by ordinary people, rather than experts or very educated people. To me, popular culture is trendy practices,
clothing, music, social media, etc. These trends or things that are popular are
endorsed and advertised by the mass media, celebrities, and companies. Popular Culture is the current buzz or what
is in style or cool as of right now. The
internet for example is how the majority communicates, posts pictures or what
they have done in the last 15 min. via social media websites. We see this popular behavior on Facebook, YouTube, etc. Technology and the
internet is a massive part of society’s daily life as compared to fifteen years
ago. I-tunes, smart phones, skinny
jeans, slang terms, and movies such as Lone Survivor and Transformers are all
examples of popular culture.
Popular Culture in Criminal Justice
Popular
Culture is very important in the criminal justice field. Criminologists study behavior linked to why
and how crimes are committed based on the ever evolving cultures of different
societies. Social Media is a very
important aspect of law enforcement's role in deterring and preventing
crime. Law enforcement agencies have
implemented Facebook pages to communicate with the public about safety concerns
as well as, providing a place to receive tips and information on crime that has
been committed in the area. Police
departments at all levels have used the internet as a way of fighting crime
such as, using Facebook and other social media as a tool in conducting investigations
and gathering information. The internet
has evolved law enforcement in a way that has benefited agencies all across the
world. Records and information are now
passed a lot faster and efficiently and the use of on board mobile computers
that are internet capable have enabled those in the criminal justice field from
law enforcement to forensic scientists to be more effective in their daily
activities.
Popular Culture Artifact
As
we know popular culture artifacts can include but are not limited to internet personalities, popular scenes or highlights from certain TV shows or movies,
news stories, but also pictures, and attitudes.
A popular culture artifact can be a particular object or thing that is
trendy that can come from a vast amount of sources such as the internet or
media.
An
example of a popular culture artifact would be the ever popular fitness and
training method of cross fit. The cross fit movement began in 2007 that was started by a small group of
individuals who hosted a fitness competition in southern California. Cross fit has since then skyrocketed in
popularity across the globe and now the annual Cross fit games are televised on
ESPN. Gyms have popped up all over the
United States with participants competing for a qualifying spot in the yearly
games. Cross fit which was once a
competition consisting of cross country running, weight lifting, and various
events has evolved into massive triathlon style competitions including biking,
swimming, strongman, weightlifting, and endurance events. Reebok, Rogue Fitness and other companies
have made cross fit a very lucrative business for all involved and have the
intention of maintaining Cross fit as a professional sport for many years to
come. Cross fit has been a variable that
has pushed the fitness movement encouraging people to be fit and live healthy
lifestyles.
Hey Cody,
ReplyDeleteGreat artifact to present. I've worked out most of my life, but have recently joined a CrossFit gym in the southern Jersey area and I found it to be great! A great way for it relating to pop culture is the idea of everyone having the same interest in mind, and that's to get in shape and make friends while doing it. We all have the same set goal, and the idea is to find something that can bring us together or give us something we have in common. Great choice to represent!
Hi Cody,
ReplyDeleteYou make great points about the relevance of pop culture in the criminal justice field and professional environment. The internet, social media sites, and other similar elements of pop culture most definitely relate to the ways in which law enforcement officers, investigators, and other such professionals perform their day to day job duties. I, myself, have the local police department as a "friend" on Facebook, and they often post pictures and demographic details of people in the area who have a warrant out for their arrest. By posting these pictures and details, law enforcement officers have another avenue to explore potential tips on the whereabouts of people they're looking for. Heck, I've even seen somebody comment on a warrant post about themselves complaining about how the police have put their picture out there for everyone to see, etc. It was quite humorous really, but, in all seriousness, social media has become a great tool for those in the law enforcement and criminal justice fields to do their job more effectively and efficiently. Facebook has even become a primary source used by prospective employers to "scout out" job applicants prior to hiring.
Great post!
Michelle
Cody,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that technology has drastically changed popular culture and generally human behavior. Going 15mins with out using your smart phone one begins to feel disconnected from the buzz. It is amazing how much social media has begun to influence popular culture and it will continue to become more and more prevalent has older generations fade and new generations that grow up with it come of age. There will come a time when there is no generation that was not born with out high speed internet. Things like phone books, books and newspapers are all fading from popular culture has more of population become comfortable with digital media and internet access. Facebook is becoming huge in areas of Police, Schools, Fire-stations and etc. I know that our locale police department sends out updates and keeps us informed through this social media. Schools no longer do you have to wait at the ticker on news for closing just check Facebook and almost instantaneous you know if your child's school is open or closed. i personally do not know anything about cross-fit but there is no denying that sports are huge in popular culture. This is easy to tell just from the amount of money spent for endorsement deals and commercials. Being one of the few things that are still elusively for most of the population watched live rather than recorded it will contiune to impact popular culture if not itself but through the advertisements. Thanks for the blog Cody.
Melissa S Tucker