Ch 4.3 Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Diffusion of Popular Housing Modern (1945-1960) minimal traditional, ranch, split-level, contemporary, shed
Diffusion of Popular Neo-Eclectic (since 1960) bring back old fashioned

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Clothing reflects income & social norms (job, where you live, social status) NOT environment like FOLK culture rapid diffusion of fashion trends from “fashion hearths”
JEANS – image of youth http://greencotton.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/does-organic-cotton-equal-organic-jeans/

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Food
Alcohol & Snacks can be both regional/folk by what’s available locally in environment & influenced by the local culture, but also popular, influence by income & advertising.
-Religion also influences alcohol consumption
(taboo for: Mormons in Utah, Baptists in SE, Muslims)
Whiskey Tequila

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Wine consumption influenced by environment : soil (well drained) & climate (wet winters, hot summers) and physical place (soil type) all influence the distinct taste which can be identified by origin culture : history & tradition of wine-making, also influenced by religious values (Muslims & Hindus abstain)

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular
Culture Widely
Distributed?
Television
1954
1970
2003
Where is Television:
Common and Rare?

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular
Culture Widely
Distributed?
Internet
1995
2000
2004
Where is the Internet
Common and Rare?

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Television
Most popular leisure activity in MDCs
Most important means of diffusing pop culture pre 1995
Internet
RAPID!!!! means of diffusing pop culture 1995-now

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
Government Control of TV
Western Hemisphere – private ownership by corporations to make profits by selling advertisements, local government owned for local programs (like Orange
TV) and educational programs (like “Sesame Street”)
LDCs (i.e. China, India, Eastern Europe) – government controlled to censor any anti-government sentiments, not as many privately run media in LDCs

Ch 4.3 Why is Popular Culture Widely Distributed?
What is Reducing Government Control in countries?
satellite dishes, cell phones, video cameras, internet
(twitter, facebook) … people want to know what’s going on, they have access to satellite dishes and the money to get them.
Effects?
Governments are losing control of censoring information about what is happening in the world. This helped cause the collapse of Communist Eastern Europe. It’s also part of the Arab Spring and the on-going conflict in Syria.