Western Pop Culture
Abstract Western pop culture has been a phenomenon that it has influenced every aspect of society. In this paper I looked into how it has affected a third world country such as the Philippines, how pop culture has changed the country and its people. I find that some of the changes were for the better and some changes had a negative impact.
Influences of Western Pop Culture
Culture and traditions are significant in countries like Philippines, which has always cherished its rich heritage and it is quite well known for its worldwide. Philippines have slowly been losing their heritage and traditions in favor of western pop culture. The “West” has been a dominating force in the world since the conclusion of World War 2. Today its influences have become a sort of pop culture phenomenon in developing countries such as the Philippines. Western pop culture have influence almost every aspect of the country, from how we communicate, to how we listen and create music, watch and produce film and television, our fashion and our self-image, to how we even package our goods. There are several aspects of the western pop culture, some of which have been negative, some of which have had a positive influence, most of which have had some manner of impact and influence in Filipino society.
In order to understand how the Philippine culture has been affected by the West in the modern period, it is essential to get a picture of the context of Filipino exposure to the West in earlier periods. A brief history of the Philippines reveals that traditions and cultures of the Philippines are from China. Before the colonial time the Chinese came to the Philippines and traded with the natives peacefully, exchanging Chinese goods with hardwood, pearls, and turtle shells that were valued in China (Miclat, 2000, p. 100). And this is evident according to Miclat (2000) in the “Traditional Chinese motifs that symbolize imperial power are found in the trade ceramics found in the
Influences of Western Pop Culture
Culture and traditions are significant in countries like Philippines, which has always cherished its rich heritage and it is quite well known for its worldwide. Philippines have slowly been losing their heritage and traditions in favor of western pop culture. The “West” has been a dominating force in the world since the conclusion of World War 2. Today its influences have become a sort of pop culture phenomenon in developing countries such as the Philippines. Western pop culture have influence almost every aspect of the country, from how we communicate, to how we listen and create music, watch and produce film and television, our fashion and our self-image, to how we even package our goods. There are several aspects of the western pop culture, some of which have been negative, some of which have had a positive influence, most of which have had some manner of impact and influence in Filipino society.
In order to understand how the Philippine culture has been affected by the West in the modern period, it is essential to get a picture of the context of Filipino exposure to the West in earlier periods. A brief history of the Philippines reveals that traditions and cultures of the Philippines are from China. Before the colonial time the Chinese came to the Philippines and traded with the natives peacefully, exchanging Chinese goods with hardwood, pearls, and turtle shells that were valued in China (Miclat, 2000, p. 100). And this is evident according to Miclat (2000) in the “Traditional Chinese motifs that symbolize imperial power are found in the trade ceramics found in the
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