Why Pop Cultural Media?
- Oct 27, 2019
- 3 min read
Pop cultural media is everywhere today; it takes on many forms, such as movies, music, television shows, online videos, podcasts and social media (Allan, 2019).
Today I am going to delve into popular movies and music and discuss why it is important for all teachers to be in tune with their students’ likes and interests. This post aims to open your eyes to the power of understanding and integrating pop cultural media into lessons.
Whilst music and movies are a key centrepiece of pop culture, the way it is consumed has changed significantly over the years.
In the 80’s when a film series such as ‘Back to the Future’ was released for public consumption, it would be purchased on VCR. In the 00’s, pop culture movies series such the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy would be purchased on DVD and in the late 00’s, online on iTunes. Nowadays, this has changed again, with streaming services, such as Netflix or Stan, being all the rage. Most youth (or more likely, their parents) now pay a monthly fee to watch unlimited movies. They have access to full catalogues of series (such as the ‘Marvel; franchise). Having this unlimited access, means that more content can be streamed at a far lower cost and as a result, youth are spending a larger chunk of their time viewing pop cultural movies.
Music has also taken a similar turn. Youth in the 80’s would purchase music from bands like ‘U2’ on tapes or vinyl. CD’s became widely in the 90’s and youth adored boy band such as ‘The Backstreet Boys’. In the 00’s, purchasing of albums and selected tracks became popular through iTunes. Now, like movies, music is streamed through subscription services such as Spotify or Apple Music. Again, this cheaper, on-demand access to unlimited music means so much more music is being consumed.
Why is this history important for a teacher to understand?
Well I believe it is vital, because pop cultural media is more relevant than ever before. Alvermann et al (2018) argues that pop culture is reality to youth and is the way in which they operate. If this is true, and pop culture is indeed reality for young people, then it should be vital to the Australian Curriculum.
During this unit and on my professional experiences, it had become increasingly obvious that pop culture can be the answer to making classroom lessons relatable and engaging. Allander (2004) maintains that pop culture has significant academic value in the classroom, as it has the ability to engage students.
As a young graduate teacher, I believe that students will look to me and others in their early 20’s for answers to cultural identity questions. As a young teacher, I can not only relate with my students through pop cultural references, but I can set a positive example of what content is appropriate to consume. Pop cultural media can not only engage, but it can open up opportunity for moral and ethical discussions in the classroom. Pop cultural content provides opportunity to discuss lyrics and characters’ lifestyle choices designed to influence youth culture. Banet-Weiser (2007) argues that the media are shaping youth culture through cunning marketing.
We, as teachers, need to educate youth on how to enjoy media and how to be discerning of marketing schemes.
References
Allan, C. (2019). LCN639 Youth, Popular Culture, and Texts: Module B [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from https://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/black board/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_143748_1&content_id=_804 4090_1
Allander, D. (2004). Popular Culture in the classroom. 93(3), 12-14. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/237292525?pq
-origsite=primo
Alvermann, D., Moon, J., Hagwood, M., & Hagood, M. Popular culture in the classroom: Teaching and researching critical media literacy(1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www-taylorfrancis- com.ezp01.library.qut.edu .au/books/9781315059327
Banet-Weiser, S. (2007). Cable visions: Television beyond broadcasting (1st ed.). Retrieved from https://www-jstor-org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/stable /j.ctt9qg15n
It is great to see another teacher championing the benefits of popular culture in the classroom.
I really like the point that you raise about teachers in their 20's setting a positive example. I think all teachers have an obligation as role-models, but potentially younger teachers who have experience growing up in the digital age themselves have a unique opportunity in this regard. If you're a student who plays video games, it can feel like there is a wall between you and the adults around you, and this can lead to the formation of bad habits.
If you are told to, "get of that game and go play outside", by someone who has never picked up a controller, it just…