Blog#10: Unit 2 Reflection

      I have studied Unit 2 for a couple weeks, and I have a deeper understanding of pop culture. Popular means people, and culture means shared attitudes and beliefs. There are four components of pop culture, including objects, people, places, and events. If use a word to express the essence of this unit, I would choose condiments because they can be widely used in a variety of food and add flavor to food. This affects our lives as widely as pop culture, from music to fashion, from people to sports. Pop culture not only has the power to reflect and shape our values, beliefs and behaviors, but also plays an important role in determining future fads and trend. My “aha” moment was when I completed the group project with my groupmates. I learned culture is passed from one generation to the next through the process of inculturation from Unit 1, but I always think it only in language and knowledge. I was surprised to find that pop culture is inherited in many places, such as the Olympic Games. It has a long history, its sports, competitive spirit and values are passed down from time to time and add with new innovations. And it also influences movies or people. For example, the movie Chariots of Fire which tells a story about Harold Abraham and Eric Liddier, two Great Britain Olympians in 1924. I don’t know pop culture can influence and shape the lives of individuals, communities, and even entire nations before I study Unit 2. I used to think pop culture is just an entertainment. But now I know pop culture reflects its values and attitudes through objects, people, events, and places. For example, Kim Shui, a “Trendsetter” in 2023 of Time magazine. She uses fashion design to break traditional fashion and communicate social inclusion. She empowers and uplifts women. I also found a common phenomenon that many students prefer to choose their own culture or similar to their own culture of materials and topics in pop star presentation or group presentation, including myself. I think this is a universal problem for people who have lived in their own country for a long time and suddenly come to a multicultural country. They often don’t accept values are different from what they have because these cultures are very strange for them. This is a challenge of accepting a new culture, and this is what we are currently thinking about and try to find a good way how to solve about it.