Rainbow Connection: Pop Culture's Influence on the University of San Carlos Grade 12 Humms Students' Perception of the Lgbtq Community

Rainbow Connection: Pop Culture’s Influence on the University of San Carlos Grade 12 HUMMS Students’ Perception of the LGBTQ Community

Shane Ang

Khyna Estelle Yu

Lance Lexton Lim

Ryo Higashida

Philippine Christian Gospel School

October 2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1        3

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE        3

INTRODUCTION        3

Rationale of the Study        3

Theoretical Background        4

Conceptual Framework        9

THE PROBLEM        10

Statement of the Problem        10

Significance of the Study        10

Scope and Limitations        11

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY        11

Research Environment        11

Research Respondents        11

Research Instrument        12

Research Procedure        12

DEFINITION OF TERMS        13

CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

Pop culture is generally recognized as a type of culture which predominates a society at a point in time (Delaney, 2007). It involves the aspects of social life most actively involved by the public. Moreover, pop culture is determined by the interactions between people in their everyday lives. It is manifested around the world through movies, music, television shows, newspapers, satellite broadcasts, fast food and clothing, among other entertainment and consumer goods. Furthermore, being immersed into pop culture “allows large heterogeneous masses of people to identify collectively. It serves an inclusionary role in society as it unites the masses on ideals of acceptable forms of behavior” (2007, para. 4).

On the other hand, there has been an outbreak in the visibility of LGBTQ advocates in the last decade, notably relative to the transition of cultures. Pop culture has played a big role in the broad and rapid shift of norms such as the support towards homosexuality, same-sex marriage, acceptance of a gay child, and other acts showing LGBTQ supremacy in society. The acronym LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, respectively. All of the mentioned terms revolve around the concept of gender change and homosexuality. In general, the LGBTQ community celebrates pride, diversity, individuality and sexuality.

The transition from the old culture of the late 19th century to the currently evolving pop culture has set a new standard in society. This gradual shift towards a new set of norms and trends has played a major factor in constituting and reinforcing the concept of homosexuality. Due to the multiple manifestations of pop culture in the form of television shows, social media, movies, music, and the Internet, conformists of this modern culture would have a larger tendency of being persuaded and influenced by collective trends. The youth are the main recipients of pop culture; thus, they are more susceptible and easily subjected to the persuasive effects of being immersed to this culture.

The study was conducted in the University of San Carlos, specifically among the Grade 12 HUMSS students of batch 2018-2019. Primarily, this research was conducted to understand the correlation between the extent of a youth’s immersion in pop culture and his or her perception of the LGBTQ community. Aside from that, being able to understand the sentiments of the youth would aid in the overall research study. This topic was chosen because the research team speculates that the students’ exposure to pop culture contributed to their viewpoint of the LGBTQ community.

Theoretical Background

It is proven that culture does influence one perception of gender identity. John Storey quotes a well-known assertion from Judith Butler, that “gender is not the expression of biological sex, it is performatively constructed in culture” (2018, n.p.).  And in this generation pop culture has been breaking the paternalism of the old mass media. Sexual freedom, gender equality and more complex notions of identity are now normalized through pop culture using mass media as their main platform.

Direct Pathway and Socially Mediated Pathway

According to a psychologist in Stanford University, Albert Bandura (2006), “there are two pathways that pop culture is affecting large-scale changes” as seen in Figure 1. In the direct pathway, the mass media promotes changes by informing, enabling, motivating, and guiding participants. In the socially mediated pathway, participants are associated to social networks and community settings by media influences.

[pic 1]

Figure 1 Dual Path of Pop Culture Influence Operating on Behavior Both Directly and through the Connection of the Influential Social Systems.

Mass media can establish ideas either directly or through adopters. In some cases, mass media both teaches new forms of behavior and create influences for action by altering people's value preferences, efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and perception of opportunity structures. In other cases, the media teaches but other adopters (e.g. celebrities) provide the incentive motivation to perform what has been learned observationally.

Modeled benefits accelerate social diffusion by weakening the restraints of the more cautious potential adopters. As acceptance spreads, the new ways gain further social support. Models also display preferences and evaluative reactions, which can alter observers' values and standards. Changes in evaluative standards affect receptivity to the activities being modeled. Models not only exemplify and legitimate new practices, they also serve as advocates for them by directly encouraging others to adopt them. (Bandura, 2009)

A research was also conducted by Jeetendr Sehdev to collate the percentage number of viewpoints that are influenced by adopters.

A research surveyed 2,000 American adults between the ages of 18 and 65. Seventy-eight percent referenced prominent gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender figures as being a major influence to them, while eighty percent cited the role that straight supporters of gay rights have had in making them more comfortable. (2015)

Subjective Socialization

Ever since the early 70’s pop culture has been growing through subjective socialization. This is a process in which “a society transmits its culture from one generation to the next” (Banaag, 2012, n.p.). Members of each generation refine and modify their cultural beliefs “to adapt to the new social and technological challenges” (Greenberg, 2002, n.p.).  In other instances, the effect of the media may be entirely socially mediated. That is, people who have had no exposure to the media are influenced by adopters who have had the exposure and then, themselves, become the transmitters of the new ways. Within these different patterns of social influence, the media can serve as originating, as well as reinforcing, influences. It is widely known that the youth is most influenced and is the biggest consumer of pop culture. Even if not all consciously agrees on conformity, “they quickly learn that life is a lot easier if they observe some social norms” (Rooney, 2017, p. 179).

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