Popular Culture: Cultural Analysis in Singapore

Analyse the relationship between a subculture and popular culture, in the context of Singapore society.

You are required to conduct a sociological study of a subculture in Singapore. To gather the data for the assignment, you need to conduct qualitative interviews with THREE members of the subculture you have selected for your study. The interviews should be conducted face-to-face. To enrich your understanding of the subculture, you can conduct fieldwork observation as a complementary method. To answer the above question, it is necessary to consult the course materials and additional relevant academic sources.

Your essay should address the following pointers:

What is a subculture? Discuss how sociologists and cultural studies researchers define subcultures and in what ways the sociological definition is applicable to your selected subculture.
Examine the cultural characteristics of your selected subculture that make it distinct from other groups in Singapore society.
Is there heterogeneity within the subculture you are studying?
Why and how do members of this subculture assert their identities? What meanings do they attach to their subculture?
How would you describe and explain the subculture’s relationships with the wider society and social institutions?
Evaluate how the selected subculture is related to popular culture.

In your essay, be sure to apply relevant concepts and theories covered in the course, and synthesise, integrate and analyse fieldwork findings in your argument.

Expert Answers on Above Cultural Analysis in Singapore

Subculture

A subculture is a part of a broader culture that has distinctive values, norms, behaviour and identity that differ from mainstream culture. The concept of subculture is defined by Hebdige as a group of people that express identity using style, symbols and shared practices.

Application to Cosplay subculture

This definition aligns properly with the cosplay community in Singapore because the members dress as fictional characters, share common interests and participate in conventions and events. They share a distinct identity within mainstream Singapore society.

Cultural characteristics that differentiate this subculture

The major characteristics are in the form of dress and appearance, language, shared activities and values.
Heterogeneity within this subculture: There are significant differences within the cosplay subculture, as it can be identified from the examples such as casual cosplayers versus professional cosplayers players, anime cosplay vs gaming cosplay and different age groups.

Why and how members assert their identities

The members assert identity by expressing their creativity, and feeling a sense of belonging. They do so by wearing costumes, posting on social media and attending conventions.

Relationship with wider society and social institutions

The positive relationship is identified in the form of business support available to cosplay events, and growing public acceptance. However the challenges are in the form of lack of societal understanding and people treat it as childish.

Relationship with popular culture

It is highly related to different cultures and directly affected by anime, movies and video games. The popular cultures are promoted by increasing interest in media, and supporting entertainment industries.

This model answer is reviewed by Daniel Wong, a psychology and social science expert from NTU.
Disclaimer: This answer is a model for study and reference purposes only. Please do not submit it as your own work.

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