Manifestations of National Identity in Popular Culture in Contemporary - Essay Example

Manifestations of National Identity in Popular Culture in Contemporary Introduction The UK is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. As a nation, it has its own national identity symbols that distinguish it from the rest of the world. The symbols of nationality can be seen everywhere in modern UK. They range from economic, to entertainment to just social items. Cultural identity around the world and especially in UK has changed over time due to issues such as globalization and the many factors that come with globalization. For instance, the millennium dome is one of the cultural identify for London. The millennium dome was made to celebrate the new 21st millennium and a was started as a cultural centre where people would go to celebrate the arrival of the millennium. Although the dome was not as successful as it was intended, it still remains to be an icon for London as well as the UK culture. Apart from the millennium dome, the UK has also used other types of architecture to define its contemporary culture. Architectural marvels such as the London Eye are also good examples. UK still goes on to continue its culture in the contemporary world using modern pop culture. Music is also another form of pop culture in the UK (Gilbert & Pearson, 1999). While many aspects of traditional or history-born culture in UK has waned, the shift has gone to music. Today, a lot of music in Britain and its three co-states which make up the UK can be seen to be geared towards creating a culture that is unique to UK. As Bennett, Shank and Toynbee (2006) argue, BritPop is for instance one of the pop music that identifies the contemporary British culture. The music is characterized by melody and chorus that are hooky and that are easy for listeners to master and sing along. These kinds of songs have been made popular by many groups each of which make a different flavors of the music. For instance, Blur and Radiohead have produced songs in this genre and they prefer to be more experimental in their music. Oasis and Black Grape also offer different flavors of this music to its listeners. Regardless of the flavor of BritPop that any band of musicians prefers, the music is uniquely British and this forms the larger UK culture. Garage rock is also another form so pop UK music. Although its origin is in the USA, it has been assimilated in the UK culture and now there is British pop culture. This kind of music is very widespread among young people in UK and the UK Garage is very unique to UK and makes part of the pop culture in contemporary UK culture. Glam Rock (Glitter Rock) is one of the foundations that gave way to the modern pop culture music in the UK. Its origin is in the 1970s and although today is it not very much into the modern culture, it is a very good part of the formation of UK British culture. It is distinguished from other forms of music especially from outside the UK by its freaky mode of dressing. Because of this, both the musicians and their fans would wear funky costumes and this was peculiarly UK. Goth is another form of music that has been made popular by the group Bauhaus (Childs & Storry, 2013). Bauhaus Rock can be said to have descended from punk music that was popular in the UK in earlier days. This kind of music is also uniquely UK and although it is listened to around the world, it is a UK pop culture that is always associated with the UK. Again, this kind of music is identified by its costume nature where those who subscribe to such music wear weird makeup. This kind of music is also popular with younger generations and it is seen as a sense of rebellion among younger people (Shuker, 2001). Techno is also another form of UK music that is uniquely UK. It forms a major part of the UK pop culture in contemporary culture. This kind of music is played in night clubs and the use of DJ is always an important part of the music. It is used in rave parties and is very popular in UK. This kind of music represents a major part of the contemporary UK culture. There is a purpose why music has been a continuation of UK contemporary UK culture. To begin with, music is easy to evolve and this makes it easier to form a continuum as opposed to other areas of culture that have to fully change to give way for new ways. For instance, a look at the UK music scene indicates that UK music has had a continued evolution. Even before the beetles, there were many music bands that supplied the UK population with as much music that formed the pop culture at the time. After that, many more bands include g one of the latest such as the spice girls and the one direction have come up. They continue to define the UK culture in the contemporary world. Secondly, apart from music having a smooth evolution curve, it is also entrenched into the lives of people. It has been stated that music ad songs are a universal culture and any living person must participate in it. Music is listed to by so many people regardless of age, nationality or even economic class. The modern technology makes it easier for people to listen to music because hey can listen to music anywhere any time. They can listen to music even when they are on the go, because they can listen to it through portable devices such as mobile (smart) phones or even iPods. Radio and television as well as the digital media make it easier for people to access even the latest music. Because of this, music consumption in the UK is at its highest since the invention of the phonograph. Because of this, it plays a very vital role in the continuation of UK culture especially with regard to contemporary life in the UK. Spice girls The girl band has also been a manifestation of the UK culture. The Spice Girls was started in the mid 90s to provide the female side of music bands. Apart from being there to compete with the many boy bands of the 1990s who dominated the music scene at the time, the Spice Girls also formed a unique culture for UK and they were part of the contemporary UK culture. The teenage girl band is not as active as it was in the 20th century and early 2000s but still forms a formidable part of the contemporary UK culture (Jeremy & Pearson, 2002). The spice girls acted as more than just a teen girl band in the 1990s. Their music which was mostly pop music and teen-dance music was a rejuvenation of UK culture. During this time, UK was waning in terms of being an exotic destination in the world. The arrival of the Spice Girls at the music scene and their signing to the Virgin Records and their eventual album releases such as their debut albums “Wannabe” and their poplar album “Spice” were all seen as a rejuvenation of the UK contemporary culture. Their kind of music including their fashion sense and their style of entertainment was seen to be a rejuvenation of the culture in that it came to revive the UK culture in terms of it being an exotic modern culture. It broke the old tradition of boy bands also included a new wave of modern and less conservative female music. The Spice Girls caused all types of controversy with some people disagreeing with their style including their mode of dressing. It is the controversy that may have fueled their rise to fame and their status as the de facto UK girl band. This gave them a very good chance to shine the scene of music. Their re-emergency in the music scene during the 2010 world cup closing ceremony also made added more spice to the UK contemporary culture. Today, the girl band has since gone to extinction but their role in modern and contemporary UK culture cannot be ignored. They played and probably continue to play a big role in marketing the UK contemporary culture. While they are now a defunct band, their music is still gem in the crown of UK contemporary culture and they can be credited for having revived the UK culture. They showed the world that UK had not gone to the drains with regard to being an exotic destination. In other words, they secured the place of the UK in the modern contemporary culture in the map of the word. At this time, the UK and even other upcoming dominant culture from the orient were taking over the scene of global culture. UK badly needed something to start things up and the many boy bands that existed were not doing so well to redeem UK contemporary culture especially where music was concerned. It is the Spice Girls that brought about a new wave in the UK contemporary culture. One direction One Direction is a band that was started by teen boys in 2010. The boy band as it has come to be called, has been an embedment of the UK contemporary culture. Since its formation, it has caused a lot of waves not only in UK but also in major cultural regions such as Asia, Australia and even USA. One Direction band is an embodiment of UK contemporary culture and has also come to take where the Spice Girls left. One Direction band has been very successful in taking over the development of the UK pop culture in at least two directions. First, it acts as an ambassador for UK culture which is definitely a very good thing for the preservation of the UK national culture. One Direction band does this by conducting tours around the world. Everywhere the band goes, UK culture and UK kind f music is being celebrated and this constitutes the proliferation of UK culture especially with regard to its dominance in the global arena. The one way in which One Direction band proliferates the UK culture in the contemporary world is by crating the cultural fire and keeping it burning within UK. Despite it being a young boy band that appeals mostly to the young generation who are still in their teenage, it still is part of the greater UK contemporary culture. This kind of new culture in UK also shows a shift from the older culture that used to embody older people. Today’s, UK culture, as is in most other developed nations is dominated with the activities of the younger people. This is why bands like one generation and the spice girls are very important components of the contemporary UK culture. The kind of music made by the one direction band is very close to t he kind of music made by Spice Girls and includes teen pop, dance-pop, pop rock, with electro pop. Both bands make music with a rock influence and this then can be seen to be building on the broader UK culture of the earlier days. As a result , this makes it to be possible for this band to be a favorite at home as well as the international arena. The band has been praised on so many grounds such as their guitarist being mentioned as good guitarist and the band as a whole being given credit for having good live vocals. In many respects, One Direction band has restored the UK cultural dominance in the world and it continues to give the UK culture a new face. The use of band and life music is also part of the UK culture. This is interesting considering that in today’s lives, more people have more access to music through other channels. The growth of such bands as the Spice Girls and One Generation may be an indication that the UK culture of partying is still live. The younger generation that is are targeted by these bands are people who would otherwise get the same music through other channels and media but do not hesitate to go to attend live bands in whether the opportunity presents itself. London Taxis and Double Decker buses The London Taxis also play a role in the modern culture in London. The unique London taxi cabs that are not easily available in any other country can be spotted in the streets of London as they pick and drop customers. While all the cities in the world have their own taxis, the London taxi cabs are very unique and they are an icon for the London and by extension the UK. Not only are these taxi cabs an icon for London they are also an icon for the commuting culture one of the UK citizens. On arrival to London or any other city in UK, these taxis can be seen roving the streets of London and anyone who has even the slightest idea about London will immediately recognize them. Since culture is something at people do and the way people go about their lives, these taxi cabs, with their “old” classic style continue to embody the UK culture. Unlike many states around the world, UK has sustained these “old school” taxis until the current time. This has also been seen in other commuting means such as the red London double coach. These two items continue to identify London as a city and the larger UK contemporary culture (Storry & Childs, 2013). These two mean of commuting are not just as a form of commuting but as an identity symbol for the London and the UK. Even a picture of a red double coach will remind anyone even those who have not been to London of UK or London. As Storry and Childs (2013) argue, although these items cannot be considered to be necessarily modern because they have existed there for a long time, they continue to play a major role acting as identifiers for London and UK in general. They not only identify London in today’s world but also in terms of where London has come from in terms of its technology development. Howe much longer these two icons can continue to be the icon for London and UK may not be known. At the same time, why they have remained there for so long may not be well established. At a time when almost everybody in UK can afford their own private transport means and not necessarily depend on public transport, the London Old School taxis have remained to be in relevance and under normal circumstances, they would be irrelevance and redundant. Even if there was a need for taxis, these old taxi cabs could have been replaced by newer car models as can be seen in other major cosmopolitan areas such as New York in the USA. But they continue to be part of the show. The same can said of the London double couch. The London double couch may be a sign of cultural nostalgia as the nation continues to hold on the past. In fact, to show that these buses are not about to die off, the old Routemaster was replaced by the more modern New Routemaster which was launched in 2012. Like many other nations, the UK continues to hold onto the past as they want to keep and preserve its culture. Buses like the New Routemaster may not be necessary but still continue to grace the cities of UK. London eye Not so much of a cultural piece, the London eye has also come to be another identifier for London (Storry & Childs, 2013). Even though there are numerous Ferris wheels around the world, including the largest one today which is in Singapore, the London eye contains to be a part of the identifiers for London. The Ferris wheel stands at over 140 meters and while the passengers are at the top of the when, they can view the whole city of London, thus the name “the London eye”. Despite its lack of uniqueness, it still has a place in the modern world especially because even though it has been replicated all over the world, it has a unique history that separates it from other Ferris wheels in the world. Cars The UK is a proud manufacturer and producer of various luxury automobiles such as Rolls Royce. As Ross (1996) argues, these cars remain to not only be the pride of UK but to also be the cultural identifies of the nations. Cars like rolls Royse and the Bentley continue to preach the pride of UK at home as well as at the global arena. However, whether or not these are prides of London may be debatable especially because the firms that manufacture these cars have been acquired, at least partially, by foreign companies. For instance, the firm that manufactures Bentley (Bentley Motors Limited), has been acquired by Volkswagen which is a German automaker. However, due to the power of a brand name, they remain to be part of UK’s pride and cultural identifiers. Globalization has definitely affected the way culture in maintained in such countries as Britain and UK at large. The UK has lost most of its businesses that were originally UK firms but which are today belong to other nations through buyouts. Bentley may not be alone in this became other firms such as the Standard Bank has been bought out by foreign investors and although their brands continue to be associated with UK, their ownership has changed from UK to the other nations around the world. The standard Chartered Bank was for instance bought out by the government of Singapore. So, even as some of these remain to be pride and cultural identifiers for UK, the shift can be felt underneath. Maybe these items must not be judged based on where they now pledge allegiance but where they originated from. For instance, even if some of these brands such as Bentley may eventually be bought out by foreign firms, the fact that they originated from the UK. They may continue to be part of the cultural identifiers for UK as well as the pride of UK for many years to come. Shopping London has for a long time been said by the rest of the globe as a shopping centre. Visitors arrive from around the world to come and do the shopping at the city. The many world class shopping malls in London and many other cities around the UK have been borne of this impetus for London being a shopping city. The view of London as a shopping centre has continued to be part of the UK culture. People come from the rest of the the world, even those who have shopping faculties that are as good, or even better than those found on London. As a result, the city brands itself as a shopping centre and this attracts people from all over UK as well as the rest of the world. This view London as a shopping city is an embodiment of nit just economic aspects of UK, but also as a socio-cultural element. It is an implication of the fact that Londoners and UK citizens indeed are people who seek for the best products especially with regard to fashion. Many people who regard London as a shopping centre are people who are interested mainly in fashion and apparel. For this reason, London remains an icon for fashion, clothing and apparel and most people how belong to the socioeconomic class that can afford this kind of luxury prefer to buy their clothing from UK, and London in particular. Conclusion UK has been a leader in global arena with regard culture. Globalization has however changed this and now UK can be seen as shifting from its age-old culture to a new form of culture. This contemporary culture can be seen in many manifestations ranging from the modern music styles, the way of communication transport and most importantly in the various products that come from UK such as cars and other technology products. Fashion and apparel have also been a part of the modern or contemporary UK culture and UK has been regarded around the word as a shopping destination. It does seen that the future of UK culture will not be with regard to what UK does but rather with regard to what the UK exports to the world in terms of technology, fashion and apparel. There is also nostalgia, which can be detected with regard to the UK culture and national identity. For instance, the London red double coaches that are recognizable from anywhere in the world even for people who have never need to London are part of this nostalgia. This can also be seen in the London old school taxi cabs which continue to be in operation even in the modern days where cars of these types almost have no place. The two are very good examples of how cultural nostalgia can manifest itself in a nation. Since technology especially in transport has improved so much in the last fifty years, these tow modes of transport are almost not needed, yet they continue to be there and still relevant because a lot of people use them. Bibliography Bennett, A., Shank, B., & Toynbee, J. (2006). The Popular Music Studies Reader. London, UK: Psychology Press. Childs, P., & Storry, M. (2013). Encyclopedia of Contemporary British Culture. London, UK: Routledge. Gilbert, J., & Pearson, E. (1999). Discographies: Dance Music, Culture and the Politics of Sound. New York, NY: Psychology Press. Jeremy, G., & Ewan, P. (2002). Discographies: Dance, Music, Culture and the Politics of Sound. london, UK: Routledge. Ross, K. (1996). Fast Cars, Clean Bodies: Decolonization and the Reordering of French Culture. Boston, UK: MIT Press. Shuker, R. (2001). Understanding Popular Music. London, UK: Psychology Press. Storry, M., & Childs, P. (2013). British Cultural Identities. London, UK: Routledge. Read More