Performing Popular Culture - Literature review Example

Performing Popular Culture Student Name Institution Affiliation Reflective Nostalgia As it has been said so many times, reflective nostalgia does not usually pretend to rebuild the mythical plane called home (Pickering & Keightley 34). It has also been observed that nostalgia is currently being performed in popular culture and has different effects on the cultural functions. By definition, nostalgia refers to a wistful desire to go back in thought or fact to a former time in an individual’s life, to one’s family and friends or to one’s home or homeland (Peter 85). It is a sentimental desire for one’s former happiness related to a place or time. There are generally 2 types of nostalgia, that is, Reflective and Restorative nostalgias. Restorative nostalgia is one that values the present rather than the past (Basin 100). For restorative nostalgia, the past is not duration but a perfect snapshot (Bonanno 113). On the other hand, Reflective nostalgia concentrates on the historical and individual time including the decisiveness of the past and human finitude (Batcho 124). It also implies new flexibility rather than reestablishment of stasis. Reflective nostalgia concentrates more on the mediation on history and the passage of time as compared to recovering what is seen to be the genuine truth (Hirsch 131). With restorative nostalgia, reconstruction of rituals and symbols of home and homeland is done as a way of overcoming and dispersing time. Reflective nostalgia, on the other hand, holds on to shattered memory while stalling space (Dika 90). Reflective nostalgia is somewhat humorous and ironic as compared to the more serious restorative nostalgia. Generally, nostalgia is not only an expression of a local yearning but is also the result of a new understanding with regards to space and time that made the separation into universal and local come to existence (Pickering & Keightley 35). Discussion Nostalgia in Contemporary Popular Culture It is rather unfortunate to realize that nostalgia is here to stay. It was there with the Romantics and the Victorians, as well as the modernist artists and critics (Peter 86). Such individuals were nostalgic for an individual talent and tradition, where they yearned for architectural structures and social relations (Basin 101). Modern day nostalgia tends to recognize the fact that the objective of the journey is a rendezvous with oneself (Bonanno 114). Homecoming does not usually indicate a recovery of one’s identity or end the odyssey in the virtual space forming the imagination. It is quite possible for a modern nostalgic to be sick of home or homesick, all at once (Batcho 125). Although nostalgia may appear to be a yearning for a place, it is mostly the desire for a different time and place, for instance a time of one’s childhood. Nostalgia tends to rebel against the contemporary idea of time, the time of progress as well as history (Hirsch 132). Considering the future makes people take responsibility of their nostalgic tales. Such individuals do not realize that the fantasies of their past as determined by the needs of the present usually have a direct effect on the realities of the future (Dika 91). Nostalgia incorporates a utopian dimension and is not directed toward the future. Nostalgia can be observed in contemporary popular culture. It promises to rebuild the perfect home lying at the center of many powerful ideologies of today, thus tempting individuals to let go of critical thinking for emotional bonding (Pickering & Keightley 36). Modern day society does not recognize the danger of nostalgia and is slowly being absorbed in it. Nostalgia is dangerous in that it tends to confuse the actual home or reality with an imaginary one. The mourning of dislocation as well as temporal irreversibility is at the very center of contemporary popular culture (Peter 87). Since time immemorial, nostalgia has followed revolutions such as the French Revolution of the 1780s, the Russian Revolution and the recent revolutions in Eastern Europe which included cultural and political displays of longing (Basin 102). The most common type of globalism that has been brought along all over the world is money and popular culture. Nostalgia, as it has been mentioned earlier, is a feature of global culture. Globalism incorporates modernity, progress and virtual reality, all of which are affected by nostalgia (Batcho 126). Contemporary culture is currently being dominated by restorative nostalgia. It is observed at the center of recent national as well as religious revivals. Here, it exhibits itself in two ways that is through conspiracy and the return to origins (Bonanno 115). Reflective nostalgia, on the other hand, has explored ways of taking over many places at once as well as imagining different time zones in today’s popular culture (Hirsch 133). Nostalgia is dangerous because it has been over-esteemed thus making people forget the present and bypass the promise of what they are for the memory of something they never were (Dika 92). Popular culture refers to commercial products or cultural activities that reflect are suited to or aimed at the tastes of general masses of people (Pickering & Keightley 37). In other words, it is the combination of perspectives, memes, images, attitudes, ideas and other happenings that are incorporated in the mainstream of a particular culture (Peter 88). Today’s culture is stuck in repeat mode. Contemporary popular culture has been taken over by nostalgia. It has been argued that people’s retro obsession is an exhibit of nostalgia for former glories and better days (Basin 103). Some have also argued that nostalgia is prevalent in present time because it tends to offer some form of antidote to current rate of change with regards to contemporary culture (Batcho 127). Even though people are living in the digital future, they are still mesmerized by their analogue past where creativity has now become re-creativity. Music and fashion are reoccurring in that the music and fashion of the past is being implemented currently but in a different, more modernized way (Bonanno 116). Fashion of the 60s and 70s can be seen on contemporary fashion runways while music of the same era is being remixed by contemporary musicians and aired by the media. Contemporary theorists have suggested that this current obsession or nostalgia with regards to past culture is a symptom of the present being too futuristic (Hirsch 134). Contemporary popular culture has increasingly become an accelerating nostalgia machine (Dika 93). The 1990s are the latest time period to experience a revival as influential global consumers and creators who are now in their 30s are reliving their formative years. Designers as well as image makers are drawing inspiration from the popular culture of their youth (Pickering & Keightley 38). Today’s generation is hungry for nostalgic portions from their childhood and the media has only been too generous to offer contemporary pop culture with it. The video world has not been left behind in the nostalgic effect where a particular enthusiasm for retro computer games of the past is being created (Peter 89). This rapidly transforming world of technology allows pixel art to represent a reminder of simpler and happier times. The nostalgic trend is continually penetrating all areas of contemporary popular culture. As it has been recently observed, upcoming economies are the latest market to welcome the emotional appeal associated with cultural nostalgia (Basin 104). Modern life seem to be moving at a very fast rate and this together with uncertain economic conditions in some areas tend to make individuals seek sanctuary in the safety of the past. If people are not comfortable with their present and are nervous about the future, then it is only logical for them to take refuge in the romanticized past, where solace in its relative innocence can be found (Batcho 128). This in turn brings about nostalgia in contemporary culture, especially popular culture. Cultural Function and Effects of Nostalgia Nostalgia tends to have different functions where it is utilized in evoking, activating and influencing a range of emotional responses that in the end affect all regions of contemporary life. In the recent past, the cultural function of nostalgia has been a subject of serious debate (Bonanno 117). Questions such as how nostalgia is used, references and experienced in relations to images in art and media have been raised. As earlier discussed, the media and images in art tend to take us back to the past, when life was a bit slower and easier (Hirsch 135). Art portrays happy homes and cleaner environments which are contrary to what can be presently observed. Contemporary culture has made it so that there is too much pollution in the air and where buildings have become forms of forests due to their large numbers. Nostalgic art tends to remind individuals of how life was in the past and creates a sense of loss in them (Dika 94). Roles of nostalgia in modern society as well as how contemporary attitudes have encouraged nostalgia are subjects of current debate. Nostalgia is often perceived to be a form of emotional response and this has made individuals to dismiss, deride or attack it since it tends to drain modernized impulse (Pickering & Keightley 39). However, there has been a recent renewal interest on activities such as oral storytelling in various parts of the world. This means that nostalgic images are considered an important part of motivating transformations to the past through oral storytelling (Peter 90). Here, the past is used as a counter-image to contemporary life, making it easier to discuss the wishes as well as values related to storytelling. Cultural critics are now beginning to understand the fact that nostalgia is always complex in what is looks like, upon whom it works, who works on it as well as how it works (Basin 105). Majority of the theories regarding nostalgia that have been produced over the past 30 years reveal the long shadow cast by nostalgia. Post modernism’s critique tends to partially highlight nostalgia’s numerous connections to history, media, the marketplace, affect and memory, thus partially accounting for its continuing power (Batcho 129). Obsession about the past is nothing new and apparently it is here to stay. Nostalgia, as it has earlier been mentioned, can take up different forms such as landscapes, sounds, narratives or earlier stages of life. It can also be related to ideas of cure and loss. It is however possible for the person suffering nostalgia to necessarily not have lost anything in the past but is simply yearning for a past style (Bonanno 118). Similar to the way nostalgia is being remade in contemporary culture especially as it is being renewed in pop music and fashion, so too must the manner by which nostalgia is criticized by critics take a closer look at rediscovered or lost objects of desire (Hirsch 136). It is rather interesting to realize that in the past, nostalgia was considered to be a form of mental illness whose symptoms incorporated bouts of weeping, suicide attempts and anorexia (Dika 95). Nostalgia is usually triggered by social, environmental or intrapersonal stimuli which may incorporate less or much comparison of the past with the present (Pickering & Keightley 40). From what can be observed presently, more and more people suffer nostalgia as the world embraces advanced technologies, industrialization and globalization. Such advancements tend to erase traces of past lives and that is why people long for what was there in the past, or rather, how it was in the past. Nostalgia has also had numerous effects on cultural function in that today’s culture tends to borrow from the past in order to provide hope for the future. An example has been previously discussed regarding music and fashion. Nostalgia allows an individual to escape the present by resorting to a happier past (Peter 91). It also serves as a regeneration and sustenance tool with regards to creating a sense of meaning through identification with the cultural worldview. It tends to lessen existential fears through reinforcement of the value of cultural rituals and traditions of which a person was once a part (Basin 106). Like discussed earlier, nostalgia can be seen in today’s culture through school fares, disco nights, Thanksgiving dinners and even parades. By carrying out such practices, people increase their sense of cultural belongingness while in the process restoring their direction (Batcho 130). The belief that people are living a meaningful life within a meaningful cultural context is also established through such practices. Recently, psychologists discovered that when the past is appropriately harnessed, it tends to strengthen psychological resistance to the various challenges of life, especially in the fast-paced 21st Century (Bonanno 119). They also suggest that nostalgia is a psychological resource that is responsible for protecting as well as fostering mental health by strengthening social relations and belongingness. Collective nostalgia is a representation of a sincere yearning felt by entire cultures, nations or generations (Hirsch 137). Experts suggest that this form of nostalgia is generation oriented in that a younger individual prefers different music, movies and other cultural expressions as compared to their parents (Dika 96). Studies have also revealed that women tend to be more vulnerable to nostalgia than men. This can be attributed to the fact that women are more emotionally attached to their environment and find it rather hard to let go of the connections they have formed in the past as compared to their male counterparts who are not so emotionally attached (Pickering & Keightley 41). In the course of the last half of the 20th Century, there has been a cultural interest for collecting as well as quoting from the past. Numerous companies, entertainment industries as well as institutions have implemented nostalgia as a way of popularizing vintage retro (Peter 92). Nostalgia tends to be a way of development for individuals in this day and age, who need a sense of hope and belonging in a world of chaos. Conclusion From what has been discussed above, nostalgia is here to stay. It has also undergone much evolution in the course of its lifespan and is predicted to continue evolving. The main aim of this research paper was to take a closer look at nostalgia and its effect on cultural function. It has thus been observed that nostalgia is existent in today’s society as it serves as a form of consolation for individuals living in a fast-paced world. In addition, today’s world is full of polluted air, upcoming buildings and infrastructure which leave little of nature’s best to be enjoyed. Even if they may not admit to it, people in this day and age miss the clean air and birds which nest on trees, just like it was in the past before globalization, advanced technologies and industrialization took over. Popular culture exhibits nostalgia through the music and fashion it offers today’s world. Music and fashion from the 60s and 70s are the current trend where people are being encouraged to embrace the past. They also tend to need nostalgia in order to survive the present and look forward to the future. Under such circumstances, experts have perceived nostalgia to be a positive emotion that is necessary for human psychological survival as well as mental health. An interesting discovery that was made in the process of this research study is the fact that women tend to be more prone to nostalgia as compared to men. This has been attributed to the fact that women are more emotionally attached to their environment as compared to their male counterparts, thus find it more difficult to let go of their past. All in all, when the past with regards to nostalgia is harnessed appropriately, it can be able to strengthen psychological resistance associated with the vicissitudes of present day life. 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