The role of the imaginary in the success of mainstream cultural products: a study of cultural identification processes in the science-technology imaginary in the mass culture

Abstract

This research is about the role of the imaginary in the aesthetic and comercial success of midiatic cultural products. Our tesis is based on the idea that the imaginary built and reproduced by those products works as a catalyst of cultural identification processes with specific world visions, trends, artistic genres and cultural styles. In this direction, the success of those products are, among other reasons, the result of sharing of the imaginary that them lead. This research continues the studies developed during the PhD about the mechanisms of sharing of the imaginaries and cultural identification in the mainstream culture. The subject of study in this research is the collective imaginary shared by fans of science, technology and pop culture in São Paulo. The object of study are TV series, movies, comics and videogames with the simbolic elements that carve out the "semantic basin" of the scientific-technological imaginary in pop culture. The methodology uses maping and analysis os simbolic elements and their semiosis in that imaginary. The theories utilized in the research come from diferent areas, such as communications theories, cultural studies, semiotics, the imaginary antropology and creative industries, including authors such as Stuart Hall, Zygmunt Bauman, Umberto Eco, Gilbert Durand, Michel Maffesoli, Giles Lipovetsky, and Frédéric Martel. The main result expected for this research is a better understanding about the relation between the meanings of midiatic cultural porducts simbolic elements and the cultural identification of the public with specific ethos. (AU)