Final answer:
Bruce David Forbes distinguishes popular culture from 'high' and 'folk' cultures by its mass accessibility and prevalence in mainstream society through commercial media. High culture refers to more exclusive cultural forms, while folk culture is characterized by traditional practices of specific groups or regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Bruce David Forbes in Finding Religion in Unexpected Places, popular culture is distinguished from 'high' and 'folk' cultures by its widespread accessibility and its prevalence in mainstream society. It is differentiated by its commercial availability and its dissemination through mass media channels. High culture, on the other hand, may include more exclusive or learned expressions such as classical music, literature, and art, which might not be as widely recognized or consumed by the general population. Folk culture, distinguished by its traditional and local nature, often represents the practiced culture of a particular group or region, typically passed through generations rather than commercial media.
Popular culture encapsulates the day-to-day cultural experiences that are common within a society, like watching a popular television show, following a sport, or engaging in social media trends. It is contrasted with high culture and folk culture in terms of accessibility and methods of transmission, influencing the ways people interact and find common ground in modern society.