household possessing a television, and the 250 billion hours of television watched annually by people in the United States, companies that wish to connect with consumers find television an irresistible platform to promote their goods and services (Nielsen 2012). (Photo courtesy of Dennis Yang/flickr)Īs you might guess, with nearly every U.S. For some, the ads during the Super Bowl are more water cooler-worthy than the game itself. Commercial Functionįigure 1. TV commercials can carry significant cultural currency. Your list might include the ability to find information on the Internet, television’s entertainment value, or how advertising and product placement contribute to social norms. Functionalism and Technologyīecause functionalism focuses on how media and technology contribute to the smooth functioning of society, a good place to begin understanding this perspective is to write a list of functions you perceive media and technology to perform. The culture of education-including material culture such as classrooms, textbooks, libraries, dormitories-supports the emphasis placed on the value of educating a society’s members. Education is an important concept in the United States because it is valued. Just as members of a society work together to fulfill a society’s needs, culture exists to meet its members’ basic needs.įunctionalists also study culture in terms of values. Cultural norms function to support the fluid operation and continued stability of society, and cultural values guide people in making choices. In this way, societies need culture to exist.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |