thursday reflection for week 2

I try to support the "mom and pop" businesses in whatever town I am living or visiting. I am motivated to do this because I think the larger corporations do more damage than good to local economies. After sitting in class today where we talked about mass media and the views people have held about mass media since the 1940's, I have realized that my supporting local businesses is my way of saying that mass media causes people to lose their uniqueness.

In this way, I would have to agree with the views of Adorno and Horkheimer that Ryan explained in class. These guys said that mass media produces social conformity, with which I agree. I disagree with Adorno and Horkheimer's solution: supporting the high arts as in the high culture. Obviously, if I like to support the "mom and pop" business, then my solution would be to support the local art. The struggle is connecting this with the church.

On an ecumenical level, my reactions could have a negative effect, and this is what I struggle with. I think that mass media detracts from our uniqueness, and causes us all to become conformists—an assertion that seems to support individualism. However, community is essential within the church because we are not autonomous beings who operate on a purly objective level; we are affected by our history and the people we interact with on a day to day basis, our community. Yet, individuals make up communities, and the diversity of individuals in a community adds beautiful things to that community. There seems to be a fine line between focusing too much on our individual selves, by avoiding mass media, and focusing on the community aspect of church. I struggle with this balancing act.