1. Soc. 118 Media, Culture & Society
Chapter 2
Friday Night Lights:
A Functionalist Approach to Popular Culture

2. Chapter 2: Overview Foundations of Functionalism
Rituals of Solidarity and Social Cohesion
Popular Culture as a Resource for Public Reflection
Video: “Friday Night Lights”
Rituals of Rebellion in Popular Culture
The Darker Functions of Popular Culture

3. The Functionalist Approach
What is social use or function of media and popular culture?
The glue that helps hold modern society together
Foundations
Early sociology
Focus on rapid social change during Industrial Revolution
Emile Durkheim -- "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life"
The role of religion in function of society
Focus on symbols, rituals and beliefs

4. The Functionalist Approach
Basic Elements:
Shared symbols and images
Represent s collective conscience of group
Imagined boundaries between the sacred and profane
Rituals reinforce distinctions between us and them
Rituals generate collective effervescence
Shared sense of identity, people swept up in unity

5. The Functionalist Approach
Ancient societies held together by religion
Concerns about solidarity in modern society
Pluralist
Secular
What social glue binds diverse people together?
Rituals of Solidarity and Social Cohesion
Symbols foster collective attachments
Team regalia
Serves as a civic religion
National identity, pride
Special times and places
Collective behavior
Generate collective effervescence among participants
Social solidarity with strangers

6. Popular Culture as a Resource for Public Reflection
Universal themes and stories
Fables, fairy tales, morality plays
Culture of celebrity
Mythical archetypes, extreme attributes
Gossip, water-cooler talk, scoops
Sports as a reflection on human condition
Perennial narratives or evergreens
Tales of triumph, loss, grace, virtue
Discussions on inequality
The human body and its limits

7. Video Presentation:
“Friday Night Lights”

8. The Functionalist Approach
Rituals of Rebellion in Popular Culture
Means of protest
Letting off steam or moral holidays
Examples: Mardi Gras, Halloween, celebrity roasts, political satire
Actual purpose to solidify social order
No real change
The Darker Functions of Popular Culture
Reinforces status quo
Trivial distraction
Profit driven
Glorifies wrong values
Leads to mob mentality