COM 170 Communication Environments

Assignment 12     Postman Chapters 8‑9

Chapter 8

1.  After reading  this chapter, think about Goffman's idea of settings and roles and list 10 differences between watching a religious program or service on TV and attending a religious service at a temple or church.  (10 may seem like many, but we want to get past the obvious ones).

Chapter 9

2.  Postman makes the claim that our political system operates on the assumption of an informed electorate.  Based on your observation of the last presidential election, did people vote based on information or on, as Postman suggests, their emotional reaction to the candidates' images.

3.  We discussed that it's not possible for a 350 pound person to be elected president.  List six more unofficial restrictions on the next president (things that this person will definitely not be).  Which, if any, of them do you think we can attribute to television?  Which are attributable to other factors