Jensen Core Response 5

For my core response this week, I wanted to focus in on the Morley article and break down certain points which I found either problematic or insightful. 

To start, the opening paragraph of the article emphasizes the importance of analyzing micro-spaces in order to "effectively grasp the significance" of macro-spaces. I am not sure if I totally agree with this sentiment. While certainly analyzing very specific situations can contribute to large-scale assumptions on the situation as a whole, I believe it can also detract from the focus of study. I find many scholars get side-tracked through detailed analyses of extremely specific areas, leading them to miss the overall significance of the instance. Perhaps this statement says more about my own theoretical basis than the author's, but I just wanted to state my initial reticence regarding the argument. 

Morely goes onto describe two areas with which I wholeheartedly agree. The first was their statement on the decrease in locality with the advent of long-distance communication. I believe this is especially prevalent in today's society, with much of the interaction occurring through social media websites. Physical distance no longer limits communication (while it may limit other aspects of social interaction, such as intimacy). Another area in which Morely is critical is the economic restrictions which technology places on society regarding the distribution of information. Basically, if you do not have the money to afford the technology, you cannot have access to the information. Once again, I totally agree, especially with the ridiculous prices of iPhones these days and (in my own experience) having to subscribe to 100 different streaming services to see all the shows I want. 

Finally, I had one other issue regarding Morely's article, with that being the emphasis on the "sitting room" being the most important place for political and social formation. While, yes, many important conversations do occur within the home, I associate the sitting room with familial dialogue. And, yes, one's family plays a large role in an individual's personal formation, but I believe other important areas outside of the domestic space of the home are equally as important in terms of the political discussions which occur. A person's friend group or education space can drastically change their outlook on things, especially if the domestic sitting room is not as welcoming a space. 

Overall, Morely's article had it's highs and lows, and I think they tried to tackle a lot in just 15 pages. I agree with their final sentiment regarding the need to develop an approach to deal with both the local and global dimensions of cultural processes, but I just hope they do not get too bogged down with the details and miss out on the big picture.