Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing and Televison: a Classic Clash of Values

[Diane Simpson (coho]

The point of the book was that the choice of television as an
option to people greatly reduced people's attendance at
community meetings and other communal social activities,
such as PTA, church, recreational clubs, political parties, or
bowling leagues.  I quoted a lengthly section of one chapter
so that people would be able to perceive the direct cause-
and-effect relationship.

Having said that, I am actually in favor of having the television
in the common house--it's better than having people watch
it alone, huddled in their indivdual dwellings.

--Diane Simpson
   Jamaica Plain Cohousing, Boston Massachusetts

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>TV and cars don't cause a drop in social interaction.
>People's choices do.  If people were really committed to
>community involvement, TV wouldn't draw them away, nor would
>any of the activities that cars could take them to.
>
>As long as we look outside ourselves for culprits, we miss the
>point.  People who really want to be in community act that way
>no matter what distractions are available.

                                DSIMPSON [at] JPCOHOUSING.ORG
                       Diane Simpson  http://jpcohousing.org
          P.O.Box 420,Boston, MA, USA 02130-0004  617-522-2209
INFORMATION SESSION SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10  5:30 P.M. 82 GREEN STREET
            1 BLOCK FROM GREEN STREET T STATION ON THE ORANGE LINE
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


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