“No Sense of Place”: The Impact of Electronic Media on Social Behavior

Summary of Reading:

This week’s reading focuses on the impact of electronic media on social behavior. One theory the author discusses to with regard to this topic is the work of the sociologist Erving Goffman. Goffman proposes that we “are constantly changing costumes and roles” as we learn conventional behavior and adapt to the demands of a situation. We also try to maintain our behavior in each situation without undermining or threatening how we act under other circumstances.

Outside Example:

While reading the chapter, one example I thought of was the movie “Men In Black: International”. The movie revolves around Molly Wright who as a young girl, witnessed her parents being neuralysed by MIB agents. She eventually tracks them down and joins the organization as Agent M. After Vungus the Ugly is killed, she works with Agent H to investigate why Vungus was murdered, the significance of the crystal he placed in her hand prior to passing and the origins of his killer(s).

Connection to Reading:

I chose MIB:International as my example as Goffman’s theory immediately made me think of how a spy must adapt to the demands of their situation without giving away 1) their mission and 2) their true identity. Agent H “changes costumes” when the pair visit the intergalactic alien arms dealer Riza on her island fortress to retrieve the weapon (a compressed blue giant star) stolen by her goons. To infiltrate the island, H pretends to have left MIB and to pine for Riza (offering her a gift) to ensure she’s thrown off his scent and does not jeopardize the mission.