General
What Values Do Our Kids Learn from Television?
According to a new study by UCLA psychologists, “Fame is the No. 1 value emphasized by television shows popular with 9- to 11-year-olds…[followed by] achievement, popularity, image and financial success. In 1997, the top five were community feeling, benevolence (being kind and helping others), image, tradition and self-acceptance.” Yalda Uhls, author of this study, notes that, “Preteens are at the age when they want to be popular and liked just like the famous teenagers they see on TV and the…
For Religious Ritual, Function Follows Form
Rituals have power. That’s why people cry at weddings — it’s not just two people coming together, but the way they are brought together. If the officiant were to begin the service by saying, “So, you want to do this?” it simply wouldn’t feel “right.” There’s an expectation that each partner will be asked something along the lines of, “Do you take this person to be your wife?” and “Do you take this person to be your husband?” When it…