A structural functionalist would view society as a network of different parts that work together to create a structure. This interconnectedness has implications in that every aspect of the structure has the power to influence the others. This person may be inclined view Beavan’s year long life-style as a threat to the overall integrity of society, assuming Beavan would have influence on others to adopt this lifestyle. Consumerism is such a large part of America’s societal structure that if this lifestyle became dominant the capitalist and consumerist foundation of American society would take a major blow.
Conflict theorists see society as being composed of different parts that compete for finite power and resources. They may comment on the…show more content… Beavan seemed to display many of the issues that Mr. Beavan took on with his project. From her dependence on Starbucks coffee, to her shopping habits, her values of clothes/bags/shoes/cosmetics etc., she was a picture of the nature and value of disposable material goods in a middle-class lifestyle. In the beginning of the documentary, one sees her sifting through receipts and feeling ashamed of how much she’s spent, showing her heavy consumerist lifestyle, and the effects of reflection on said lifestyle. Additionally, one sees that as a family, the Beavans were very dependent on media consumption, television for the family, and social media, specifically, played a large role for Mrs.…show more content… I find that though my relationships aren’t lacking per say, sometimes my dependence on social media, my phone, default to television as an activity etc., may be holding me back from experiencing different things with people, and may be preventing me from meeting new people. It is easy to stay in and watch television, and in the intermissions at performances to scroll through tumblr as opposed to turning to the person next to me who I went with. I find that is something I fall back on often, turning to my phone whenever there is a lull, as opposed to looking up and around, and though this would be a difficult habit to kick, I would prefer to remove myself from social media for a time to see the effects of that on my social
