Television as Gathering Place

Abstract

An examination of television as a center of meaning and as a social context supports the concept of a place without a location. Similar ideas have appeared in media theory since the 1960s, but have not been the subject of geographic research. Comparison of television with other media, including books, radio, and film, reveals that it is uniquely place-like. Television functions as a social context, providing sensory communion and social congregation; it also functions as a center of meaning, helping a society define “us” and “them,” conferring value on persons and objects, and, possibly, supporting hegemonic social control. A comparison of television and certain architectural structures identifies similarities and differences that may be related to long-term historical changes in society.

Key Words:

• place
• television
• modernity
• media
• consumption
• ideology