Infrastructure Blog #1
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My assignment was to find out the name of a donor to a local public broadcasting station (PBS or NPR). (You may also be able to check the station's Web site for a list of names.) Contact the donor and ask them why they decided to pledge money for public broadcasting. Include a photo or picture that illustrates your findings.
The first step of this assignment was to choose which local public broadcasting station I wanted to research about. Because I have listened to PBS several times, I thought it would be a interesting to continue to learn about. After searching the national PBS website, I discovered that there are several charitable organizations involved in helping PBS to be as influential as it is including The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. I decided to contact The Ford Foundation. I spoke with a representative on the phone about why they chose PBS to pledge money for. I was informed that the main goal of the PBS Foundation is to help support public broadcasting by creating special funds specifically for PBS broadcasting. They chose PBS because of their outstanding public broadcasting programs and services and they wanted to help continue and enhance all the progress PBS has made in helping the American public. The Ford Foundation specializes in international philanthropy which is also a main concern of PBS broadcasting.
http://thevigiltouch.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/edselfordportrait.jpg
This portrait is of Edsel Ford, the first donor to the Ford Foundation who claimed the money should be used "all for the public welfare", which correlates perfectly to present day where the money is still being spent when sent to PBS.
The Ford Foundation donating money would be an example of cultural determinism. Cultural determinism relies on the culture and societal factors first, stating that they are causing change in technical advances. Without the help of foundations such as Ford Foundation, a society on their own, we would not be able to have technology such as PBS broadcasting. After speaking with a representative on the phone, I realized the importance of societal factors on technology. The reason for culture and societies to help out does deal with technological determinism because the reason they are donating money is so technology can affect society, however the act of donating the money would definitely constitute cultural determinism.
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Instructor comments
By Kristin_DrogosHello,
Good start here. Please note that when we ask you to upload a photo, including a link to a photo does not meet the requirement. Please find a way to get the photo onto the actual blog post.
Part II is relatively clear. However, we were asking you to find information about the local public broadcasting stations and you were looking at the national donations to PBS. We really wanted you to focus on a local level. You could call the local PBS station or other local broadcast stations to meet the requirements for this write up. Additionally, there are several grammatical errors and awkward word choices sprinkled throughout (e.g., run-on sentences). Please proofread your work before you submit it.
Part III also needs a bit more work. Your argument for cultural determinism relies on a loose definition of cultural determinism. I would start by revisiting the definition and thinking about it more critically. Exactly what about the culture of the University or the local area demanded that a local station be created? Was something happening with other stations that lead to the increased desire for a public station? Answering these questions will help keep you a bit closer to the idea and definition of cultural determinism and strengthen your argument in the long run.
In order to avoid charges of plagiarism please cite all of your sources in a works cited format (MLA and APA are acceptable formats). This means if you used any outside information while writing your blog (from interviews to web pages) you must cite the sources in a bibliography in MLA, APA or Chicago format. Copying and pasting URL(s) is not adequate. Furthermore, you should utilize in text citations to clarify which source informs the different parts of your writing. (These citations are indicated at the end of sentences by parentheses containing authors’ names, years of publication and page numbers where appropriate.)
The mock grade for this assignment will be on Compass within a week.
Best,
Kristin