introduction
The idea of natural versus socially constructed is a concept explored by Roland Barthes, a French literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic, and semiotician, who wrote in the Preface to his book Mythologies that, "the "naturalness" which common sense, the press, and the arts continually invoke to dress up a reality which, though the one we live in, is nonetheless quite historical" (XI).
The "naturalness" of things versus Barthes' ideas about social construction
Barthes believes that the concepts and things we think are natural are actually socially constructed, or are based off of "the way things always have been", such as religion, customs, parenting, education, etc. Each of these things have been a part of history and passed on from generation to generation. This leads me to the idea of television and how it is socially constructed around three different things I focused on: audiences, family interactions, and the viewing context of these interactions.