Television in the lives of the homeless (original) (raw)

The Communication Review, 1997

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper discusses the role of television in the lives of the residents of a public shelter for homeless men in New York City. Participant observation and informal interviewing support a detailed account of the ways and means of television watching in two of the shelter's recreation rooms. It shows that, over and above what is actually on TV, television as a cultural object is used by certain groups of homeless individuals to reflect and reinforce status differences and social boundaries between them. This finding suggests that the consumption of culture, well understood as part of the process of social distinction among the middle and upper classes, can perform a similar role among those at the bottom of the social structure as well.

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