Turning niche practices into cultural norms
In this excellent lecture, Lessig suggests that the practices of a small group of people with regard to corruption can, over time, challenge and critically change cultural norms. I especially appreciate his thinking about the notion of “independence”. Lessig is focused primarily on government officials yet it reminded me of my revulsion at many of the ideas about branding and advertising discussed at the Futures of Entertainment conference. The emotional strength of my reaction was surprising and I’ve been struggling to trace its roots. It seems that independence is a critical component. What credibility has a storyteller if he or she is beholden to a brand?
It took me about a week to find time to watch the entire hour-long lecture but it was worth the effort. I hope after you take the time to watch it, you’ll consider sharing your thoughts in the comments of this post. Where else is “dependence” damaging our culture?
Tags
america, corruption, culture, freedom, government, independence, lessig, reform, scholarship, todomundo
