culture: April 2007

Culture Blog

at be+cause, we think a lot about culture as a powerful vehicle and arena for change. It is also something we like to create--from producing the Tibetan Freedom Concerts to starting a clothing line to assisting other culture makers in their efforts to create positive social change. Being part of a lab (our parent company is C3 Lab), we like to innovate and experiment. This blog is where you can see it happen.

4.26.2007

Music/Fashion just behind race/ethnicity in identity formation for young people

A new study of what young people in CA think about has been released. An interesting finding is that music/fashion (27%) is almost as important in defining identity as race/ethnicity (29%) is. Religion was cited only 19% of the time.

The work that we do revolves around the theory that social, economic and political change is longest lasting when it starts where identity, community and meaning are formed--at the cultural level. This study's data confirms that cultural strategies that incorporate music & fashion are vital to engaging young people.

posted by erin # 11:54 AM 0 Comments

4.25.2007

Churches as a model for organizing community & communications

Found this interesting article from a long time ago about how SEIU has been taking notes on the ways that churches organize.

I asked a friend recently how his new job as a Rabbi of an enormous congregation was going. He said, "changing the institutions driven into the ground by boomers is not easy business." I responded that he and I seem to be in the same business.

So is Church Marketing Sucks a group that aims to "frustrate, educate and motivate the church to communicate with uncompromising clarity, the truth of Jesus Christ"...

It got me thinking about this as a mission statement for any other organization:

to frustrate, educate and motivate [your target audience]
to communicate with uncompromising clarity [your cause].

posted by erin # 9:57 AM 0 Comments

4.23.2007

Is it an office? A store? A gallery?

In Williamsburg a warehouse is being defined by both necessity and craving: a space that can serve as office, storefront, studio and gallery. Erin and I have been dreaming of our next office location and our idea is a lot like this space in Williamsburg: we want the location to be accessible to the community and we want the space to blur the lines between office, studio, storefront and gallery. But most of all we want a space that brings together people, ideas and community. It looks like the people at "5 in 1" had the same idea! http://www.refinery29.com/archives/editorialfeatures/001151.php

posted by Deyden # 1:01 PM 0 Comments