Devonne Hwang

Dr. Alvarado
1 July 2016
Project 1: Video/DVD Analysis of the Announcement for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
This was not a very long video but Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan,
who is both an educator and a doctor, talk about how important it is to have resources
for the up and coming generations. They believe that investing in programs now can
expand education and the capabilities of the future generations to come. By investing in
the future, they believe that people will be able to really discover their potential and be
the most effective people in society that they can be. It is very complex but they believe
that doing things to improve science, education, health, and community building, the
society all together can be much better in the future and the future generations can
have a much better life and learn a lot more than we do now.
I feel like the functionalist paradigm is represented in this video because Mark
Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan talk about how improving science and health, community
building, and education through making investments into programs that do that are
important for moving the society forwards. I feel like each of those things are like an
institution and all these institutions have to work together to contribute to having a better
and more stable society. Although it is not explicitly said, I feel like there are implications
of the conflict paradigm also because not everyone has the same access to the
resources available, and of course what you have access to depends on where you live
so there is a sense of inequality and what they are aiming for is the bridge the gap in

between. I feel like there is also the interactionist paradigm because they are calling for
people like you and me to tilt our investments which is sort of an interaction. They are
working on creating an idea/symbol of a better future and we are trying to work towards
that by interacting and getting more people to invest. This sort of like a shared activity
meant to bring even more people together so I feel like it can be an example of the
interactionist paradigm.
Karl Marx would view this video and argue that there is inequality and that these
two people are fighting over the idea that there is inequality and that they are trying to
bridge the gap between all the people within the society. In a sense, Marx could argue
that this couple are the bourgeois, that have the means of influencing and controlling
the proletariat population by using their influence and money to sway the future
outcome in a certain way. In this case, they are fighting for their interest to provide a
better world for their daughter who will be growing up soon. Also according to his ideas,
this is a great example of how people can change and shape their environment as they
please. Durkheim agreed with Marx in terms of the idea that people often do what they
can in order to protect their ideas and views, and try to get others on board with the
idea. He would view this video and say that this couple is trying to protect their interests
of creating an improved life for not only their daughter but for others. He might also
argue that they are trying to make the society more rational by making small changes to
improve the quality of life for all by calling for all the people in the world that have
access to the internet to make a difference by joining them in their cause since he
believed that society would become increasingly rationalized as time went on. Comte
would argue that this might be an example of positivism, the scientific stage, where they

are trying to show that putting money into the programs that they are putting money and
influence into, can yield positive results, just like a cause and effect relationship. It is
convincing because of the data and facts that are around us, makes us more inclined to
act in a certain way, to continue yielding those results. By doing this, and using
positivism, he might argue that the society might become more orderly if people are
more educated, and get the treatments that they need.