I really enjoyed reading the piece "Toys," by Roland Barthes, in Mythologies. I love how Barthes brings out the function of the toy in France, which is to create consumers rather than creators. I think it is also a way for the French to perpetuate their culture. The toys imitate real world things that adults deal with on a daily basis. The kids are playing, but are they also being prepared to take on certain social roles? It's possible that they are being prepared, whether it's intentional or not.
The reason I enjoy this line of thinking so much is because of learned a lot about Functionalism in my study of social/cultural anthropology. Functionalism states that every institute in society serves as a way to continue a particular culture. These institutions become so engrained into everyday life that we begin to see them as natural. For example, marriage is an unnatural institution, but we view it as natural because in Western culture monogamy has been the acceptable practice for centuries. It's been this way because it serves to strengthen nuclear families. War is also an institution that is utilized to perpetuate culture. Whether it's preemptive, arranged, or an invasion to acquire more resources it's used to benefit one's own society at the cost of another.
My point is that whether we know it or not, humans practice certain things and adhere to certain rules that they have come to accept as natural because of precedence. The precedence is set because of a psychological need to perpetuate culture. Creating toys that imitate worldly things is a way to enculturate young, French children whether it is intentional or not.
The reason I enjoy this line of thinking so much is because of learned a lot about Functionalism in my study of social/cultural anthropology. Functionalism states that every institute in society serves as a way to continue a particular culture. These institutions become so engrained into everyday life that we begin to see them as natural. For example, marriage is an unnatural institution, but we view it as natural because in Western culture monogamy has been the acceptable practice for centuries. It's been this way because it serves to strengthen nuclear families. War is also an institution that is utilized to perpetuate culture. Whether it's preemptive, arranged, or an invasion to acquire more resources it's used to benefit one's own society at the cost of another.
My point is that whether we know it or not, humans practice certain things and adhere to certain rules that they have come to accept as natural because of precedence. The precedence is set because of a psychological need to perpetuate culture. Creating toys that imitate worldly things is a way to enculturate young, French children whether it is intentional or not.
Good analysis. I like that you deal well with the conspiracy / not conspiracy aspect of cultural perpetuation.