...Assignment 02 Essay Plan: Introduction: * Outline what intend to explore in essay * Description of a consumer society. Part 1 * What is consumerism * Mass consumption origins – include quote from R Williams * Affluence * Supermarket contribution to consumerism Part 2 * Outline the impact of rubbish / wastage on environment – include statistics from reports shown in Making Social Lives text book. * Explain what unsustainability means and how does it refer to rubbish. * What is recycling and its role * Other ways to use rubbish i.e. charity shops, used as art Conclusion * Conclude whether society is a throwaway society. Explore the claim that a consumer society is always a ‘throw-away’ society. In this essay I will attempt to explore the claim stated above that a consumer society is always a ‘throw-away’ society and find examples to support this. Before beginning to explore the claim stated above, it is important to understand what is meant by a ‘consumer society’. Many social scientists state that we live in times of a consumer which means “a label use to refer to a society which is defined as much by how and what people purchase and use, as by what they make or do.” (Hetherington, 2009, p.13). Consumerism is a form of socialisation evolving from the Industrial Revolution and it has continued to evolve through the decades to the present day. With so many produces being so readily available it seems there are a number of...
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...Abstract This essay employs a visual analysis to compare and contrast Andy Warhol’s ‘Blue Marilyn’ with Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘In the Car’ in association to the postmodernist theme of Consumer Culture and more explicitly, the introduction of Pop Art, born from post-war consumerist societies. The argument refers to eight scholarly research sources, three of which are scholarly journal articles. POSTMODERNITY AND CONSUMERISM: WIT, INVENTION AND THE AFTERMATH OF WAR Research Statement: Using a visual analysis, compare and contrast Andy Warhol’s Blue Marilyn with Roy Lichtenstein’s In the Car in association to the postmodernist theme of Consumer culture and more explicitly the introduction of Pop Art; born through post-war materialisation. The Postmodernist Cannon of the latter twentieth and twenty-first Century Art is a crucial anthology, signifying radical and innovative movements that differentiated from Modernist art practices. It signifies a period of time whereby practitioners sought to contradict the rebellious experimentational aspects of Modernist art through re-visioning and revitalising media to fit the metamorphosing culture. Incorporated within the Cannon were several movements that were heavily influenced by the rise of Consumer cultures, dictated by the post-war explosion of advertisement in the 1950’s, compelling practitioners to manipulate and transform their style in either awe of the perpetually adapting society or in rebellion towards the mass produced...
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...Mark Cruz Professor Wood ENGL 1302-316 16 February 2015 Essay One: Theme Analysis of “The world is too much with us” by William Wordsworth In the poem “The world is too much with us” written by William Wordsworth, the speaker is almost condemning the human race as a whole for not appreciating the everlasting beauty of the nature around us. There was many themes in this poem but the one that was most prominent was the relationship between man and nature. The reader is given the feeling of guilt and I believe he was trying to open eyes of those that could not see this beauty. Wordsworth’s wordplay and metaphors in his poem reveals the importance of nature and the lack of appreciation we give it. The speaker in the poem wastes little time to begin to show his frustration with those that “lay waste our powers” (2). We are “Getting and spending” too much and are so caught up with consumerism that we are blind to the world around us (2). We spending all of our time and money on material things and are so selfish to not enjoy what beauty nature can give us for free. Wordsworth’s wordplay shows the faults that we possess and is hoping to change our ways. Even though this poem was written more than 200 years ago, Wordsworth still presents an issue that can relate to today. The speaker continues his rant and expresses his frustration even further when stating, “Little we see in Nature that is ours; / We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” (3-4). People have taken...
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...Beyond Consumerism: New Historical Perspectives on Consumption Author(s): Frank Trentmann Source: Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Jul., 2004), pp. 373-401 Published by: Sage Publications, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3180734 . Accessed: 21/03/2011 08:15 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=sageltd. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Sage Publications, Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access...
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...In Bill Mckibben’s article, he argues that consumerism has brainwashed the masses to believe that their love is represented by the amount of wealth they spend on their love ones. The argument is targeting the period of time around the holidays, where lavishing family, friends, and significant other is most evident and suggestive advertising is at its highest. Advertising depicts a perfect Christmas as: a happy family eagerly rushing down stairs to a Christmas tree with mountains of presents laying underneath. The message from this is one of is that the worth of interpersonal relationships is measured by the amount of gifts one receives. Since the gift giving has become tradition, people expect to be given expensive gift or a large amount. Other...
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...place?” (159). In Anna Quidlen’s essay: Stuff is Not Salvation, she criticizes American consumer culture, diagnosing consumers generally as having “an addiction to consumption so out of control that it qualifies as a sickness” (159). To make her case Quindlen compares her view of a morally deficient materialistic present to her version of a more morally wholesome idealized past. Throughout the essay Quindlen chooses to use emotionally charged events and language, like her reference to the trampling to death of a Walmart employee by holiday shoppers, or when she writes ``these are dark days in the United States: the cataclysmic stock-market declines``. What Quindlen does not provide are any logical lines of reasoning or support. To better understand and analyze Quidlen`s essay we will refer to an essay on a related topic by David Guterson: Enclosed. Encyclopedic. Endured., published in 1993. This essay relates Mr. Guterson`s experience of a one week tour of the Mall of America, in Minneapolis, at the time the largest mall in the world. Mr. Guterson is much less ambitious in his claims but actually provides support by tracing the history of consumerism in America as expressed in malls. Mr. Guterson also draws heavily on his analysis of interviews and comments made by shoppers at the world`s largest mall. Sometimes considering when an essay was written is important to help us understand the approach the author took. It is noteworthy that Quidlen`s essay was published in December of...
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...Consumerisms Effect Consumerisms Effect Consumerism is defined as, “the theory that an increasing consumption to goods is economically desirable; also: a preoccupation with and an inclination toward the buying of consumer goods” (“Consumerism,” n.d.). With this said, is consumerism healthy for anyone who is involved? From American cultures birth after the revolutionary war, this society has relished the flattery of consumerism. The search for wealth, material goods, and happiness has no boundaries in this society. Although some positive influences exist within consumerisms definition, a darker side to this phenomenon cannot be over looked. Consumerism reflects many negative human attributes and its increase is adversely affecting American culture, societal equalities, and the environment. Consumerism, in all its forms, has been around since the earliest times of American culture. From the earliest time of America, directly after the Revolutionary War, this attitude of need and want for material good and what was considered the best was very evident. One would think that during a life altering divide of nations the concept of consumerism would stop between them, but during this time, Americans still sought British goods. A high perceived value and thought pattern that these goods were of superior quality allowed these items to become a status symbol for early Americans. George Washington, weeks after signing a peace treaty with Britain, ordered a large...
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...Ryan Plunkett Ray Setters AMS 250 7 March 2013 The Culture of Narcissism Paper For over the past 30 years there has been a prevailing idea that American society has changed drastically. While it is undeniable that every person is different and there are always plenty of exceptions to the norm, in many ways our modern society has become very similar to what Christopher Lasch predicted in The Culture of Narcissism. Unfortunately, it would be safe to say that some modern people are in a state that is extremely pre-occupied with the self. The idea of narcissism came from psychology and is mostly attributed to Sigmund Freud. It was considered to be an extreme preoccupation with the self that distorted ones relationship to reality. This resulted in an inability to make a clear distinction between themselves as the subject and what existed outside them. They were so focused on themselves that they lost awareness of the real beyond them. Because the narcissist does not recognize the separate existence of 'the other' they tend to use reality as a mirror to reflect messages back to the self. The other is there to impress, to be admired by, and to get pity from. The Narcissist is so identified with his/her needs that the other person is simply there to be available for them. In his book The Culture of Narcissism Christopher Larsch describes the Narcissistic personality, “the Narcissist can function in the everyday world - and is often very charming. However, his devaluation...
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...1.1.1: They (the products) seem amusing on the first day of Christmas, daft on the second, embarrassing on the third. 1.1.2: Only 1 per cent of material being used in the economy remains in use six months after sale 1.1.3: Even the goods we might have expected to hold on to are soon condemned to destruction through either planned obsolescence or perceived obsolescence. 1.1: materials we buy are not used for long after the purchase 1: We use materials for short-lived pleasure that have long-lasting consequences for the planet 2.1: They are designed to elicit thanks, perhaps a snigger or two, and then be thrown away. 2: Many products we buy don’t have any use at all 3.1: People in eastern Congo are massacred to facilitate smartphone upgrades of ever diminishing marginal utility 3.2: Forests are felled to make ''personalised heart-shaped wooden cheese board sets'' 3.3: Rivers are poisoned to manufacture talking fish 3.4: manufacturing and consumption are responsible for more than half of our carbon dioxide production 3: The creation and purchases of these products are wasting, diminishing and destroying the planet’s resources 4.1.1: Growth depends on selling the utterly useless. 4.1: Governments cut taxes, deregulate business, manipulate interest rates to stimulate spending 4.2.1: Those who resist are denounced as lunatics 4.2: This is pathological consumption rendered so normal by advertising and by the media that we scarcely notice 4.3: Governments, the...
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...MEANING OF CONSUMERISM Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in ever-greater amounts. The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Torstein Veblen. Veblen's subject of examination, the newly emergent middle class arising at the turn of the twentieth century, comes to full fruition by the end of the twentieth century through the process of globalization. In this sense, consumerism is usually considered a part of media culture. Consumerism is also used to refer to the consumerists movement, consumer protection or consumer activism, which seeks to protect and inform consumers by requiring such practices as honest packaging and advertising, product guarantees, and improved safety standards. In this sense it is a movement or a set of policies aimed at regulating the products, services, methods, and standards of manufacturers, sellers, and advertisers in the interests of the buyer. In economics, consumerism refers to economic policies placing emphasis on consumption. In an abstract sense, it is the belief that the free choice of consumers should dictate the economic structure of a society. It was first used in 1915 to refer to advocacy of the rights and interests of consumers but in this article the term consumerism refers to the sense first used in 1960, emphasis on or preoccupation with the acquisition of consumer goods (Oxford English Dictionary). DEVELOPMENT OF CONSUMERISM The development...
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...The Story of Stuff: A Review The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute film aimed at raising awareness on the dangers of excessive human consumption. Presented by Annie Leonard – an activist for consumerism and environmental sustainability (Story Of Stuff Project, 2013) – this video provides a simple yet well researched explanation on the ‘behind-the-scenes’ management of the life-cycle of common items consumed daily in the United States. From mining and manufacturing to distribution, consumption and waste, this presentation takes viewers on a journey to explore many missing fragments that are hardly ever reported in the system (Leonard, 2009). Watched by over 12 million people worldwide, and translated into over 15 languages (Roosevelt, 2010), Leonard has received both applauds and criticisms for her unapologetic condemnation of humans (especially Americans) – for their excessive consumption and wasteful habits – and her rather conspicuous allegation of the devious relationship between the government and private corporations. One significant issue that Leonard (2009) presented in the video was that, due to human activity, natural resources around the world are rapidly diminishing. Natural resources such as minerals and trees are constantly mined and felled to satisfy men’s insatiable appetite for more goods. The presentation revealed that in the last decade, one-third of the world’s resource base has depleted. Furthermore, it is said that only four percent...
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...Consumerism History of Consumerism Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in an elevated amount. Consumerism as an ideology first appeared in Western Europe roughly three hundred years ago. It gave a rise in consumer’s need and importance to the display of material items. It promoted economic progress, a rise in small shops, an increase in the growth of cities, and an incline in individualism. A shift in the market hit right before the Industrial Revolution. Capitalist development and the industrial revolution focused on infrastructure and production and manipulation of fossil fuels. In 1919 consumerism began to sweep over the American population when General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) was established. The General Motors Acceptance Corporation mission was to issue loans to customers who had purchased a vehicle. Americans started the notion of “Keeping up with the joneses” which is the idea that Americans compare themselves to their neighbors, defining each stance in socio-cultural inferiority. With this new need for status with possessions was thought to be the beginning of the American consumer culture. Soon after The Great Depression and World War broke out. When the war-ceased consumers went wild, credit cards issued first for convince took off quickly to show status through the products each individual had. Consumerism gathered strength in the United States through internal trade growing, expansion...
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...Hyper consumerism is a major problem in America and I do not think this problem will ever change. That mindset of “keeping up with the Johnson’s” is so true within this generation. I just watched a video on YouTube called “you don’t need this” where Emitai Etzoni discusses want vs. need and how humans are actually very simple. A Human only needs three things to be satisfied and happy. The problem today is choice, the more choices equals the better chance that consumers will be satisfied because of such a large variety. Freedom of choice is nothing more than the freedom to buy and consume. With that being said the increasing the number of choices is not so much about improving human well-being rather it’s about expanding the market and making money. Everybody always wants more and more which to me means the pursuit of happiness is unattainable. Greed equals American consumerism no one’s satisfied ever I look at it as exactly the same concept as the old saying money can’t buy happiness. Occasionally it is okay to go and spend or splurge on something you want but today’s society works by wanting, working, buying, using, and rinsing. Same concept as a drug addiction except the withdrawal stage is just significantly longer than that of a heroin addict. I guess you could say that this greedy nation is plagued by the addiction of want vs. need. Ever seen a movie where kids or adults are enjoying a nice Coca-Cola or Pepsi? Back then it was the only pop around and it was a luxury to enjoy...
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...article, commercial announcements state to customers, it is simpler to display affection to a product then a person. “When was the last time you felt this comfortable in a relationship?” ask an ad for shoes. “You can love it without getting your heart broken,” proclaims a car ad. The author then expresses how society is enclosed by millions of ads that connect to our deep-rooted emotions within our relationships, which in turn links our emotions to a product. She gives examples of parents purchasing luxury vehicles for their siblings, for higher protection and anniversary of a relationship provides encouragement to purchase expensive jewelry. Kilbourne extremely voices, our society is becoming commercialism. She feels this, “Bottomless consumerism not only depletes the world’s resources, it also depletes our inner resources and it leads inevitably to narcissism and solipsism.” In her opinion, advertisements are transforming our values in a negative way and believe their intention is to leave society heartless, expecting products to fill our emptiness. This article also reveals three important approaches that ads use influence consumers into buying their products such as Tuned In, Unnatural Passions, and Substitute Stories. All of these approaches alternate different information, in contrasting ways. Tuned In is a method which uses named brand logos to release information about a product. Kilbourne explains...
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...The Attitude of Youth Populations toward Globalization What exactly are the youth views on globalization? First let’s start by defining globalization. Globalization refers to increasing global connectivity, integration and interdependence in the economic, social, technological, cultural, political, and ecological spheres. Globalization is an umbrella term and is perhaps best understood as a unitary process inclusive of many subprocesses that are increasingly binding people and the biosphere more tightly into one global system (Wikipedia, 2007). Next let’s verify the term youth. Youth is "The time of life when one is young; especially: a: the period between childhood and maturity b: the early period of existence, growth, or development" (Wikipedia, 2007). “Globalizing issues have effects on four major areas of international relations theory and practice. First, the interconnectedness of the plethora of subissues within health, environmental, and human rights issues affect international bargaining” (Mingst, 2004). These issues are talked about daily in the news. Often times when health issues are brought up it is related to youth whether it is HIV, STD’s, or just simple obesity. Often times these issues when viewed at by youth are things that do not affect them in actuality it affect them more so than adults. “Second, these globalizing issues themselves may be the source of conflict” (Mingst). With this being said it is evident why the world goes through epidemics...
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