Before I get into my lecture notes, let me remind you that next Tuesday 2/21 we will be seeing the video "Affluenza," following which the groups (or families) I announced yesterday at the end of class will discuss what they saw. The details of what I want the families to do appear at the end of this blog post under "First Family Activity."
Regarding the lecture notes, you want to copy or print these out. They represent how I had planned to wrap up the subject of developing a ground or basis for recognizing what constitutes a social problem, but of course I ran out of time yesterday. I am sure I will be doing more of this from time to time throughout the semester.
LECTURE NOTES:
Recall that I wrapped up my remarks on the individual by arguing that we as individuals are essentially defined or constituted by our relations to objects in nature and culture. Then, I expanded the argument to encompass society. And to make this leap from the individual to society, I underscored that human beings act, that action of course also involves objects.
F. Fundamental to human development is the creation and organization of objects such that people can act. Human ends are achieved by way of action, by organizing objects toward the achievement of some end -- that is, by creating INSTITUTIONS. (One way of defining institutions being that they are ORGANIZED SYSTEMS OF OBJECTS DIRECTED TOWARD HUMAN ENDS.)
1. A doctor achieves his/her end -- to improve the health of her patients -- by utilizing stethescopes, X-ray machines, drugs, hospitals, etc. etc. And in order to perform this task well, these objects must be organized properly and be in good condition.
2. Think of all the objects that surround your life and how necessary they are to doing your job well or just living a decent life.
G. It is through action that human beings have come to build up a world which we variously call society, the state, or civilization, or -- that we have come to build up a vast institutional structure which characterizes modern society. For example --
1. Through the activity of growing food to sustain life has developed AGRICULTURE, which today organizes objects on a vast scale to carry out the task of producing food necessary to sustain the lives of individuals and society.
2. Or, through the activity of helping the sick, which in the beginnning was an individual or family function, we have built huge MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS (OR A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM), which involve the organization of people and objects on a vast scale in order to carry out the basic human activity of caring for the sick.
H. Indeed, I believe it is no exaggeration to say that these institutions (or "SUPER-INDIVIDUALS") are the REAL ACTORS today -- that it is only by way of them that human purposes are achieved. As individuals, we participate in institutions. All of our acts (even the simplest of them, such as making breakfast) are bound up with this larger institutional order.
I. Human relations are mediated by these institutions: a farmer enters your life (even though you may never meet him personally) by way of agriculture, by way of participating in the production of food necessary to sustain us. Or, I enter your lives by way of education -- that is, the books, classrooms, buildings, and myriad of other objects that make up Wofford College, and were necessary for my own education. (Dr. King had something like this in mind when he spoke of the "single garment of destiny" that we are all a part of.)
J. On this basis, then, I believe society can be more accurately defined as an ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF INSTITUTIONS.
__________________________________
A. Having established what society is, we now need to turn our attention to the question of what society is capable of becoming, or what a HEALTHY, WELL-ORGANIZED, or IDEAL society would be like.
1. Recall the doctor/medical analogy -- social scientists must have some understanding of the proper functioning of society and the institutions which make it up as a basis for diagnosing society's illnesses, especially those that appear to be life-threatening.
B. So, based on the conception of society as an organized system of institutions, I would argue, IN GENERAL, that a properly organized society would involve the proper organization of these institutions -- that these institutions function HARMONIOUSLY, which is a key to individuals leading a satisfying life.
1. There is a difference between this and the "normal" functioning of institutions -- the normal functioning of these institutions may be the real problem (as you all explored a bit in your first blog exercise). I believe this will come through in our critical analysis of overconsumption and debt, which many people just take for granted or see as normal.
a.) Social critic, Erich Fromm, in an interesting book entitled, "The Sane Society," published back in the 1950s, introduced a relevant concept here: the "PATHOLOGY OF NORMALCY." That is, that the norm may be the problem, such as the acceptance of racial segregation back then.
2. Practically speaking, to have a good house to live in, it is important that the carpenter you hire is competent, has been well-trained, that he/she has good tools, materials, proper nourishment, etc. etc. -- in short, that he/she is properly INSTRUMENTED. This would require, in an ultimate sense, that the economy be right, agriculture be right, education/training be right, etc. for good houses to be built. Remember, human relations are mediated by objects. One could make a similar point about having proper health care, or anything else for that matter.
C. To push this farther, one would have to define the essential purpose of the basic institutions in our society, what role these institutions play in maintaining that larger life in which we all participate. It is also vital for us as individuals to consider our place, our role, in this larger life, too. (For example, the authors of "Affluenza" ask us to consider what the economy is for in Chapter 14.)
1. Let me also mention another interesting book, "The Costs of Living," by Barry Schwartz, in which he makes a serious effort to define the purpose of basic institutions and then looks critically at how and why these institutions clearly are not fulfilling that purpose.
D. Since my sketch of society is largely based on the social thought of American philosopher, Elijah Jordan, I believe it is appropriate to give him the last word on this -- a statement of what he calls "the law of morality," or a standard for determining what constitutes a healthy society. This comes from his major work on ethics entitled, "The Good Life," p. 59:
"The good life posits a person or actor endowed by nature and by culture with all the capacities that are possible to him, with these capacities developed to their fullest possible degree; the person living in a world so organized or ordered as to guarantee to the person full and free access to all the means and instruments necessary to the adequate and appropriate expression of his capacities and the realization of his acts in satisfying objects."
Let me also add a nice statement from William Morris of a similar standard, which can be found in the bottom paragraph, p. 140 of "Affluenza." Check this out as well.
E. A couple final observations regarding the above statement are in order --
1. One can easily gather from this that such conditions as poverty, hunger homelessness, unemployment clearly represent problems both for individuals and the larger society. Work is especially important -- it is AN ORGANIZING PRINICPLE OF LIFE. We build our lives around our work, what we do. When there is a lack of work, meaningless or unrewarding work, or work that destroys or undermines the larger social order, this is a serious social problem.
2. Insofar as our society, or any society, falls short of this standard of a healthy society described above (as all societies do in varying degrees), we can say something is wrong, that social problems exist, that we have work to do.
___________________________
FIRST FAMILY ACTIVITY:
After viewing the video program, "Affluenza," in class next Tuesday (2/21), which runs about 55 minutes, you will get together in your respective families (as noted below) and discuss which ONE of the many symptoms of affleunza presented represents the greatest threat to the health and well-being of our society. I want each family to come to a CONSENSUS (or agreement) on what you believe is the most adverse symptom. Each family will, then, designate a spokesperson to present your findings at the beginning of class on Thurs. (2/23). I also want each family to post your findings as a comment on this blog post. This should include the name of the symptom and some points in defense of your choice (that is, pretty much what you present in class). ALL FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE TO EARN THE ACTIVITY POINTS FOR THIS EXERCISE. This exercise is worth 5 activity points.
The two families are: (1) Qay B., Helen S., Travis, T., Madison W.
(2) Ricco B., Shelby H., Adam, S., Mary Katherine K.
Remember to be thinking about what color you like your family to be.
See you next Tuesday.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Welcome & First Individual Exercise
WELCOME to this blog that I have set up for this class, Sociology 215: Social Problems. I will be using this blog for a variety of individual and group activities and exercises throughout the semester, such as the first individual exercise described below. Something I often do on this blog is post follow-up comments to a lecture that may not have gone well or I felt was unclear. This blog will also be used to post questions (and answers)that you will make up in preparation for the midterm and final exams. Finally, I may use this space for possible extra credit opportunities. Although I will be sure to remind you in class when you need to be checking this blog, let me also recommend that you get in the habit of checking it at least once or twice a week on your own.
FIRST INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE: In the context of my opening lecture (Thurs., 2/9) about developing a ground or basis for recognizing social problems, I want you to identify some aspect of contemporary American society which you believe is commonly accepted or widely practiced, yet still could be considered harmful or destructive; that is, be considered a social problem, What I mean by "aspect" of contemporary American society is very open-ended: a popular consumer product, government policy, business practice, social ritual, form of media or entertainment, etc. Briefly describe this aspect and tell why you believe it is a problem, despite its wide accpetance. I am looking for NO MORE THAN 2 PARAGRAPHS (no dissertations). Post your response as a comment on this blog post NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, FEB. 17TH. This exercise is worth 5 activity points.
FIRST INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE: In the context of my opening lecture (Thurs., 2/9) about developing a ground or basis for recognizing social problems, I want you to identify some aspect of contemporary American society which you believe is commonly accepted or widely practiced, yet still could be considered harmful or destructive; that is, be considered a social problem, What I mean by "aspect" of contemporary American society is very open-ended: a popular consumer product, government policy, business practice, social ritual, form of media or entertainment, etc. Briefly describe this aspect and tell why you believe it is a problem, despite its wide accpetance. I am looking for NO MORE THAN 2 PARAGRAPHS (no dissertations). Post your response as a comment on this blog post NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, FEB. 17TH. This exercise is worth 5 activity points.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Lecture Notes: Plenitude
Given that we have a fair amount of ground to cover during these last two classes, I am going to post some of my lecture notes on "Plenitude." Please make sure to print out or copy these notes because I may make up final exam questions based on them. Also, DO NOT FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE MANY TEXTUAL REFERENCES -- these are passages from the book that I would have quoted and commented on in class.
We left off last Thursday near the beginning of Chapter Three, so I'll just start from there:
Chapter Three: Economics Confronts the Earth
A. Much of this chapter is devoted to a detailed, at times complex, analysis of how the field of economics has attempted to come to grips with the environmental impacts of economic activity. To a large extent, she questions the conclusions of these so-called "environmental economists" -- from the "CORNUCOPIANS" (who basically argue there are no limits to growth) to the "TRADE-OFF ANALYSTS" (cost-benefit calculators) by calling into question some of the basic assumptions on which they construct their elaborate models.
1. Before we look at some of these flawed assumptions, it is important to note that up until recently (the last couple decades or so) environmental impacts were NOT even considered (or measured) by mainstream economists -- such impacts were considered mere "EXTERNALITIES." Market prices did not reflect ecological costs.
2. Dr. Schor suggests that the urgency of climate change has contributed to more of an openness to ecological or environmental economics, but there are still relatively few such economists (eg., only one environmental economist in Harvard's 55-member economics department).
3. Cornucopians or eco-optimists even believe in the wonders of population growth itself, which they believe will result in more smart people, more human ingenuity, which will discover substitutes for nature: if we chop down the forests, we can rely on tree plantations, or if we overfish and deplete the oceans, we can start fish farms.
4. A more moderate eco-optimism believes that as countries grow richer, they will at some point address pollution, so rather than discourage growth we should be encouraging it. But this assumes that market players will make the right choices when it comes to scarcity or climate change. Note how Dr. Schor challenges such an assumption. See all of p. 75.
5. Trade-off economics also assumes market competition creates a "best of all possible worlds." See pp. 76-77, especially the Latin phrase at the bottom of p. 77.
B. Then, there is the great hope that we won't really have to change our behavior, or business-as-usual (BAU) because the creation of "green technology," green products will save the day. But as Dr. Schor notes there is a big BUT... -- see 2nd & 3rd paragraphs, p. 86.
1. One problem with this is the "REBOUND EFFECT" -- that as we make products greener, more efficient, it will encourage even more consumption. See Fig. 3.3, top p. 90.
2. She presents a revealing case study of Great Britain, which has been described as "carbon crazy" -- significant government, business, media attention and action to reduce the carbon footprint. Note her analysis, see pp. 92-93.
C. Unquestionably, as she re-emphasizes at the end of the chapter, we need to address growth itself -- "Either we have to grow less or we have to grow very differently." (p. 97)
Chapter Four: Living Rich on a Troubled Planet
A. In the context of the "limits of the current growth regime," Dr. Schor describes a couple broad alternatives: (1) BAU or (2) PLENITUDE. See opening paragraph, p. 99 -- the last sentence previews the subheadings of the rest of the chapter.
B. Dr. Schor also identifies an important underlying principle of living a life of plenitude. As she says, "The strategy of diversification outlined below can be a route to a similarly light footprint. But its ability to yield a life of true happiness and well-being is ultimately dependent on a prior principle -- one life living. It comes from the idea that most people believe they have only a single chance on earth. To live richly, or with plenitude, one must use that chance in a way that is personally meaningful." (p. 100)
C. Diversifying out of the BAU economy will first of all require that we reclaim time -- time that has been lost to the market and consumption. As Dr. Schor observes: "Millions of Americans have lost control over the basic rhythm of their daily lives. They work too much, eat too quickly, socialize too little, drive and sit in traffic for too many hours, don't get enough sleep, and feel harried too much of the time." (p. 103)
1. She, then, goes on to document just how much more we are working today and the adverse effects of this -- stress, worse physical health, depression, etc..
2. Rather than the usual "trade-off economics" perspective -- that either we will be living poorer or working longer -- plenitude offers another option -- see top paragraph, p. 107.
a.) And she cites survey results which suggest a big jump in the percentage of adults having made a voluntary lifestyle change that entailed earning less money (from 19% in 1996 to 48% in 2004). And most who made this change reported being happier, although many also acknowledged that they missed the money.
D. But to make such voluntary lifestyle changes more feasible we must address some basic security needs we all have. Here, Dr. SChor squarely acknowledges our need to address the following security concerns -- MEDICAL CARE, EDUCATION, CHILD CARE, PENSIONS. "To date, none of these problems has been solved..." (p. 110, top) See the rest of pp. 110-111.
1. "Once individuals know that they will be taken care of if they get ill, that their children can be well educated at a reasonable cost, and that they will have a pension at the end of their working lives, they are free to pursue a lower impact and more satisfying style of life." (p. 112)
E. "Rebalancing between market and nonmarket activity is not only a strategy to improve individual well-being; it is also a centerpiece of ecological sustainability,...Earn less, spend less, emit and degrade less." (p. 112)
F. Dr. Schor then goes into many ways that we can produce things for ourselves. And she later notes how more advanced technology can make DIY projects less arduous and boring.
1. Perhaps most interesting in this regard is the so-called "digital fabricator" -- advanced machines that follow sets of digital commands to manipulate and form raw materials to produce actual objects. (p. 121)
2. She calls some of these DIYers, "BIONEERS."
G. And what about the "Plenitude Consumer?" -- the all-American passion for shopping? Here, she offers a different view from the more typical and simple approach to shop less -- see bottom, p. 127 - middle of p. 128.
1. Should embrace a new focus on QUALITY, and what she calls "SLOW SPENDING."
2. Also, REUSE and RESALE of the masses of things we've already produced -- the Goodwill solution.
H. Small Can Be Beautiful, especially smaller homes.
I. The Share Solution -- eg. "Zip car" which in some cities makes vehicles available on a short-term basis. Or, "freecycle."
J. The sharing economy, in addition to its obvious ecological benefits, can assist in rebuilding social ties in a society "...that has experienced a rise in disconnection, loneliness, and individualism." (p. 139, top)
1. Need to rebuild our SOCIAL CAPITAL.
2. Ironically, economic growth, prosperity can actually undermine community because people can afford to purchase services and not depend as much on neighbors simply to borrow things.
3. Finally, Dr. Schor underscores the benefits of rebuilding our social capital. She cites Eric Klinenberg's book, "Heat Wave" -- that social isolation was a major factor contributing to higher death tolls in certain parts of Chicago. See last paragraph, p. 142.
__________________________
That brings us up to Chapter Five, which is where I will begin tomorrow, Tues., 5/10.
We left off last Thursday near the beginning of Chapter Three, so I'll just start from there:
Chapter Three: Economics Confronts the Earth
A. Much of this chapter is devoted to a detailed, at times complex, analysis of how the field of economics has attempted to come to grips with the environmental impacts of economic activity. To a large extent, she questions the conclusions of these so-called "environmental economists" -- from the "CORNUCOPIANS" (who basically argue there are no limits to growth) to the "TRADE-OFF ANALYSTS" (cost-benefit calculators) by calling into question some of the basic assumptions on which they construct their elaborate models.
1. Before we look at some of these flawed assumptions, it is important to note that up until recently (the last couple decades or so) environmental impacts were NOT even considered (or measured) by mainstream economists -- such impacts were considered mere "EXTERNALITIES." Market prices did not reflect ecological costs.
2. Dr. Schor suggests that the urgency of climate change has contributed to more of an openness to ecological or environmental economics, but there are still relatively few such economists (eg., only one environmental economist in Harvard's 55-member economics department).
3. Cornucopians or eco-optimists even believe in the wonders of population growth itself, which they believe will result in more smart people, more human ingenuity, which will discover substitutes for nature: if we chop down the forests, we can rely on tree plantations, or if we overfish and deplete the oceans, we can start fish farms.
4. A more moderate eco-optimism believes that as countries grow richer, they will at some point address pollution, so rather than discourage growth we should be encouraging it. But this assumes that market players will make the right choices when it comes to scarcity or climate change. Note how Dr. Schor challenges such an assumption. See all of p. 75.
5. Trade-off economics also assumes market competition creates a "best of all possible worlds." See pp. 76-77, especially the Latin phrase at the bottom of p. 77.
B. Then, there is the great hope that we won't really have to change our behavior, or business-as-usual (BAU) because the creation of "green technology," green products will save the day. But as Dr. Schor notes there is a big BUT... -- see 2nd & 3rd paragraphs, p. 86.
1. One problem with this is the "REBOUND EFFECT" -- that as we make products greener, more efficient, it will encourage even more consumption. See Fig. 3.3, top p. 90.
2. She presents a revealing case study of Great Britain, which has been described as "carbon crazy" -- significant government, business, media attention and action to reduce the carbon footprint. Note her analysis, see pp. 92-93.
C. Unquestionably, as she re-emphasizes at the end of the chapter, we need to address growth itself -- "Either we have to grow less or we have to grow very differently." (p. 97)
Chapter Four: Living Rich on a Troubled Planet
A. In the context of the "limits of the current growth regime," Dr. Schor describes a couple broad alternatives: (1) BAU or (2) PLENITUDE. See opening paragraph, p. 99 -- the last sentence previews the subheadings of the rest of the chapter.
B. Dr. Schor also identifies an important underlying principle of living a life of plenitude. As she says, "The strategy of diversification outlined below can be a route to a similarly light footprint. But its ability to yield a life of true happiness and well-being is ultimately dependent on a prior principle -- one life living. It comes from the idea that most people believe they have only a single chance on earth. To live richly, or with plenitude, one must use that chance in a way that is personally meaningful." (p. 100)
C. Diversifying out of the BAU economy will first of all require that we reclaim time -- time that has been lost to the market and consumption. As Dr. Schor observes: "Millions of Americans have lost control over the basic rhythm of their daily lives. They work too much, eat too quickly, socialize too little, drive and sit in traffic for too many hours, don't get enough sleep, and feel harried too much of the time." (p. 103)
1. She, then, goes on to document just how much more we are working today and the adverse effects of this -- stress, worse physical health, depression, etc..
2. Rather than the usual "trade-off economics" perspective -- that either we will be living poorer or working longer -- plenitude offers another option -- see top paragraph, p. 107.
a.) And she cites survey results which suggest a big jump in the percentage of adults having made a voluntary lifestyle change that entailed earning less money (from 19% in 1996 to 48% in 2004). And most who made this change reported being happier, although many also acknowledged that they missed the money.
D. But to make such voluntary lifestyle changes more feasible we must address some basic security needs we all have. Here, Dr. SChor squarely acknowledges our need to address the following security concerns -- MEDICAL CARE, EDUCATION, CHILD CARE, PENSIONS. "To date, none of these problems has been solved..." (p. 110, top) See the rest of pp. 110-111.
1. "Once individuals know that they will be taken care of if they get ill, that their children can be well educated at a reasonable cost, and that they will have a pension at the end of their working lives, they are free to pursue a lower impact and more satisfying style of life." (p. 112)
E. "Rebalancing between market and nonmarket activity is not only a strategy to improve individual well-being; it is also a centerpiece of ecological sustainability,...Earn less, spend less, emit and degrade less." (p. 112)
F. Dr. Schor then goes into many ways that we can produce things for ourselves. And she later notes how more advanced technology can make DIY projects less arduous and boring.
1. Perhaps most interesting in this regard is the so-called "digital fabricator" -- advanced machines that follow sets of digital commands to manipulate and form raw materials to produce actual objects. (p. 121)
2. She calls some of these DIYers, "BIONEERS."
G. And what about the "Plenitude Consumer?" -- the all-American passion for shopping? Here, she offers a different view from the more typical and simple approach to shop less -- see bottom, p. 127 - middle of p. 128.
1. Should embrace a new focus on QUALITY, and what she calls "SLOW SPENDING."
2. Also, REUSE and RESALE of the masses of things we've already produced -- the Goodwill solution.
H. Small Can Be Beautiful, especially smaller homes.
I. The Share Solution -- eg. "Zip car" which in some cities makes vehicles available on a short-term basis. Or, "freecycle."
J. The sharing economy, in addition to its obvious ecological benefits, can assist in rebuilding social ties in a society "...that has experienced a rise in disconnection, loneliness, and individualism." (p. 139, top)
1. Need to rebuild our SOCIAL CAPITAL.
2. Ironically, economic growth, prosperity can actually undermine community because people can afford to purchase services and not depend as much on neighbors simply to borrow things.
3. Finally, Dr. Schor underscores the benefits of rebuilding our social capital. She cites Eric Klinenberg's book, "Heat Wave" -- that social isolation was a major factor contributing to higher death tolls in certain parts of Chicago. See last paragraph, p. 142.
__________________________
That brings us up to Chapter Five, which is where I will begin tomorrow, Tues., 5/10.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Family Activity: Making Up Questions for the Final Exam
It is time to start the process of making up questions for the final exam, as you did for the midterm. I am not going to include all the detail I did in describing the types of questions I want you to come up with, since you've been through this before and you've taken the midterm exam, so you should know the kinds of questions I am looking for. The latter half of the course began with my final comments on "Affluenza," beginning specifically with Chapter 26. Anything covered in class or posted on the blog, such as my follow-up comments on "Advertising and the End of the World," will be fair game. I will give you some class time over the next couple weeks to confer about this with your family members. As you did before, I want each family to come up with SIX short-answer questions and answers, and submit those to me in writing or via email (NOT ON THIS BLOG) NO LATER THAN NOON FRIDAY, MAY 13TH. I will then consider them and select at least three questions from each family. For each additional question I accept, that family will earn a bonus point and have the added advantage of knowing more of the exam. I will then post the questions and answers I accept on this blog NO LATER THAN MONDAY, MAY 16, BY 4PM, so you will have them in plenty of time to study for the exam. This activity is worth 5 points to all PARTICPATING family members, with the possibility of earning 3 additional bonus points.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Comments on "Advertising and the End of the World" & Family Activity on "Consuming Kids"
"Advertising and the End of the World" with Sut Jhally
I. Advertising and Culture
A. Clearly, advertising is a key aspect of our culture, given how it has infiltrated almost all aspects of our lives, especially our media systems. Advertising tells stories about our hopes, dreams, aspirations -- our way of life.
B. Anthropologist from Mars would conclude from studying advertising that ours is a culture dominated by a belief in MAGIC: things or goods have immense powers. (parenthetically, this Martian anthropologist might also conclude that we have sex on the brain, given the pervasiveness of sex to sell stuff.)
II. Capitalism has remade the world
A. No economic system has ever been so productive as industrial capitalism, churning out an immense number of products. The problem of capitalism is not really production, or even distribution, but CONSUMPTION -- how to sell all the stuff produced. Hence, we've created a whole industry devoted to the business of consumption -- ADVERTISING, which is a $175 billion/yr. industry (as of 1997) and represents the greatest propaganda effort in human history.
III. Wrong and Right Question
A. The WRONG question is: does an ad help sell a product? (Of course, this question is the "right" from the market standpoint, but we're interested in advertising's impact on the broader culture.) So, the RIGHT question is: what impact does advertising have on culture? And we can get at this by addressing how advertising answers some basic questions.
IV. Three basic questions
1. HOW DO WE BECOME HAPPY? Every culture has a story of happiness. Advertising's answer is that commodities make us happy, economic growth. Also has to do with the FREEDOM of choice (which is why the former Soviet Union was so dismal).
a.) Is it true? According to so-called happiness surveys going back to 1945, apparently not. Have a lot more stuff today, but we are not any happier (subjectively).
b.) Most people place so-called SOCIAL VALUES (love, friendship, family) above material ones as the basic elements of the "good life." Recognizing this, advertisers try to market products as if they will help us attain those social values, which is really a "CRUEL ILLUSION."
2. WHAT IS SOCIETY?
a.) Advertising addresses us as INDIVIDUALS, seeking to satify our wants and desires. Consistent with Margaret Thatcher's statement -- no such thing as society; society is just a bunch of individuals acting on their own. (Which, I would stress, is contrary to the view of society I developed earlier in this course.)
b.) By its nature it encourages greed, selfishness, and not a concern for broader social issues: issues such as poverty, environmental pollution, etc. are pushed to the margins.
3. FUTURE?
a.) Advertising is all about the PRESENT, just as business in general is very short-term oriented. The problem is we are facing resource and environmental issues that are by their very nature LONG-TERM. Can't address these issues individually; they are a matter of collective social responsibility. Going to require long-term planning, sacrifice, and leadership, NOT immediate, short-term, self-interested approaches which is what advertising is all about.
V. What to do?
A. Mr. Jhally cited a statement of an Italian thinker, Antonio Gramsci, who said we need to have a "pessimism of intellect and optimism of will." That is, be realistic and critical about the current situation, yet optimistic and hopeful in acting to change the situation.
REMEMBER TO COPY OR PRINT THE ABOVE COMMENTS. I MAY ASK A QUESTION OR TWO ABOUT THESE POINTS ON THE FINAL EXAM.
_____________________________________
FAMILY ACTIVITY ON "CONSUMING KIDS," THE VIDEO
Next week Tuesday (4/12) we'll be seeing the video program, "Consuming Kids," based on the book we are currently reading. After seeing this program, I want the two families to discuss it in the context of the following passage from the book (which we'll begin to talk about next Thursday). Susan Linn observes: "In the long run, our children's immersion in this commercial culture has implications that go far beyond what they buy or don't buy. Marketing is designed to influence more than food preferences and choice of clothing. It aims to affect core values such as lifestyle choices: how we define happiness and how we measure our self-worth. Meanwhile, the very traits that today's marketing encourages -- materialism, impulsivity, entitlement, and unexamined brand loyalty -- are antithetical to those qualities necessary in a healthy democratic citizenry. Instead of being a mainstay of American life, intensive advertising to children may be eroding its foundations." (p. 8)
I would add to this, that you should not only consider how marketing may undermine the creation of a democratic citizenry but also, more broadly, may be undermining the health and well-being of individuals as well as the larger society. So, in that broad context, I want each family to identify any THREE points from the video that support that broad argument. I also want each family to come up with ONE critical point; that is, one point which you believe the video may have overlooked or downplayed which would represent a challenge to Ms. Linn's point above.
I will give the families time in class to confer about this after the video on Tuesday and then on Thursday. A representative from each family will be called upon to present your family's findings to the rest of the class on Tuesday (4/19), and someone from each family (not necessarily the same person who presents the findings in class) will post your family's findings as a comment on this blog post. I may use this as a basis for a question or two on the final exam.
This exercise is worth 5 activity points, and you must participate to earn those points.
I. Advertising and Culture
A. Clearly, advertising is a key aspect of our culture, given how it has infiltrated almost all aspects of our lives, especially our media systems. Advertising tells stories about our hopes, dreams, aspirations -- our way of life.
B. Anthropologist from Mars would conclude from studying advertising that ours is a culture dominated by a belief in MAGIC: things or goods have immense powers. (parenthetically, this Martian anthropologist might also conclude that we have sex on the brain, given the pervasiveness of sex to sell stuff.)
II. Capitalism has remade the world
A. No economic system has ever been so productive as industrial capitalism, churning out an immense number of products. The problem of capitalism is not really production, or even distribution, but CONSUMPTION -- how to sell all the stuff produced. Hence, we've created a whole industry devoted to the business of consumption -- ADVERTISING, which is a $175 billion/yr. industry (as of 1997) and represents the greatest propaganda effort in human history.
III. Wrong and Right Question
A. The WRONG question is: does an ad help sell a product? (Of course, this question is the "right" from the market standpoint, but we're interested in advertising's impact on the broader culture.) So, the RIGHT question is: what impact does advertising have on culture? And we can get at this by addressing how advertising answers some basic questions.
IV. Three basic questions
1. HOW DO WE BECOME HAPPY? Every culture has a story of happiness. Advertising's answer is that commodities make us happy, economic growth. Also has to do with the FREEDOM of choice (which is why the former Soviet Union was so dismal).
a.) Is it true? According to so-called happiness surveys going back to 1945, apparently not. Have a lot more stuff today, but we are not any happier (subjectively).
b.) Most people place so-called SOCIAL VALUES (love, friendship, family) above material ones as the basic elements of the "good life." Recognizing this, advertisers try to market products as if they will help us attain those social values, which is really a "CRUEL ILLUSION."
2. WHAT IS SOCIETY?
a.) Advertising addresses us as INDIVIDUALS, seeking to satify our wants and desires. Consistent with Margaret Thatcher's statement -- no such thing as society; society is just a bunch of individuals acting on their own. (Which, I would stress, is contrary to the view of society I developed earlier in this course.)
b.) By its nature it encourages greed, selfishness, and not a concern for broader social issues: issues such as poverty, environmental pollution, etc. are pushed to the margins.
3. FUTURE?
a.) Advertising is all about the PRESENT, just as business in general is very short-term oriented. The problem is we are facing resource and environmental issues that are by their very nature LONG-TERM. Can't address these issues individually; they are a matter of collective social responsibility. Going to require long-term planning, sacrifice, and leadership, NOT immediate, short-term, self-interested approaches which is what advertising is all about.
V. What to do?
A. Mr. Jhally cited a statement of an Italian thinker, Antonio Gramsci, who said we need to have a "pessimism of intellect and optimism of will." That is, be realistic and critical about the current situation, yet optimistic and hopeful in acting to change the situation.
REMEMBER TO COPY OR PRINT THE ABOVE COMMENTS. I MAY ASK A QUESTION OR TWO ABOUT THESE POINTS ON THE FINAL EXAM.
_____________________________________
FAMILY ACTIVITY ON "CONSUMING KIDS," THE VIDEO
Next week Tuesday (4/12) we'll be seeing the video program, "Consuming Kids," based on the book we are currently reading. After seeing this program, I want the two families to discuss it in the context of the following passage from the book (which we'll begin to talk about next Thursday). Susan Linn observes: "In the long run, our children's immersion in this commercial culture has implications that go far beyond what they buy or don't buy. Marketing is designed to influence more than food preferences and choice of clothing. It aims to affect core values such as lifestyle choices: how we define happiness and how we measure our self-worth. Meanwhile, the very traits that today's marketing encourages -- materialism, impulsivity, entitlement, and unexamined brand loyalty -- are antithetical to those qualities necessary in a healthy democratic citizenry. Instead of being a mainstay of American life, intensive advertising to children may be eroding its foundations." (p. 8)
I would add to this, that you should not only consider how marketing may undermine the creation of a democratic citizenry but also, more broadly, may be undermining the health and well-being of individuals as well as the larger society. So, in that broad context, I want each family to identify any THREE points from the video that support that broad argument. I also want each family to come up with ONE critical point; that is, one point which you believe the video may have overlooked or downplayed which would represent a challenge to Ms. Linn's point above.
I will give the families time in class to confer about this after the video on Tuesday and then on Thursday. A representative from each family will be called upon to present your family's findings to the rest of the class on Tuesday (4/19), and someone from each family (not necessarily the same person who presents the findings in class) will post your family's findings as a comment on this blog post. I may use this as a basis for a question or two on the final exam.
This exercise is worth 5 activity points, and you must participate to earn those points.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Affluenza Wrap-up & Reminders
Since I did not manage to finish my commentary on "Affluenza" yesterday in class, I will do so now.
Chapter 28: Political prescriptions
A. Michael Jacobsen opens with a simple, but profound, truth -- "Our country is set up structurally to oppose voluntary simplicity." (p. 221) The authors then warn the reader this is going to be a longer chapter, and they acknowledge something that I have stressed all along -- social ills such as affluenza won't be cured by personal action alone.
B. So, let's touch on some of these larger actions they see as necessary to really come to grips with this epidemic.
1. A very important step would be to allow workers to take back some of the TIME they've earned due to increased productivity.
a.) See top p. 224. Juliet Schor describes what has happened since World War II. They go on to discuss some interesting proposals, all of which would necessitate government intervention (as govt. intervened in 1938 and established the 40hr workweek).
b.) It is amazing how far behind the rest of the world we are, and not just other rich countries. See bottom p. 226 "Americans can do better...."
c.) Work-sharing during recessions, and other times, makes sense.
2. One of the big public policy changes that would greatly facilitate these other changes would be adopting a single-payer, universal health care system. See middle paragraph, p. 228.
3. Also, they float some interesting tax proposals.
C. They admit upfront that given all this stress on cutting back, spending less, etc. may cause the economy to collapse. Perhaps, and I would say if it does, then good riddance -- let's build something new based on other principles.
1. Other countries have made peace with slower or no growth -- I like what a former Dutch prime minister said. See bottom, p. 232-233.
Chapter 29: Annual check-ups
A. Back to the medical analogy, just as we could use annual check-ups, so too the community. And of course to do that we have to develop instruments to measure the community's health.
1. Fever Index interesting.
2. Asking ourselves basic questions, as if we only had another year to live -- are you really doing what is important?
3. Community check-up illustrated by Seattle which came up with 40 sustainability indicators. p. 238.
B. National check-up provided by some more realistic measures of health and wealth, rather than the GDP. They make a very good point about all the negative things the GDP counts as positives. See bottom paragraph, p. 240. GPI (or Genuine Progress Indicator) factors out the negative and measures things that should really count.
Chapter 30: Healthy again
A. In this concluding chapter, the authors underscore our need to acknowledge how sick we are.
B. We need to "Dream a New Dream" -- not a dream of more and more, endless economic growth, etc., but a dream of restoring QUALITY to our lives. Really a dream of SIMPLICITY. The authors then quote Betsy Taylor of the Center for a New American Dream. See middle paragraph p. 245.
1. Finally, I like what they have to say in "Moving at the Speed of Quality" --
"In a way, quality is to affluenza what garlic is to vampires. Durability, appropriate materials, and good design eliminate the need for mountains of stuff, without reducing overall value. It's a different kind of math, which asks not how MUCH, but rather how WELL." p. 246.
______________________________
That's it for "Affluenza." We'll be moving on to "Consuming Kids" next week. Read thru Chapter 3 (up to p. 60) for next week.
REMINDERS:
1. I will finish going over the midterm exam tomorrow (Thurs. 4/7).
2. ALL OF YOU NEED TO INDICATE WHAT YOUR TOPIC WILL BE FOR YOUR PAPER. THE DEADLINE IS TOMORROW.
3. We will be seeing another video tomorrow as well, "Advertising and the End of the World," which I plan to post some comments about on this blog following our viewing of this video.
4. Next Tuesday (4/12) I will show another video, "Consuming Kids," and in connection with that one, I will have a family activity posted on this blog by Friday (4/8), so check it out.
Chapter 28: Political prescriptions
A. Michael Jacobsen opens with a simple, but profound, truth -- "Our country is set up structurally to oppose voluntary simplicity." (p. 221) The authors then warn the reader this is going to be a longer chapter, and they acknowledge something that I have stressed all along -- social ills such as affluenza won't be cured by personal action alone.
B. So, let's touch on some of these larger actions they see as necessary to really come to grips with this epidemic.
1. A very important step would be to allow workers to take back some of the TIME they've earned due to increased productivity.
a.) See top p. 224. Juliet Schor describes what has happened since World War II. They go on to discuss some interesting proposals, all of which would necessitate government intervention (as govt. intervened in 1938 and established the 40hr workweek).
b.) It is amazing how far behind the rest of the world we are, and not just other rich countries. See bottom p. 226 "Americans can do better...."
c.) Work-sharing during recessions, and other times, makes sense.
2. One of the big public policy changes that would greatly facilitate these other changes would be adopting a single-payer, universal health care system. See middle paragraph, p. 228.
3. Also, they float some interesting tax proposals.
C. They admit upfront that given all this stress on cutting back, spending less, etc. may cause the economy to collapse. Perhaps, and I would say if it does, then good riddance -- let's build something new based on other principles.
1. Other countries have made peace with slower or no growth -- I like what a former Dutch prime minister said. See bottom, p. 232-233.
Chapter 29: Annual check-ups
A. Back to the medical analogy, just as we could use annual check-ups, so too the community. And of course to do that we have to develop instruments to measure the community's health.
1. Fever Index interesting.
2. Asking ourselves basic questions, as if we only had another year to live -- are you really doing what is important?
3. Community check-up illustrated by Seattle which came up with 40 sustainability indicators. p. 238.
B. National check-up provided by some more realistic measures of health and wealth, rather than the GDP. They make a very good point about all the negative things the GDP counts as positives. See bottom paragraph, p. 240. GPI (or Genuine Progress Indicator) factors out the negative and measures things that should really count.
Chapter 30: Healthy again
A. In this concluding chapter, the authors underscore our need to acknowledge how sick we are.
B. We need to "Dream a New Dream" -- not a dream of more and more, endless economic growth, etc., but a dream of restoring QUALITY to our lives. Really a dream of SIMPLICITY. The authors then quote Betsy Taylor of the Center for a New American Dream. See middle paragraph p. 245.
1. Finally, I like what they have to say in "Moving at the Speed of Quality" --
"In a way, quality is to affluenza what garlic is to vampires. Durability, appropriate materials, and good design eliminate the need for mountains of stuff, without reducing overall value. It's a different kind of math, which asks not how MUCH, but rather how WELL." p. 246.
______________________________
That's it for "Affluenza." We'll be moving on to "Consuming Kids" next week. Read thru Chapter 3 (up to p. 60) for next week.
REMINDERS:
1. I will finish going over the midterm exam tomorrow (Thurs. 4/7).
2. ALL OF YOU NEED TO INDICATE WHAT YOUR TOPIC WILL BE FOR YOUR PAPER. THE DEADLINE IS TOMORROW.
3. We will be seeing another video tomorrow as well, "Advertising and the End of the World," which I plan to post some comments about on this blog following our viewing of this video.
4. Next Tuesday (4/12) I will show another video, "Consuming Kids," and in connection with that one, I will have a family activity posted on this blog by Friday (4/8), so check it out.
Monday, March 21, 2011
FAMILY QUESTIONS FOR THE MIDTERM EXAM
The following are the questions I selected from the ones submitted by the two families. You will note I did some editing of both questions and answers. Some questions I rejected because the answers provided were not accurate. One of the things I added to the questions submitted was some context (for example, from what chapter in "Affluenza" the question came). REMEMBER, THESE QUESTIONS WILL BE ON THE EXAM ON THURSDAY.
MAGENTA FAMILY (Coleman, Kelsey, Stephanie, Sandra) earn 5 points (although you only submitted 5 questions, instead of 6.)
1. In Chapter 12, Industrial diarrhea, the authors cite Dr. Sandra Steingraber who, in her book "Living Downstream," makes what point about chemicals found in many products? (1)
ANSWER: "The vast majority of commercially used chemicals were brought to the market before 1979, when federal legislation mandated the review of new chemicals. Thus many carcenogenic environmental contaminants likely remain unidentified, unmonitored and, unregulated."
2. Why do marketers try to capture children especially into buying their products? (2)
ANSWER: Because if you wait to reach children with your product until they are 18, you probably won't capture them. Also, because children have a significant influence on their parents and their own money, which makes them important consumers.
3. To give some idea of the dramatic increase in household debt, the authors note in Chapter 2, A rash of bankruptcies, that in 1980 U.S. household debt stood at 65% of disposable income. Today, that same figure is what? (1)
ANSWER: 125%
BLUE FAMILY (Warren, Ross, Mary, Amber) earn 5 activity points.
1. Explain what the authors mean by "global infection," one of the subheadings in Chapter 10, Social scars. (1)
ANSWER: How social scars left by affluenza are being replicated throught the entire world as more and more cultures adopt the American lifestyle.
2. At the end of Chapter 6, Family convulsions, I called your attention to the views of conservative Edward Luttwak. How does Luttwak distinguish a real conservative from a phony one? (2)
ANSWER: A real conservative wants to conserve family, community, nature, whereas a phony conservative tends to defend the unrestricted free market as the best mechanism for rapidly increasing America's wealth, often at the expense of family, community, nature.
3. How did the introduction of television in the 1950s contribute to the epidemic of affluenza? (2)
ANSWER: Television showed everyone how the other (or upper) half lived. Although crude at first, ads on TV became more psychologically sophisticated and thus more effective in selling things to people.
____________________________
MAGENTA FAMILY (Coleman, Kelsey, Stephanie, Sandra) earn 5 points (although you only submitted 5 questions, instead of 6.)
1. In Chapter 12, Industrial diarrhea, the authors cite Dr. Sandra Steingraber who, in her book "Living Downstream," makes what point about chemicals found in many products? (1)
ANSWER: "The vast majority of commercially used chemicals were brought to the market before 1979, when federal legislation mandated the review of new chemicals. Thus many carcenogenic environmental contaminants likely remain unidentified, unmonitored and, unregulated."
2. Why do marketers try to capture children especially into buying their products? (2)
ANSWER: Because if you wait to reach children with your product until they are 18, you probably won't capture them. Also, because children have a significant influence on their parents and their own money, which makes them important consumers.
3. To give some idea of the dramatic increase in household debt, the authors note in Chapter 2, A rash of bankruptcies, that in 1980 U.S. household debt stood at 65% of disposable income. Today, that same figure is what? (1)
ANSWER: 125%
BLUE FAMILY (Warren, Ross, Mary, Amber) earn 5 activity points.
1. Explain what the authors mean by "global infection," one of the subheadings in Chapter 10, Social scars. (1)
ANSWER: How social scars left by affluenza are being replicated throught the entire world as more and more cultures adopt the American lifestyle.
2. At the end of Chapter 6, Family convulsions, I called your attention to the views of conservative Edward Luttwak. How does Luttwak distinguish a real conservative from a phony one? (2)
ANSWER: A real conservative wants to conserve family, community, nature, whereas a phony conservative tends to defend the unrestricted free market as the best mechanism for rapidly increasing America's wealth, often at the expense of family, community, nature.
3. How did the introduction of television in the 1950s contribute to the epidemic of affluenza? (2)
ANSWER: Television showed everyone how the other (or upper) half lived. Although crude at first, ads on TV became more psychologically sophisticated and thus more effective in selling things to people.
____________________________
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