Family Questions: Final Exam

The following are the questions I accepted from the families, which will be on the final exam, so copy them down. Each contributing family member listed gets 5 points and some will get bonus points if I accepted more than one question.

BLUE FAMILY: (Stev, Johnson, Jenny, Sarah) 5 points (no bonus points)

QUESTION: In the context of The Cheating Culture, what is "trickle-down corruption?" (1)
ANSWER: how ordinary lower and middle class people feel pressure to emulate the lifestyles of the wealthy and feel justified in cheating in order to get ahead.


GREEN FAMILY: (Kristin, Grant) 5 points +1 bonus point

QUESTION: Why was the old consumerism based on "keeping up with the Joneses" not as destructive as the new consumerism? (1)
ANSWER: because keeping up with the Joneses refers to neighbors around you in pretty much the same socio-economic situation as yourself, so you don't have to spend much or go into debt to try to keep up.

QUESTION: What was mentioned in the video program, "Advertising and the End of the World," as one of the most successful ad campaigns ever? (1)
ANSWER: "Diamonds are forever"


YELLOW FAMILY: (Megan, Justina, Cody, Matt) 5 points +1 bonus point

QUESTION: In regards to a view of society, what statement did former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher make that is quoted in Barber's Consumed, and also singled out for criticism in "Advertising and the End of the World?" (1)
ANSWER: "There is no such thing as society, only individuals"

QUESTION: Toward the end of The Overspent American, how does Juliet Schor respond to the question: will consuming less wreck the economy? (1)
ANSWER: She says it will not happen overnight, and that we and the economy would adapt. The only way the economy might be ruined is if this happened overnight, which she believes will not happen.


BLACK FAMILY: (Christie, Jessica, Ann, Chris) 5 points +1 bonus point

QUESTION: In the context of The Overspent American, what does stretching reference groups vertically mean? (1)
ANSWER: Comparing your economic well-being and consuming habits with people of higher social classes, namely movie stars and people on television.

QUESTION: What do people underestimate in surveys that lends credence to the notion that people are in denial about their spending habits? (1)
ANSWER: underestimate their credit card debt by one-half.

______________________________

I'll hand your papers back tomorrow. I'll continue commenting on The Cheating Culture, thru Chapter 6, and will review briefly for the final exam. I will announce a time on Friday that you can stop by and ask questions about the final.
OUR FINAL EXAM IS SCHEDULED FOR: TUES.(5/13) 2-5PM.

Lecture Notes (cont.)

As noted, I am posting some more lecture notes, picking up where I left off in Chapter 2 of The Cheating Culture --

1. In our contemporary society with its resurgent bottom-line, laissez faire ideology, wealth is equated with virtue. And inequalities of wealth are seen as good because they motivate people to work harder (or cut corners) to acquire that wealth.

2. Whereas corporate executives of the 1950s were more concerned with their employees and being good citizens themselves, by the 1980s this "social contract" was seriously eroded.

(a) Pay equity went out the window -- an extreme example of which is: the highest paid CEO in 1968 was the chairman of GM who made (a paltry) $795,000; in 1988, Michael Eisner of Walt Disney Corp. made $40.1 million; and by 1998, Eisner pulled in $575.6 million! (The Wall Street Journal article I handed out confirms this extreme wage separation -- that as of 2005 the average CEO pay was 369 times as much as the average worker, and that is down from over 400 times around 2000.)

D. Callahan goes on to point out how a large scale change in values has made it easier to rationalize such greed and its attendant "cheating culture." (see last paragraph, p. 46 over to p. 47)

E. Finally, in this chapter he turns his attention to doctors and the "business" of medicine.

1. Notes that many doctors have gotten involved in multi-level marketing schemes -- selling nutritional supplements despite lack of evidence to back up health claims. And they have resisted efforts by the AMA to restrict such practices.

2. Or, they are in bed (so to speak) with the powerful pharmaceutical industry.

(a) For example: Drug companies encouraged doctors to prescribe neurontin (designed to treat epilepsy), for other purposes. Although the FDA does not allow the drug companies themselves to do this, it does regulate doctors. Obviously a way to boost sales, and doctors get a big "kick-back."

3. Doctors are now under greater bottom-line pressures, either to pay off huge debts and establish an office, or increasingly these days, working for a managed care organization such as an HMO. Pressure to see more patients and cut costs. Certainly could use some cost cutting, but not at the expense of what is the appropriate or best medical care.

4. There are also big gaps between star physicians such as cardiologists, neurosurgeons, etc. and young general practitioners just starting out.

F. Callahan concludes with an overall assessment of whether this "leaner and meaner" system focused squarely on the bottom line (not necessarily the best medical care) has been as good as conventional wisdom holds. (Clearly not, when it comes to the increased pressure to cheat.) (See last two paragraphs, p. 62)



That's all for now. This brings us up to Chapter 3: Whatever It Takes.

Reminders & Lecture Notes

REMINDERS: First, check our the April 23 post where I describe our last family activity which involves making up final exam questions. You should be doing that on your own, and I'll try to set aside some class time for the families to confer during this coming week.
Second, several people have not turned in essay III on Consumed. I plan to hand those back on Tuesday (4/29), which will be the deadline for late essays. In any case try to get it in ASAP.
Third, the paper on how to study a social problem of your choice is due on Tuesday (4/29), when we will begin your brief presentations (5-10 min.). As was determined by cutting cards, we will start with the top of the alphabet and work our way down. Please be prepared.
Finally, do continue reading The Cheating Culture. I am going to post some lecture notes below and will probably add to them during this week. As I indicated in class, I do want to get through at least Chapter 6 in that book.

___________________________

Lecture Notes: The Cheating Culture

Let me begin with a couple final observations about Chapter 1. I left off commenting about the last of four reasons why Callahan believes cheating is more widespread today (4) Trickle-Down Corruption --

(a) Callahan acknowledges that a lot of middle class Americans are feeling both insecure and cynical these days -- a dangerous combination indeed. And so they bend the rules as they see fit.

(To his credit, Callahan does recognize that cheating is also pervasive in other societies where the market, individualism, and materialism are less pronounced.)

G. Finally, he underscores the significant costs associated with widespread cheating, which I would argue clearly run contrary to any notion of a harmonious, just social order. It strikes at the integrity of the whole social order. (see last paragraph p. 24 - middle p. 25)

Chapter Two: Cheating on a Bottom-line Economy

A. Throughout this chapter, Callahan shows how increasing pressures to meet some sales quota, maximize profits, or boost a company's stock price -- i.e., "bottom-line pressures" -- have created pressures to cheat in everything from the auto repair business to corporate law firms to doctors. This focus on the bottom line often runs roughshod over individuals' sense of integrity and honesty.

1. Notes that auto repair fraud is estimated at about $40 billion a year. Sears was called on the carpet for such practices in the 1990s, but the company ended up getting a slap on the wrist, and as part of the monetary settlement did not even have to admit wrongdoing (which happens a lot).

2. Integrity, whether of the individual mechanic or the company, is pitted against economic security. And, no surprise, economic security wins.

B. Lawyers can act just as unscrupulously (if not more so) when faced with similar pressures. Callahan focuses on big law firms where there is a huge gap between a young associate who may make $125,000/yr. working 80 hours a week, versus the lawyer who makes partner and can make nearly $2 million/yr.

1. Concern for the bottom line seems just as intense, leading lawyers to overbill clients, charge $500/hr. Money seems to be the preeminent concern, not being effective, intelligent interpreters of our complex laws, which is a service many of us need from time to time.

2. Research of Lisa Lerman is revealing in this respect. (see last paragraph p. 38 - middle p. 39)

3. Although there are some legal auditing firms out there to check up on these practices, most legal bills are never audited at all, some are barely looked at, like auto repair and medical bills all too often. (p. 40)

C. "Changes in corporate law since the 1970s, as well as the experience of Sears auto mechanics, illustrate the power of economic change to shape personal 'ethics.'" (pp. 41-2)
"In both cases, personal qualms about cheating easily get buried because 'everybody's doing it.'" (p. 42)

**(Of course, as long as your primary consideration is just you or your family, and not the larger society or the integrity of the social order, you're probably going to cheat. We need to be made fully aware and thoroughly educated about the significance of that larger social order and that we are not just isolate beings who operate on the narrow basis of what may appear to be in our best interest.)


That's all for now. I'll be adding to this through this upcoming week.

Family Activity: Final Exam Questions

For our final family activity I am going to give you an opportunity to make up some questions for the final exam from the latter half of the course. This is basically the same thing we did before the midterm exam. Each family will make up and submit THREE short-answer questions from material we've covered since the midterm, which means anything from March 20th on, or starting with Chapter 25 in the book, Affluenza. So this would include: the video, "The Overspent American," and my commentary on the book of the same title; "Advertising and the End of the World" (OTHER THAN the questions I have already accepted from three of the families); our brief coverage of Consumed; and finally, class lectures on The Cheating Culture.This is worth 5 activity points. I will try to accept at least one question from each family, and will award one bonus point for each additional question I accept. YOU MUST COME TO SOME AGREEMENT ON JUST THREE QUESTIONS, IF YOU SUBMIT ANY MORE THAN THAT I WILL SIMPLY IGNORE THOSE. We may squeeze in some class time next week for this, depending on how the presentations go, but I would suggest you individually make up a few questions and confer with family members outside of class. The deadline for submitting these questions (and answers) to me will be TUESDAY, MAY 6TH.

See you tomorrow,and don't forget essay III is due. We'll also set up some sort of schedule for your BRIEF presentations of your papers.

Results of "Advertising and the End of the World" Family Activity

All four families earned the 5 activity points for this exercise, and the Black, Blue, and Yellow families earned 2 bonus points because I was able to make up a final exam question based on the paragraph they submitted. The Green family missed out because I did not get a paragraph from them. Below are the final exam questions I made up based on these submissions, along with the expected answers.

BLACK FAMILY: In the context of "Advertising and the End of the World," when people are asked about what brings them happiness or fulfillment most people indicate what sort of values? (1pt)
Answer: social values such as friendship, love, autonomy, etc.

YELLOW FAMILY: In the context of "Advertising and the End of the World," the moderator Sut Jhally noted that advertising creates what "illusion" in terms of how it addresses the question of happiness? (1pt)
Answer: It creates the illusion that social values and desires can be fulfilled by consuming material products.

BLUE FAMILY: In the context of "Advertising and the End of the World," what is advertising's view of the future, and why is this a problem? (2pts)
Answer: Advertising, like business in general, is very present-oriented; it's all about fulfilling immediate needs and desires. This is a problem because many of the problems (eg., global warming) that we face are long-term and require planning decades into the future.


Make sure to copy these questions and answers. They will be on the final exam.


See you next Tuesday (4/22) and be ready with any questions about Consumed. Also, we may begin to talk about The Cheating Culture.

Outline of Next Couple Weeks & Essay III Description

The Next Couple Weeks: Given the limited amount of time remaining in the semester and the fact that I only plan to cover the first four chapters in Benjamin Barber's book, Consumed, I am going to have you "cover" this in our last essay of the semester, as described below. More specifically, what we'll be doing over the next two weeks is as follows: Tuesday (4/15): see "Advertising and the End of the World," following which you'll be engaged in the family activity I described in a 4/11 blog post; Thursday (4/17): families will present views on video, following which I will make some overview comments on Consumed, then open the class up for any questions or comments you care to make about the book; Tuesday (4/22): open with questions or comments on Consumed, following which I will introduce our last book, The Cheating Culture; Thursday (4/24): essay III due on Consumed, and I will continue commentary on The Cheating Culture. You should already have begun reading Consumed and, hopefully, will have read through Chapter 4 over the next week or so. Also --

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE FAMILY ACTIVITY AND EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY I DESCRIBED IN THE APRIL 11TH BLOG POST.
_____________________________

Sociology 215
Essay III
4/15/08

A. Especially significant and insightful in Benjamin Barber's critique of our consumerist society is the notion of "infantilization" or the "Infantilist Ethos," which he argues is a danger to us both as responsible consumers and citizens. So, what's wrong with thinking and acting like children? More specifically, I want you to identify and discuss THREE points from the first four chapters of Consumed (at least ONE of which has to come from Chapter 4), addressing that question.

B. Your essay should be a bit longer than the first two, roughly 3-4 pages. Be sure to indicate the page #(s) of any passages from the book which you quote in your essay. In fact, for each of the three points you identify and discuss I want you to indicate the page #(s) from which each came even if you don't quote something directly from the book.

C. This essay is due on THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH. It is worth 25 points.

Family Activity on "Advertising and the End of the World" & Extra Credit Opportunity

As I mentioned in class yesterday, we are going to do a family activity in connection with our viewing of "Advertising and the End of the World" next Tuesday (4/15). Also, remember that we selected new families last Tuesday. This activity is described below:

FAMILY ACTIVITY: In the latter part of "Advertising and the End of the World" the moderator (Sut Jhally) briefly explores three fundamental questions which advertising answers in distinctive ways. I want each family to focus on just ONE of these questions (and advertising's answer) which you believe has the most harmful or destructive implications for society. I want each family to write up a paragraph summarizing your conclusions, which a designated spokesperson will present to the class on Thursday (4/17). Please be prepared to turn in that paragraph on that day too. You will have time to discuss this with your family following our viewing of the video on Tuesday. Please make every effort to be in attendance so you can participate in this family activity and earn the points. It is worth 5 activity points. And for particularly good ones (in my estimation), I may use them as a basis for making up a final exam question, in which case that family or families will receive 2 bonus points.


EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: By attending any of the events (such as a talk, roundtable, or panel discussion) associated with the upcoming Citizenship and Leadership Symposium (April 12-24) you may earn 3 extra credit points. To earn the three points you need to attend the event of course AND post a brief overview of the event in which you should also tie it in to our class. For example, many of the sessions clearly have to do with various problems in the world which would obviously relate to this course and my effort to define a basis for identifying social problems. Of course, there may be other connections you could make. You only have to make one such tie-in. I just want to see some evidence that you went and thought about the subject matter in the context of this course. POST YOUR RESPONSES AS COMMENTS ON THIS BLOG POST (no more than two paragraphs).

Reminders

A few reminders, especially for any of you who missed classes this past week:
(1) Remember, Essay II is due on April 8th, our first class back from the break. This essay is described in a March 21st post on this blog. Also, I will be happy to accept any essays which you may finish ahread of time. You can email them to me directly.
(2) Eight of you have cleared your paper topics with me. The rest of you need to do this as soon as you can. Use either the March 26th post on the blog, or you can also email me directly and I will give you the thumbs up, or down (in which case you may have to come up with another topic). I'll be checking the blog, as well as my email at least a couple times over the break.
(3) As I noted in class, we will be wrapping The Overspent American up pretty quickly after we come back.

Have a good spring break. See you in a week and a half.

Paper Topic Proposals & Reminders for Tomorrow (3/27)

PAPER TOPIC PROPOSALS: To date I have heard from only two of you as to what you propose to write on for the paper assignment. I would like to hear from the rest of the class before the break, and you can post your proposals here. I will also check these once or twice over the break and make comments. I may accept your proposed topic, reject it, or suggest a modification. In any case, check the blog to see my comments. Hopefully, by the time we come back from the break I will know what everyone is planning to write on.

_______________________

Reminders for tomorrow (Thurs. 3/27): We'll go over the last three pages of the midterm exam at the beginning of class, and then we'll get back to The Overspent American which I plan to cover fairly quickly. Continue reading it. We'll wrap it up after the break.

Don't forget Essay II which I posted on the blog last week (3/21). As I noted, I'll be happy to accept any essays that are finished before the break. The ultimate due date is TUESDAY, APRIL 8th, our first class after the break.

ATTENTION: Essay II Description

As I indicated on Thursday, if I got some inspiration I may post a new activity or a description of our next essay assignment. Well, as you see below, I came up with our next essay assignment. Since I am posting it on the blog, I will NOT hand out copies of it in class. Also, on Tuesday we'll see the video, "The Overspent American" and I'll hand back the midterm exams.

_________________________

Sociology 215
Essay II
3/21/08

A. A major aspect of what Dr. Schor (in The Overspent American) calls the "new consumerism" is what she refers to as the "stretching of reference groups." For this essay, I want you to first of all discuss what she means by this. Then, I want you to examine your own buying habits (or people close to you such as family members)and discuss whether this applies to you or people you know. Finally, I'd like you to address the question of whether we can and how we might go about exercising more control over or overcoming this aspect of the new consumerism.

B. The essay should be roughly 3 pages (single-spaced handwritten or double-spaced typewritten). Be sure to indicate the page #(s) of any passage(s) from The Overspent American which you may quote in your essay.

C. This essay is due on TUESDAY, APRIL 8TH. BUT I WIIL BE HAPPY TO ACCEPT ANY ESSAYS THAT ARE FINISHED BEFORE SPRING BREAK. This essay is worth 25 points.

Family Midterm Questions

I have gone over each of the family's submissions of three midterm exam questions. There was only one case of two families proposing the same question, and I decided to simply accept the one which I thought was worded best.I also did some editing of the questions I accepted. All participating family members will earn 5 points for this, and the two families from which I accepted an additional question will each earn a bonus point for this activity. I list the participating family members in parentheses.

BLACK FAMILY (Chris, Grant, Jenny, Kristin)

1. As mentioned in Chapter 6 of Affluenza, Family Convulsions, family counselors report that what is a "precipitating factor in 90% of the divorce cases?" (1pt)

ANSWER: arguments about money or finances.


GREEN FAMILY (Justina, Matt, Christie)

1. In Chapter 7, Dilated Pupils, what do the authors contend has been a negative effect of the "No Child Left Behind" policy? (1pt)

ANSWER: 20% (or many) American school districts have banned recess for elementary school children to supposedly "maximize instruction time to prepare children to compete in the global economy" -- that is, prepare them to take standardized tests.

2. Regarding the poor, how do the authors suggest our consumer society conributes to crime? (1pt)

ANSWER: By creating a sense of deprivation among them because they can't obtain the products advertisers tell us we all have to have to fit in or get ahead.

YELLOW FAMILY (Stev, Johnson, David, Megan)

1. In the xerox handout from Consuming Kids by Susan Linn, what fundamental conflict does she describe between parents and marketers? (1pt)

ANSWER: that marketers are intent on undermining parental authority when it comes to selling stuff to kids -- exploit their impulsivity.

BLUE FAMILY: (Jessica, Cody, Ann, Bryant, Sarah)

1. After traveling to America, what observation did Mother Teresa make about America? (1pt)

ANSWER: "This is the poorest place I've ever been in my life."

2. At the conclusion of class lectures on the nature of the individual and society, what definition of society did I argue for? (1pt)

ANSWER: society is an organized system of institutions (institutions being the main actors)


That's it. So, remember, all of the above questions will appear on the midterm exam (as well as those two questions from your first family activity).

More Lecture Notes on Affluenza & Reminders

Given that I did not make as much progress as I'd hoped on Tuesday, 3/11, I am going to post some more lecture notes. Even so, I probably won't be able to finish commenting on Affluenza tomorrow, but we'll get close.

Chapter 18: An Emerging Epidemic

A. Opens with a very appropriate comment from Erich Fromm's The Sane Society (from which the concept of the "pathology of normalcy" comes) about the "vision" of our consumer society -- what I call "pig heaven."

B. In contrast to such a vision, the authors note how Americans willingly sacrificed and accepted rationing to defeat a common enemy during WW II. (curious how Bush never tried to do this with the "war on terror," or Iraq -- no sacrifice for most Americans; just go shopping.)

C. After the War, not to mention after the hardships of the Great Depression, there was tremendous pent-up demand which was initially given a boost by the GI Bill and low-interest government loans for housing (FHA). And a bit later, the interstate highway system was built.

1. All of this was a tremendous boon to suburbanization, the growth of the auto industry, and all sorts of consumer products to fill those increasingly bigger suburban homes.

D. In short, the good life became the goods life (pig heaven, again). "Waste not, want not," Ben Franklin once advised, became "Waste more, want more." (p. 147)

E. "Planned obsolescence" became the order of the day. Products were made to last only a short time, or there were continual upgrades, style changes. GM had already introduced the practice of annual model changes in the car industry, to encourage people to buy a new car every year.

F. Of course, most Americans did not have the money to keep pace with all this, so consumer credit expanded tremendously and more recently, the credit card business. Became a "buy now, pay later" world.

G. The mall was invented and quickly spread mainly in suburban areas where the car was king.

H. The authors summarize many of these developments, and throw in for good measure the rise of TV, which greatly expanded advertising and had the effect of "stretching reference groups" (as Juliet Schor will note in The Overspent American) -- that is, encouraging people to emulate lifestyles of the rich and famous.

I. Critics such as Vance Packard, John Kenneth Galbraith, and the counter-culture movement of the 60s, raised a red flag to this growing materialism, but really to no avail. I appreciate what Presidential candidate Robert Kennedy said in 1968 (see, p. 152) It is hard to imagine any politician saying something like that today. President Carter was the last President to question the spread of affluenza (also, to no avail). p. 152.


Chapter 19: The age of affluenza

A. This chapter is mainly about the title of the first section, "Adfluenza." "That advertising's prime purpose is to promote affluenza is hardly a secret,..." (p. 154) The authors then quote marketing director, Pierre Martineau, about another pretty open secret in the ad business: "Advertising's most important function is to integrate the individual into our present-day American high-speed consumption economy....our economy is geared to the faster and faster tempo of buying, BASED ON WANTS WHICH ARE CREATED BY ADVERTISING IN LARGE DEGREE." (p. 154)

B. The costs of ads these days are phenomenal -- a typical 30-second national TV commercial costs nearly $300,000 to produce, that's $10,000 a second!! Advertising is a $217 billion a year industry. And its everywhere.

1. We live in an era of hypercommercialism. Advertising encourages us to meet nonmaterial needs (love, friendship, etc.) through material means. Buy this product and we'll be loved and accepted. It's all about image.

C. The table on p. 158 exaggerates the upward "consumption spike," but it has been great.

D. The authors close with some critical thoughts from a conservative economist, Wilhelm Ropke (who will figure prominently in Barber's Consumed). See what he says on p. 159, the last page of the chapter.


That brings us up to Chapter 20, where we will pick up tomorrow.

__________________________

REMINDERS: Tomorrow the families will brainstorm midterm exam questions. I will give you some time to come to some consensus on 3 questions (and answers) which you will submit tomorrow. We will also have a general review for the midterm exam, next Tuesday, 3/18.

Family Activity: Midterm Exam Questions & Lecture Notes

FAMILY ACTIVITY: MIDTERM EXAM QUESTIONS: I want each of the families to brainstorm some short-answer questions for our upcoming midterm exam on Tuesday, 3/18. More specifically, I want each family to propose THREE such questions from anything that has been covered in class lecture since the beginning of the semester and xerox handouts I used to supplement those lectures. In making up questions, do NOT make up questions from the book, Affluenza, which I did not have a chance to also cover in class, nor do you need to make up questions about the video program -- we already have two of those. Also, steer clear of questions about specific statistics, unless it was a statistic I emphasized in class and perhaps wrote on the board. I will give the families some time on Tuesday (3/11) to come to some consensus about which three questions you will propose. A family spokesperson will then be called upon to present those questions (AND ANSWERS) on Thursday (3/13) when we'll review for the midterm. I will try to accept at least one question from each family. For each additional question I accept, that family will earn a bonus point, so if you make three good questions which I accept you can earn up to two bonus points for this activity. All participating family members will earn at least 5 points for this activity.

_______________________________

Given the fact that I did not make as much progress in my commentary on Affluenza as I had hoped on Thursday, 3/6, I am going to post some lecture notes to try to catch up. You need to either write out or print out these notes and study them for the midterm. You can also make questions based on them. Even though I am doing this, I am not sure we will make it to the end of Affluenza by next Thursday. Nonetheless, in your reading you should finish the book by the end of next week, if you haven't already.

Chapter 11: Resource Exhaustion

(I had gotten into this chapter a bit, so let me just pick up where I left off in my notes.)

C. In the context of the story about a backpack trip on Vancouver Island, an important point is made, that: "You don't need as much stuff when you genuinely appreciate the value of what's already here." (p. 92)

D. Out of Mind (this section should really be titled, Out of Sight, Out of Mind)

1. Most of us are oblivious to the environmental impacts of production processes and what happens when we throw stuff away (like computers, p. 93) Or, the real costs of cars, listed on p. 95.

E. The fact is, if everyone in the world tried to emulate the American lifestyle we'd need 5 more planets worth of land and resources.

F. Another serious aspect of resource exhaustion is the extraction of species due largely to pollution and habitat destruction. The graph on p. 98 captures the magnitude of this trend, which is not just a tragedy for these other species but will have adverse consequences for the human species. (on a critical note, I believe the way that graph is scaled does exaggerate the steepness of that upward curve.)

Chapter 12: Industrial diarrhea (literally)

A. Like the previous chapter, the title of this one is quite apt, especially when you consider the concluding point about the problem of pig waste, since we've converted hog raising into a mass production industry (p. 108)

B. I would also say there is a lot of similarity with the previous chapter's emphasis on "out of sight, out of mind" -- only here what is mainly out of sight, out of mind are all the chemicals we have created, most of which have never been tested and are all around us -- our homes being a fairly toxic environment in many cases.

C. Generally, we've allowed industry to bring forth new products and only when "dead bodies" begin to show up do we respond and impose restrictions. But by that time it may be too late as the chemicals involved may already be prevalent in the environment.

1. What were once considered wonder products like DDT and dioxin have been banned, but not before they did serious environmental and health damage which may be long-term. AND FOR WHAT? -- to have cheap food, among other things.

D. Creation of "dead zones" in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere is a testament to "out of sight, out of mind." All sorts of hazardous substances find their way into the Mississippi and are then dumped in the Gulf. This is exacerbated by luxury cruise ships which are allowed to dump a lot of the waste they generate. (p. 105, bottom)

Chapter 13: The addictive virus

A. The authors open by reminding us of all the various things Americans are addicted to, among which has to be included -- addiction to stuff, to shopping. In extreme cases, satisfying our shopping addiction brings people a certain degree of pleasure. But like any addiction, you can never get enough. Like drugs or alcohol, we "build tolerance," that is, we need more and more and it tends to bring less and less satisfaction. In this context, I would cite most of p. 111 where they put this addiction in the language of economists. And I believe it is quite appropriate to consider businessmen and advertisers as "pushers."

B. And in the last section, "What Are We Thinking?" (to which I would say, we're not), the authors note the obvious, that many, if not most, people packing the malls are "shoppers in therapy." (p. 113) (which underscores the relevance of Fromm's concept of the "pathology of normalcy")

Chapter 14: Dissatisfaction guaranteed

A. This chapter draws a clear distinction between happiness and stuff. It cites several studies which prove the obvious: that more stuff, wealth, does not necessarily make us happier. Yet, we have an economic system based on that very premise. We forget to ask a very basic question -- what is an economy for?

1. Indeed, "The American race-car lifestyle is fast approaching burnout because it requires long, stressful workweeks that eat up chunks of life, natural resources, and health. It programs us to substitute consumption for both citizenship and companionship. And it tries to meet nonmaterial needs with material goods, a losing strategy. " (p. 115)

2. Quote from Donella Meadows also gets to the crux of this issue -- see middle p. 116.

B. The authors then go on to present one of the more insightful efforts to define human happiness and satisfaction -- Abraham Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" (p. 118). Clearly, our vaunted economic system may contribute to climbing the first couple rungs of that ladder, but it also works against going much higher. As the authors note: "Since America became a nation of consumers spoon-fed by automated products, fewer of us are now able to use our hands, or a sense of craft, in our work. As a result, creative satisfaction gets lost in the shuffle, along with knowledge, meaning, beauty, and balance -- all higher rungs on Maslow's ladder." (p. 119) And read the next two paragraphs carefully as well.

1. Our abundant food industry, which promotes obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle, works against being able to climb to the top of Maslow's hierarchy.

2. They note how the American drive to produce and consume has undermined some other healthy cultural practices such as the Spanish midday siesta (p. 123)

C. They conclude by posing some interesting questions. See p. 124.


That brings us up to "Part Two: Causes" in Affluenza. I may post some additional lecture notes on Monday, but if not, I will pick up here on Tuesday. Also, be sure to give some thought to possible midterm questions because I will give you some time to confer with your family members about which three questions you will propose for next Thursday, 3/13.

Response to Families' Analysis of "Affluenza" & Reminders for Next Week

There seems to be a consensus among the families that one of the most significant points made in the video, "Affluenza," had to do with the lengths to which business was willing to go to market to highly impressionable and vulnerable children. In light of this, I plan to ask the following question on the midterm exam:

(1) The families noted that aggressive marketing to children was one of the most significant points made in the video, "Affluenza." Identify ONE of two statements made at the so-called Kid Power Conference which clearly illustrates this point.(1pt)

ANSWER: (a) "children are a cash crop to be harvested" OR (b) "displaying anti-social behavior in pursuit of a product is a good thing."


Another point that was mentioned by a couple families had to do with advertising in schools, hence, the following question:

(2) In the video program, "Affluenza," what was the significance of the "7Up Bus?" (2pts)

ANSWER: This was an ad put on school buses in Colorado Springs which illustrates the penetration of advertising in schools, and it was justified by the head of the school district because they needed the money for schools since the taxpayers had not been willing to increase their support for more than 25 years.

LET ME UNDERSCORE THAT THE ABOVE TWO QUESTIONS WILL BE ON THE MIDTERM EXAM.

__________________________________

Reminders: Essay I (a description of which I handed out last Tuesday, 2/26) is due this coming Tuesday, 3/4. Also, I plan to pick up the pace in covering our book, Affluenza, so, continue reading it; you should be roughly half way through by next Tuesday. See you then.

Winners of "Crazy Consumer Culture" Contest, Some Concluding Remarks on Class Lectures & A Reminder

First, winners of our little contest. Each will receive two bonus points:

#2 High levels of credit card debt brought on by social pressures on people to consume more. Status competition and addiction to instant gratification.
THE WINNER, 7 votes, Johnson R.

#3 Places like Sam's Club which encourage buying in bulk, which in turn encourages overconsumption, especially overeating and obesity when perishable food items are bought in bulk.
TIE FOR SECOND PLACE, 5 votes, Jessica G.

#17 Advertising that preys on people with bad credit; often leads people to become victims of foreclosure or re-possession, which only damages their credit and finances further.
TIE FOR SECOND PLACE, 5 votes, Justin S.

________________________

Second, I'd like to add just a few remarks to my lecture yesterday in which I closed with a couple statements from E. Jordan and W. Morris which I believe describe a standard of what constitutes a well-ordered and healthy society.

A couple final observations are in order regarding those statements of a good society.
1. One can easily gather from them that such conditions as poverty, hunger, homelessness, unemployment clearly represent problems, both for the individual and the larger society. Meaningful work is especially important to individual and social health -- it is an ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE 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 undermines or destroys that larger order of society, 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 existing societies do in varying degrees), we can say that something is wrong, that social problems exist, that we have work to do.

_______________________

A REMINDER: Remember tomorrow (Thurs. 2/21) we'll be seeing the documentary, "Affluenza," on which the book is based. Following that, the families will get together to discuss it and address the questions I posed in describing this family activity. See Monday 2/18 post.

Family Activity for this Thursday 2/21

After viewing the video program, "Affluenza," on Thursday (which runs about 55 minutes), you will get together with your various families and discuss what you thought was most significant about the video. More specifically, I want each family to come to some consensus or agreement on what you felt was the most significant point or argument made in the documentary and what you felt was the most startling fact or statistic presented (which does not necessarily have to relate to your most significant point or argument). Each family will designate a spokesperson to present your findings at the beginning of class on Tuesday, Feb. 26th. I may incorporate the points you bring out in a question or two on the midterm exam. This exercise is worth 3 points. All family members have to contribute to earn the credit.

Follow-up to "Our Crazy Consumer Culture" Exercise

Before I describe a little follow-up to your first exercise, I want to remind those three students who have yet to submit a comment, that they need to do so by Monday 2/18 at the latest to get credit for the first exercise. Also, as I noted in class on Thursday, we will be voting for the two best submissions (or craziest things about our consumer culture) on Tuesday (2/19). You have to be there to vote; no absentee ballots. Please take a moment to look over the submissions of your classmates. I'll run through them briefly in class on Tuesday before we vote. Finally, I am working on a "family activity" in connection with viewing the video, "Affluenza," and I should have that posted on the blog by Monday or Tuesday next week.

Now, for the follow-up exercise:

In a paragraph, I want you to address the question: on what basis are you claiming some aspect of our consumer culture is crazy, or bad, or harmful? So, just give some more thought to whatever example you gave and discuss on what basis it is crazy. In this context, keep in mind my effort in class lecture to define a ground or basis for recognizing social problems; however, you do not necessarily have to relate your answer to my lectures. This follow-up exercise is worth 2pts, and I'd like everyone to respond by MONDAY, FEB.25.

Individual Exercise: Aspects of our Crazy Consumer Culture

For this first exercise I want each of you to post an example of some aspect of our consumer culture (product, advertising, entertainment, etc.) that strikes you as being crazy even if millions of people consume it. Briefly describe your example and tell why you believe it is crazy -- two paragraphs at most. I realize that some of you may have cracked open some of the books we'll be reading, which provide many examples of the craziness of our consumer culture. However, please try to ignore that for the time being; I'd like you to do your own thinking and come up with your own example and give your own reasons as to why you believe it is crazy.

Post your comments on the blog under this heading. The deadline is next Thursday, Feb. 14th (Valentine's Day). This exercise is worth 5 points. And once I have all of your submissions, we'll vote on the two best which will each be awarded an additional 2 points.

Welcome

Dear Social Problems students, Welcome to the Sociology 215 course blog which we will be using throughout the term to expand our discussion of the issues addressed in this course. I will use this blog from time to time to post lecture notes, if I happen to get behind in class on occasion. I will also post reminders of upcoming assignments or exams. Most importantly, this blog is for you to post questions, comments, and react to material I may post or comments made by fellow classmates, etc., etc. I would recommend that you check in at least every week, and there will be occasions when I will require you to check in and post a comment.