I never seem to make as much progress as I'd like in class on my commentary on our book, "Affluenza," so here are some more lecture notes. We left off in Chapter 8 on p. 65 and James Kuntsler's comment about citizens being turned into consumers over the last sixty years, and what is wrong with that.
D. The so-called "chaining of America," i.e., increasing dominance of big box retail chains such as Wal Mart have also contributed to the "community chills" by undercutting small businesses that are often the heart and soul of a community -- all mainly for the sake of "lower prices," so we can consume more.
E. We have seen a tremendous growth in "gated communities" which sociologist Edward Blakely suggests in "Fortress America" divides people of different income levels and races rather than bring them together.
1. Division undermines trust, and in this context the authors cite David Callahan's "The Cheating Culture," which we'll be reading later. (see p. 69)
F. Another indicator of community chills is the decline of public institutions such as parks, libraries, schools. Since 1950, tha amount of land devoted to public uses has declined by one-fifth, while the amount we pay for rent or mortgages increased to one-half of our income. "The evidence shows that as we've disinvested in the public areas and "privatized" our lifestyles, we've often left citizenship and care at the front door. So many services are now delivered for a profit by the private sector, we seem to have just gotten out of the habit of taking care of each other." (p. 70)
G. They conclude by describing a vicious cycle at work here which has actual health consequences. (See 1st paragraph, p. 71)
Chapter 9: An Ache for Meaning
A. The acquisition of money, stuff, power is clearly not enough by itself to give our lives meaning. And, as this chapter notes, there are all sorts of indicators that our consumer paradise has not brought fulfillment to Americans. (eg., that "The rate of clinical depression in the U.S. today is 10 times what it was before 1945." p. 77 -- although I am sure part of this huge increase is due to the fact that we look for depression more these days.)
1. Mother Teresa's remark about the U.S. is interesting in this regard: "this is the poorest place I've ever been in my life." (p. 74) - poor, spiritually.
B. In contrast, the authors note the meaning, sense of fulifillment CCC workers got during the Great Depression -- that they were helping "build America."
C. Cite some studies which challenge what might be regarded as common sense (especially among economists) -- that we are primarily motivated by material self-interest.
1. Note what Dr. Michael Lerner found. (see mid. p. 76)
2. Also, psychology professors, Tim Kasser and Richard Ryan: "They compared individuals whose primary aspirations were financial with others who were oriented toward lives of community service and strong relationships with other people."
"Their conclusions were unequivocal. Those individuals for whom accumulating wealth was a primary aspiration 'were associated with less self-actualization, less vitality, more depression and more anxiety.' Their studies, they wrote, 'demonstrated the deleterious consequences of having money as an important guiding principle in life.'" (p. 77)
3. Even so, they cite evidence again of how students' attitudes have changed and they have come to embrace the dream of money, status, etc. rather than public service.
D. Even some conservative, free-market defenders acknowledge the soulless quality of our economic life. However, when they talk about the need for individuals to seek meaning beyond that, they appear to focus only on individual meaning; they do not seem to appreciate individuals' connection with the larger life of society.
1. To cite one of these conservatives, Ernest van den Haag, some of his criticism of mass consumption and mass production is reminiscent of Marx. (see section, "Standardized People", pp. 79-80)
Chapter 10: Social Scars
A. They open by reminding us of some of the costs of the age of affluenza -- for example, in Thailand where hundreds of women died in a factory fire where plastic toys were made for American children. (see "Toys for Saps" handout)
B. No question our economic system delivers the consumer goods in abundance and relatively cheaply, yet it also reinforces inequality (top, p. 82).
C. "The rising tide of American affluenza hasn't lifted all boats, but it has drowned a lot of dreams. A titanic gulf now separates rich and poor in America." (p. 82)
1. The authors go on to recite several statistical indicators of the growing economic inequality. For example, that at one time Bill Gates had assets worth $90 billion, more than the bottom half of the American population and more than the GNP of 119 nations.
2. Most telling in this regard, as the authors emphasize, is the gap between CEO salaries and ordinary workers. (see top p. 84)
D. The poor also tend to live in communities where pollution is more widespread.
E. Finally, they draw a connection between affluenza and the social scar of crime. The sense of deprivation, especially among young people in poor communities is intense and often leads to crime. Trend spotter, Gerald Celente, discovered this in interviewing youthful gang members. (This relates to a major theory of crime and deviance -- Merton's "anomie theory.")
G. They also briefly address the "Global infection" -- how social scars left by affluenza are being replicated throughout the entire world, as more and more cultures copy the American lifestyle.
1. David Korten got tired of promoting our high-consumption lifestyle abroad.
2. Inequalities are extreme.
3. I agree wholeheartedly with their final recommendation -- "It is critical that we begin to set another example for the world, and quickly." (p. 88) Unfortunately, there is no evidence that we have moved in this direction.
That's all for now, so we will pick up with Chapter 11 next Tuesday, 3/3. I will hand out that "Toys for Saps" article I referred to above. And I will hand your essays back.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Passages from "The End of the Hamptons" & More Lecture Notes
Yesterday (Tues. 2/24) in class I quoted the following passages in class from a book entitled, "The End of the Hamptons." Both passages had to do with what the authors of "Affluenza" call "swollen expectations," specifically as regards housing.
First, a definition of sorts of the "McMansion," which has become commonplace today:
"Despite the wide range of characteristics that McMansions seem to possess, most architects, scholars, and critics seem to agree on the basic elements of these fashionable houses. McMansions range from 3,000 to 7,000 square feet or more and are erected on relatively bare lots that have either been clear-cut of trees or occupy old farmland." (p. 60)
Then, an extreme example of excess in housing: "...no residential building has inspired more hyperbole than Ira Rennert's planned 110,000-square-foot complex, called "Fair Field," in Sagaponack. Rennert, a billionaire whose money comes primarily from buying and selling chemical and coal companies and cashing in on junk bonds, has designed a "home" that will feature almost 30 bedrooms, 40 bathrooms, a 164-seat theater, a restaurant-size kitchen, and an entire English pub reconstructed piece by piece from its historic location in Britain." (pp. 61-62)
________________________
LECTURE NOTES ON CHAPTER 4: CHRONIC CONGESTION
A. We are literally "all stuffed up," which explains the growth of the storage industry. "In our homes, workplaces, and streets, chronic congestion has settled into our daily lives -- chaotic clutter that demands constant maintenance, sorting, displaying, and replacing." (p. 32)
1. They raise the question of: "...do we have stuff, or does it have us?" (p. 32)
B. Car clutter is a good case in point. We've been building and selling more and more cars to the point where we now have more cars (204 million) than registered drivers. And we can't keep up in terms of highway/road construction. Paradoxically: "The Texas institute researchers concluded that every 10 percent increase in the highway network results in a 5.3 percent increase in the amount of congestion." (p. 34)
1. And it's a very costly proposition when you consider the price tag for Boston's "Big Dig" was $18 billion (and counting because it still has problems), all to accommodate the private automobile.
2. And this is not to mention the serious environmental and health costs.
3. It is not going to get solved until we get serious about re-organizing communities (ending sprawl) so as to better accommodate mass transit and more walking, etc. -- higher density of housing.
C. "Despite tangible indications of indigestion, we keep consuming, partly because we're convinced it's normal." (p. 36)
1. But as the authors note, citing Erich Fromm (remember my reference to his concept of the "pathology of normalcy"): "That millions share the same forms of mental pathology does not make those people sane." (p. 36)
That takes us up to Chapter 5, where we'll pick up tomorrow. I wanted to get through Chapter 4 for the sake of your first essay assignment, which is DUE TOMORROW (THURS. 2/26).
First, a definition of sorts of the "McMansion," which has become commonplace today:
"Despite the wide range of characteristics that McMansions seem to possess, most architects, scholars, and critics seem to agree on the basic elements of these fashionable houses. McMansions range from 3,000 to 7,000 square feet or more and are erected on relatively bare lots that have either been clear-cut of trees or occupy old farmland." (p. 60)
Then, an extreme example of excess in housing: "...no residential building has inspired more hyperbole than Ira Rennert's planned 110,000-square-foot complex, called "Fair Field," in Sagaponack. Rennert, a billionaire whose money comes primarily from buying and selling chemical and coal companies and cashing in on junk bonds, has designed a "home" that will feature almost 30 bedrooms, 40 bathrooms, a 164-seat theater, a restaurant-size kitchen, and an entire English pub reconstructed piece by piece from its historic location in Britain." (pp. 61-62)
________________________
LECTURE NOTES ON CHAPTER 4: CHRONIC CONGESTION
A. We are literally "all stuffed up," which explains the growth of the storage industry. "In our homes, workplaces, and streets, chronic congestion has settled into our daily lives -- chaotic clutter that demands constant maintenance, sorting, displaying, and replacing." (p. 32)
1. They raise the question of: "...do we have stuff, or does it have us?" (p. 32)
B. Car clutter is a good case in point. We've been building and selling more and more cars to the point where we now have more cars (204 million) than registered drivers. And we can't keep up in terms of highway/road construction. Paradoxically: "The Texas institute researchers concluded that every 10 percent increase in the highway network results in a 5.3 percent increase in the amount of congestion." (p. 34)
1. And it's a very costly proposition when you consider the price tag for Boston's "Big Dig" was $18 billion (and counting because it still has problems), all to accommodate the private automobile.
2. And this is not to mention the serious environmental and health costs.
3. It is not going to get solved until we get serious about re-organizing communities (ending sprawl) so as to better accommodate mass transit and more walking, etc. -- higher density of housing.
C. "Despite tangible indications of indigestion, we keep consuming, partly because we're convinced it's normal." (p. 36)
1. But as the authors note, citing Erich Fromm (remember my reference to his concept of the "pathology of normalcy"): "That millions share the same forms of mental pathology does not make those people sane." (p. 36)
That takes us up to Chapter 5, where we'll pick up tomorrow. I wanted to get through Chapter 4 for the sake of your first essay assignment, which is DUE TOMORROW (THURS. 2/26).
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dumbest and Most Detrimental Commercials & Family Points About "Affluenza"
Below are the results of our little contest:
Dumbest: Snuggie (Melanie R.)
Detrimental: Amp Energy Drink (Kristen K.)
each of the winners received 5 votes. So they will earn 2 bonus points for this exercise.
I appreciated all of the submissions. You clearly seem to be aware of the often ridiculous lengths to which advertisers will go to sell us stuff, even to the point of offending us and promoting lifestyles that are unhealthy both for us as individuals and for society as a whole.
FAMILY POINTS FROM "AFFLUENZA": so everyone has these points, I restate them below. Keep in mind that I may draw on them in making up questions for the midterm exam.
Blue Family: Most startling fact or statistic: that the average American family (or parents) spends 6 hours a week shopping but only 40 minutes together with their children. In addition, it was noted that "materialism has truly consumed the American people" and perhaps most especially the kids.
Point or argument: Clearly, the voluntary simplicity movement did NOT reach 15 percent of the American people by 2000, as one expert predicted. "From the time the movie was made (1997) I believe the percent has dropped from five percent due to the poten(cy) of affluenza. The "green" movement that was intended to reverse the trend of overconsumption appears to have shifted the focus of spending but not reduced it in the least."
Yellow Family: Most startling fact or statistic: same as above.
Point or argument: The misuse of credit cards. People often don't understand how to use credit cards; they forget that the money they charge to their cards will eventually have to be paid back. Credit card debt is fueled by all the commercials we see which convey the message that "you can buy happiness" (but "just don't pay retail for it," of course).
That's all for now. REMEMBER, ON TUESDAY (2/24) I WILL BE HANDING OUT OUR FIRST ESSAY ASSIGNMENT, WHICH WILL BE DUE ON THURSDAY (2/26).
Dumbest: Snuggie (Melanie R.)
Detrimental: Amp Energy Drink (Kristen K.)
each of the winners received 5 votes. So they will earn 2 bonus points for this exercise.
I appreciated all of the submissions. You clearly seem to be aware of the often ridiculous lengths to which advertisers will go to sell us stuff, even to the point of offending us and promoting lifestyles that are unhealthy both for us as individuals and for society as a whole.
FAMILY POINTS FROM "AFFLUENZA": so everyone has these points, I restate them below. Keep in mind that I may draw on them in making up questions for the midterm exam.
Blue Family: Most startling fact or statistic: that the average American family (or parents) spends 6 hours a week shopping but only 40 minutes together with their children. In addition, it was noted that "materialism has truly consumed the American people" and perhaps most especially the kids.
Point or argument: Clearly, the voluntary simplicity movement did NOT reach 15 percent of the American people by 2000, as one expert predicted. "From the time the movie was made (1997) I believe the percent has dropped from five percent due to the poten(cy) of affluenza. The "green" movement that was intended to reverse the trend of overconsumption appears to have shifted the focus of spending but not reduced it in the least."
Yellow Family: Most startling fact or statistic: same as above.
Point or argument: The misuse of credit cards. People often don't understand how to use credit cards; they forget that the money they charge to their cards will eventually have to be paid back. Credit card debt is fueled by all the commercials we see which convey the message that "you can buy happiness" (but "just don't pay retail for it," of course).
That's all for now. REMEMBER, ON TUESDAY (2/24) I WILL BE HANDING OUT OUR FIRST ESSAY ASSIGNMENT, WHICH WILL BE DUE ON THURSDAY (2/26).
Friday, February 13, 2009
Lecture Notes on What Constitutes a Healthy or Well-Ordered Society
Below are the lecture notes I was not able to get to yesterday (Thurs. 2/12). Before I get into them, let me remind you of the family activity I posted yesterday as well, which describes what we will be doing next Tuesday. Check it out.
I wrapped up yesterday's class by defining society as an ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF INSTITUTIONS. Earlier I had defined institutions as ORGANIZED SYSTEMS OF OBJECTS DIRECTED TOWARD HUMAN ENDS, and stressed how they are the real actors in modern society and that, as individuals, we achieve our ends through these institutions. That brings us to the final question we need to address, which is: what constitutes a healthy or well-ordered society? Just as the doctor must have a conception of a healthy body to make a diagnosis of sickness, likewise we need to have some idea of a healthy society to diagnosis sickness (or problems) in it.
A. So, based on the conception of society presented above, I would argue that, in general, a well-ordered society would involve the proper organization of these institutions -- that these institutions function harmoniously, which in turn is key to individuals leading a satisfying life.
1. There is a difference between institutions functioning harmoniously and the NORMAL functioning of these institutions -- indeed, the NORMAL functioning of these institutions may be the real problem (as I believe we will see in our critical analysis of overconsumption/debt and the "cheating culture," etc.) This is like making the argument that "business as usual" is the problem. In a book entitled, The Sane Society, Erich Fromm introduced the concept of the "pathology of normalcy," which also suggests that what we look upon as normal may be pathological or sick.
2. More practically speaking, to have a good house to live in (which is a crucial object for all of us), it is important that the carpenter you hire is competent, has been well-trained, has good tools and materials, and proper nourishment -- in short, that he is properly instrumented. In an ultimate sense, this would require 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.
B. To push this further, one would have to define the essential purpose of the basic institutions in our society -- what role each institutions plays in maintaining that larger life (society) in which we all participate. It is also vital for us as individuals to consider our place, our role in this larger life too. (As the authors of Affluenza do in Chapter 14 when they consider the broad question of what the purpose of our economy should be.)
C. 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 --
"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 and 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 to the realization of his acts in satisfying objects." p. 59, The Good Life
Another nice statement of a general standard of a good society can be found in Affluenza, p. 140. The authors are discussing some of the ideas of William Morris:
" 'The good life of the future,' said Morris, would be totally unlike the life of the rich of his day. 'Free men,' he maintained, 'must live simple lives and have simple pleasures.' Morris defined a decent, wealthy life as requiring 'a healthy body, an active mind, occupation fit for a healthy body and active mind, and a beautiful world to live in.'"
1. One can easily gather from these general statements that conditions such as poverty, hunger, homelessness, unemployment (but also a life of excess) clearly represent social problems, problems both for individuals and for the larger society. Work is especially important -- it is, as I stressed earlier, AN ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE OF LIFE. We build our lives around our work. 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 societies obviously do in varying degrees), we can say something is wrong, that social problems exist, that we have work to do.
That wraps up my effort to describe a ground or basis for defining social problems, so we will get into the social problem of "affluenza" next time....
I wrapped up yesterday's class by defining society as an ORGANIZED SYSTEM OF INSTITUTIONS. Earlier I had defined institutions as ORGANIZED SYSTEMS OF OBJECTS DIRECTED TOWARD HUMAN ENDS, and stressed how they are the real actors in modern society and that, as individuals, we achieve our ends through these institutions. That brings us to the final question we need to address, which is: what constitutes a healthy or well-ordered society? Just as the doctor must have a conception of a healthy body to make a diagnosis of sickness, likewise we need to have some idea of a healthy society to diagnosis sickness (or problems) in it.
A. So, based on the conception of society presented above, I would argue that, in general, a well-ordered society would involve the proper organization of these institutions -- that these institutions function harmoniously, which in turn is key to individuals leading a satisfying life.
1. There is a difference between institutions functioning harmoniously and the NORMAL functioning of these institutions -- indeed, the NORMAL functioning of these institutions may be the real problem (as I believe we will see in our critical analysis of overconsumption/debt and the "cheating culture," etc.) This is like making the argument that "business as usual" is the problem. In a book entitled, The Sane Society, Erich Fromm introduced the concept of the "pathology of normalcy," which also suggests that what we look upon as normal may be pathological or sick.
2. More practically speaking, to have a good house to live in (which is a crucial object for all of us), it is important that the carpenter you hire is competent, has been well-trained, has good tools and materials, and proper nourishment -- in short, that he is properly instrumented. In an ultimate sense, this would require 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.
B. To push this further, one would have to define the essential purpose of the basic institutions in our society -- what role each institutions plays in maintaining that larger life (society) in which we all participate. It is also vital for us as individuals to consider our place, our role in this larger life too. (As the authors of Affluenza do in Chapter 14 when they consider the broad question of what the purpose of our economy should be.)
C. 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 --
"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 and 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 to the realization of his acts in satisfying objects." p. 59, The Good Life
Another nice statement of a general standard of a good society can be found in Affluenza, p. 140. The authors are discussing some of the ideas of William Morris:
" 'The good life of the future,' said Morris, would be totally unlike the life of the rich of his day. 'Free men,' he maintained, 'must live simple lives and have simple pleasures.' Morris defined a decent, wealthy life as requiring 'a healthy body, an active mind, occupation fit for a healthy body and active mind, and a beautiful world to live in.'"
1. One can easily gather from these general statements that conditions such as poverty, hunger, homelessness, unemployment (but also a life of excess) clearly represent social problems, problems both for individuals and for the larger society. Work is especially important -- it is, as I stressed earlier, AN ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE OF LIFE. We build our lives around our work. 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 societies obviously do in varying degrees), we can say something is wrong, that social problems exist, that we have work to do.
That wraps up my effort to describe a ground or basis for defining social problems, so we will get into the social problem of "affluenza" next time....
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Reminder & First Family Activity
First, let me remind you (specifically, Adam and Chris) that you need to post your comment on that first individual exercise. It is due today, but I will give you until MONDAY, 2/16 by NOON. If I do not see it by then you will not earn the points for this exercise and lose out on any opportunity for a bonus point if we vote on the best entry. As I noted in class this morning, we may take some time out on Thursday (2/19) to talk about your submissions and perhaps vote on the best one. One other reminder, and that is that I will be posting some of my lecture notes to wrap up my presentation on the question of a ground or basis for determining what qualifies as a social problem. I will probably do that tomorrow (Friday), so look for it and incorporate it in your notes.
FIRST FAMILY ACTIVITY: After viewing the video program, "Affluenza," next TUESDAY, 2/17 (which runs about 55 minutes), you will get together with your family and discuss what you thought was most significant about the program. 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 THURSDAY, 2/19. That spokesperson will also turn in a brief write-up of your findings as well. I may incorporate the points you bring out in a question or two on the midterm exam. This exercise is worth 3 points. YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN ORDER TO EARN THE POINTS.
That's all for now. Look for some lecture notes being posted tomorrow (Fri)...
FIRST FAMILY ACTIVITY: After viewing the video program, "Affluenza," next TUESDAY, 2/17 (which runs about 55 minutes), you will get together with your family and discuss what you thought was most significant about the program. 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 THURSDAY, 2/19. That spokesperson will also turn in a brief write-up of your findings as well. I may incorporate the points you bring out in a question or two on the midterm exam. This exercise is worth 3 points. YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN ORDER TO EARN THE POINTS.
That's all for now. Look for some lecture notes being posted tomorrow (Fri)...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Welcome & First Individual Exercise
Welcome to the official site of the Social Problems course (Soc. 215) blog. As I noted in class this morning, we will be using this site for a variety of activities over the course of the semester, the first of which I describe below. Remember that our blog begins with this post (Feb. 3, 2009). The rest of the material on this blog is from last Spring '08 class.
FIRST INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE: In the context of our critical examination of consumerism. I am sure you've all seen a print ad or TV commercial which struck you as nonsensical, dumb, or promoted a product (however popular) which you considered detrimental to individuals and/or society. For this exercise I want you to briefly describe (no more than one paragraph) one such ad and tell why you believe it was nonsensical, dumb, and/or promoted something you believe is bad for people or society. I want you to post your description by THURSDAY, FEB. 12TH. Following this, we will vote for the best entry, which will receive 2 bonus points. This exercise is worth 5 points.
FIRST INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE: In the context of our critical examination of consumerism. I am sure you've all seen a print ad or TV commercial which struck you as nonsensical, dumb, or promoted a product (however popular) which you considered detrimental to individuals and/or society. For this exercise I want you to briefly describe (no more than one paragraph) one such ad and tell why you believe it was nonsensical, dumb, and/or promoted something you believe is bad for people or society. I want you to post your description by THURSDAY, FEB. 12TH. Following this, we will vote for the best entry, which will receive 2 bonus points. This exercise is worth 5 points.
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