INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE: We will be seeing the video, "The Overspent American," next Tuesday, 3/24, and in connection with that I want each of you to write up a ONE-PAGE reflection on the concept of "stretching reference groups." Specifically, I want you to reflect on your own buying habits and people that you know and consider who you or they seem to be emulating. Based on your experience, do you believe this idea of stretching reference groups is as widespread as Dr. Schor seems to suggest? To save paper, please submit your reflections as a comment on this blog post NO LATER THAN NEXT FRIDAY 3/27. This exercise is worth 3 points.
MIDTERM EXAM ANSWERS: As most of you know, I handed back the midterm exams yesterday and started going over the answers in class, but only got to page #6. It was poor timing on my part. I should have started going over the exam earlier. So, rather than take up class time next Tuesday, and for the benefit of those who were not in class yesterday, I am going to post the answers on the blog. As I noted, you'll need to have these answers, especially for questions you missed or got points off, because I'll be re-asking many of these questions on the final exam. So here they are:
1. public opinion
2. (a) wholistic, (b) institutions, and how these institutions should be harmoniously interrelated, (c) good world -- reflected in Jordan and William Morris statements, (d) among some other possibilities...
3. doctor/medical analogy -- like the doctor diagnoses sickness on the basis of knowledge of what a healthy body is like. As the authors of "Affluenza" do in treating affluenza as a social disease with many symptoms.
4. that mainstream sociology focuses only on individuals and how they relate to each other psychologically. It is subjective; it ignores important relations to objects.
5. EXTERNALLY -- to objects in nature or the world, which are as vital as any internal relations of different organs. Suggests that resource issues, environmental pollution, etc. should be considered social problems.
6. how objects and our relation to objects are vital to who we are. Or, simply, the importance of objects in culture.
7. Institutions are organized systems of objects directed toward human ends, and as individuals we participate in and achieve our purposes through them. Work, likewise, is an organizing principle of life, providing routine and meaning to our lives as individuals.
8. because "normal" functioning of institutions such as "business as usual" may be part of the problem, or refer to the "pathology of normalcy."
9. that the average American family spends 6 hours a week shopping, yet parents only spend 40 minutes playing with their children.
10. "displaying anti-social behavior in the pursuit of a product is a good thing."
11. that they were very critical of how the marketplace undermines families, yet they also strongly believe in free-market capitalism.
12. that he urged Americans to go out and shop to show their patriotism.
13. Clear disconnect between our awareness of the problem and our willingness to do something about it. Most importantly, suggests that the problem is much deeper -- institutional -- and will need to be addressed at that level, not just preaching to individuals.
14. that they are dealing with real money.
15. size of homes has tripled since WWII (750 sq. ft. - 2,300 sq. ft.), and along with that, of course, more bathrooms, bedrooms, garages, despite smaller families.
16. That happiness is not necessarily tied to having more stuff. The average American has twice as much today as in 1957 but is not as happy.
17. "...every 10 percent increase in highway network results in a 5.3 percent increase in the amount of congestion." (or, simply: more highways more congestion, instead of less congestion.)
18. Linder realized that predictions about all sorts of free time were a myth -- economic growth entails a general increase in scarcity of time. All the stuff we buy needs upkeep, not to mention time spent shopping for it. Whereas the Senate predicted a 14-22 hour workweek by 2000.
19. cut back work hours by half.
20. There are some conservatives (such as Glen Stanton of Focus on the Family or Robert Lutwalk) who are strong supporters of free market capitalism, yet they also recognize how it undermines families and communities in its drive for profits. Chapter 7 opens by focusing on marketing to kids which encourages instant gratification, nagging parents for stuff, all of which creates tension in the family.
21. 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 to take standardized tests.
22. "Consumers have no duties or responsibilities or obligations to their fellow consumers. Citizens do." Citizens are about community, while consumers care primarily about themselves.
23. land devoted to public uses -- parks civic buildings, schools, churches, etc. had decreased by 20%, and we've increasingly privatized our lifestyles.
24. she was talking about spiritual poverty, or poverty of the soul.
25. "Their conclusions were unequivocal: These individuals for whom accumulating wealth was a primary aspiration were associated with less self-actualization, less vitality, more depression and more anxiety."
26. growing economic inequality -- a "titanic gulf" separating rich and poor.
27. By creating a sense of deprivation among them because they can't obtain the products advertisers tell us we have to have to fit in, get ahead, be somebody.
28. Both graphs exaggerate the upward curve of the line because of the bottom scale of years which covers 1000s and 100s of years.
29. dead zones (no fish) due to all sorts of hazardous substances we put on agricultural fields which are then carried down the Mississippi river to the Gulf, not to mention cruise ships dumping their wastes.
30. getting people to admit they have a problem.
31. any two of the following: (a) self-actualization - becoming all you can be; (b) aesthetic - beauty, balance, form; (c) cognition -- knowledge, meaning, order; (d) esteem - self-esteem; respect for others; (e) love & belongingness...
32. I suggested their "original sin" was NOT greed but disobedience.
33. amount of liberty -- "...liberty to seek recreation, liberty to enjoy life, liberty to improve the mind,..." etc.
34. any two of the following: (a) suburbanization (McMansions); (b) automobile/interstate highway system; (c) malls; (d) expansion of credit; (e) planned obsolescence/design changes; (f) TV.
35. "regions which should remain beyond supply and demand" -- such as Mother's Day, the most tender and sacred human relationship which has become commercialized.
36. a "spin doctor" -- "experts" who really represent the interests of business -- often employed by "front" groups such as the American Council on Health and Science.
37. Broader institutional changes -- eg., reorienting our transportation system, or univeral health care. etc.
38. Leopold provides a statement of a standard by which we can determine what is RIGHT and WRONG with nature: "a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." -- but most of our activities ignore this law. Commoner's Four Laws of ECology represent a standard of a healthy ecosystem, and those activities which violate these laws represent a problem.
39. Adbusters magazine / anti-ads or un-commercials, which use some of the virus of advertising to innoculate people against advertising and the products it promotes.
40. he says he hopes shortened hours will stick -- "It may not ultimately be a sacrifice...It may be exactly what they need to be happier and healthier.
But why don't Ameican companies embrace shorter hours?
(1) cost of health care OR (2) cultural -- leisure today is suspect; shorter workweeks viewed as feminine.
That's it. Note that I certainly do not expect your answers to be word-for-word what I have here, but they should be close. Look over your exams, and don't hesitate to bring it back to me if you want me to look over any question(s).
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In The Overspent American, Juliet Schor refers to the social process of trying to keep up with reference groups well beyond our means as the new consumerism. We want the same things that people making five times as much as us have. Even worse is that for many, this desire to posses all the latest gadgets and hottest trends has become more than a want, but an actual need.
In my own life, I have experienced the effects of comparing what I have to different reference groups. In high school, this effect was not as pronounced because I went to public school and most of the kids generally the same things I had. Most of the students had a few popular brand name goods, but nothing designer or extravagant. However, at Wofford, where many of the students come from very affluent backgrounds, and are thus able to afford more expensive items, I felt a greater need to compare my possessions with those of other students.
I have always been a big fan of looking at fashion magazines, and trying to keep up with the types of clothes celebrities are wearing. However, before I came to Wofford, I never really felt the need to have the same brand names as these celebrities because they are outrageously expensive. Instead, I would just go to the store and buy things that easily fit into my price range, and looked similar to what I had seen in the magazines.
At Wofford however, the need to wear the right brand is very important to many students. For example, many students probably would be unable to understand how a person could live without Rainbow flip flops, a Southern Tide polo shirt, and the latest designer bag. While I refuse to buy any of these items because I think they are ridiculously overpriced and not worth the money, I still fall prey to wanting certain brands. My tennis shoes are Nikes, my glasses are Gucci, and my car was brand new when I got it. Therefore, I guess I really do not have much room to complain about other students at Wofford always wanting brand name items. However, I like to think that I only buy expensive, brand name items in moderation. Most of the clothes I own are relatively cheap. I only spend a lot of money on something if it is for a special occasion or I know I will get a lot of use out of the item.
When I look around Wofford’s campus and compare myself to the other students, I do feel inadequate sometimes because all my clothes aren’t top of the line, but then I just feel ridiculous for having these thoughts. There are so many people that get by with so much less, and I cannot imagine the pressure that they feel in trying to keep up with such lofty reference groups..
I find it very interesting how I can look back through out my life and see this concept of reference groups gradually work its way into my family’s daily life. I can see now what Juliet Schor is talking about in her book “The Overspent American” when she talks about these reference groups expanding and brand names becoming ever more important.
When I was younger my family was a bunch of penny pinchers that didn’t really care about brand names. We got what we needed and every now and then as a gift or something, we would get something really expensive or a popular name. However, the thing about it was that we were happy and nobody complained. Neither my parents nor my siblings and I ever complained because we had what we needed and we were happy just being with each other.
It wasn’t really until we all switched to a private school that I noticed the difference in spending. Most of the kids there had all the typical North Face gear and polo shirts which were always being updated. We managed to resist for a year or two until I started to notice my mom buying brands that I had not noticed before and when I asked she said it was because they were nicer. I had been raised not to care about brands so I did not really notice or care.
By the time I had moved on to boarding school, I was getting shirt in the mail with no more than an explanation of “you don’t have a shirt of this brand yet”. And through out the last two or three years I have found myself falling into the same hole spending a lot more money because I liked the way that the brand looked. I find myself falling into the trap of only wanting the brands the will fit in the best and thinking that the brand will make me feel a certain thing.
Even though I know that it is wrong, I sometimes find myself judging people or looking down on them because of the brands that they buy. I have noticed all of these things and have tried to turn them around. But the thing that I have noticed the most is that my mom and my families influence on me has stretched my reference group. I was a group effort because we all switched schools at the same time and gave into the latest fads and bought the latest brands. Even though it was a slow change, each time we did it, we enabled each other till it got to the point where the brand means everything now.
I believe that stretching of reference groups is very evident on Wofford’s campus. Since Wofford is a small private school with tuition reaching almost $40,000 many our students come from upper middle class families who can afford to send their kids here. But not everyone here is from this background. Many students are on scholarship, whether it’s athletic, academic, financial, or service related. Especially if it is a financial scholarship, students come from backgrounds whose families can’t afford to just throw out the cash to Wofford for their child to go here. But here they are, living amongst other people, many times people who become their friends, who can afford to buy expensive clothes from Three Sisters and go out to eat 5 out of 7 nights of the week.
Before I got to Wofford, I had never even heard of Lily dresses or David Yurman rings. My friends from home never wore such things. While I haven’t fallen into the temptation to buy ridiculous things like that, I do feel the pressure to have certain things to “fit in” at Wofford. For example, I never had a North Face jacket until my sophomore year. I also bought my first Ralph Lauren polo in college. While I had friends in high school that wore polo’s I never felt the need to have one for myself.
I think I am rare in the case that I almost never buy things unless they are on sale because I hate spending money. This doesn’t mean that I haven’t fallen into the pressure of buying brand name clothing to feel like I belong as stated by my previous examples. I also think there is a lot of pressure just to have new clothes and to go shopping all the time. Every girl wants a new bathing suit for spring break no matter how many bathing suits they already own. I think that this pressure to buy to fit in is amplified at Wofford because of the fact that we are a small school and everyone knows everyone and what they are wearing
Dr. Schor talks about “stretching reference groups” in her book, The Overspent American. She cites examples from various television shows including an example from the popular show, Friends, in which allegedly average men and women live in upscale apartments in New York. Dr. Schor argues that the people watching these shows get a false sense of what other average, everyday American people actually have. As I take this principle and apply it to my own life, I’d have to say that I never really knew that much about the presence of “stretching reference groups” until I came to Wofford College. I grew up in a small town in South Carolina, and consequently I attended a small school with the same group of children from elementary school through high school graduation. Because our community was so close, we could very easily look to see what other community members had. However, we all tended to fall into the same economic bracket, and thus we did not feel the need for more. I was always content with what I had. I am not sure if that is because I had the same amount of material possessions as everyone else around me or because I was just a naturally happy kid. When I walked down the halls of my high school, I did not see many designer brand items, and if I did, I did not know they were designer. I did not really learn about many designer items until I came to Wofford College. My first few weeks at Wofford, I looked to everyone around me, and I felt extremely insecure in who I was because of what I had or didn’t have, even though those two qualities should have no correlation. I felt compelled to buy lots of dresses for football games, pearls, and designer everything from purses to jeans, to sunglasses. Although many people may see this as a negative aspect of Wofford College, I would argue that it just prepares you for the real world. There are always going to be people out there that have more than you; you just have to learn to be satisfied with what you have in your own life. While that may be easier said than done because we live in a consumer driven society, people need to realize that they will never be satisfied in life if they continue to look at other peoples’ possessions to find their own happiness.
I do not feel that Dr. Schor's inference that most individuals strive to achieve status in a reference group beyond their financial means applies to my situation in live. I am very frugal and selective in the items that I purchase and the places in which I choose to spend my money. When I do give in to my shopping desires, I love to purchase household goods, such as cookware, antique furniture, etc. I hate all things “trendy.” If I am going to spend my money, I will spend it on something that I can use for years to come. While considered strange, I have the same mindset when shopping for other people. My gifts are never conventional but always functional. They serve a purpose apart from their aesthetic or monetary value. In regards to buying wardrobe items I do have rather expensive taste. I do not believe this stems from any desire to emulate a particular individual or group, but rather because the pricier product will usually retain its value and last longer. I know that this characteristic is a result of observing my parents and their money management skills and regret over past financial blunders. I do not emulate them, but rather gage my present and future financial decisions by the mistakes they made in their youth and the repercussions they endured because of their ignorance.
On the other hand, I have a friend who buys everything and anything she sees in the pages of Glamour or Cosmopolitan, regardless of price. She buys whatever is considered fashionable at the time and, as a result, throws clothes out at an alarming rate as soon as they go out of style. Her insatiable “buying” habit has already provided her with a large amount of debt. By age 19, she had defaulted on three separate credit cards to afford her the $1000 designer bags that she could not live without. It will take years of repayment and living “without” in order for her to have credit good enough to purchase a car or home. She emulated and attempted to gain acceptance into a reference group that her means could not afford and has substantiated her place in a reference group of debtors because of her greed.
I can honestly say that stretching reference groups have greatly affected my life in negative ways. My parents both work decent jobs and just barely manage to scrape together enough money to pay all their bills. They bought the lot our house was built on and personalized the blueprints themselves. The four of us live in a four bedroom, three and a half bath, brick house in a suburban neighborhood. We have everything we need and usually get most of what we want. Until recently, I believed that everything was peachy and financially sound. I always assumed that I would be able to afford to live just like Mom and Dad. Now that I am growing up, I have watched my beliefs about finances and my family's status crumble before my eyes. Truth is, we live beyond our means, the bills don't always get paid, our phone rings off the hook with bill collectors, and my parents are nearly always on the verge of divorce. Fact of the matter is, once you feel like you can afford to reach the next status level, it is harder than anything to let go of that. My parents were not always behind, at one time their incomes and lack of debt made the house payment and other bills manageable. Dad was out of work for a while, racked up some hospital bills, got duped into an expensive truck lease, I piled on a load of college loans, etc. Before we knew it, we were in trouble. After coming accustom to living at a certain status level and not just keeping up with the neighbors but keeping up with the "Friends" and other such TV lifestyles that seems so attainable, it feels almost impossible to let go of those spending habits. Now on my own in an apartment, I still struggle with the stretched reference group. I have a part time minimal wage job and over 700 dollars in bills a month, but I still find myself believing I can afford nice furniture, new clothes, movies, and dinner out. Reality is I can barely afford poptarts.
Just a thought, somewhat unrelated to my own plight... One of my guilty pleasures is watching trashy reality tv on VH1. The current show called "I Love Money 2" has an unbelievable mansion in Mexico where the group of 15-20 something cast members enjoy every luxury of infinite space, amazing view, beach, pool, etc. while they compete for $250,000. How ridiculous it seems to me that the prize wouldn't be enough to live anywhere near the luxury that they are living in during the show. How quickly will the winner waste their money and feel empty and depressed back in the life they lived before and yearning for the reference group they left behind.
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