Essay #3: Consumerism

Skills: Using counterarguments
Website analysis/evaluation
Incorporating multiple sources

The Set-Up: Our readings for this section will focus on consumerism and how it affects sustainability initiatives. The accumulation of possessions is certainly an aspect of the American Dream, however, an endless appetite for material goods can throw a wrench into solutions for sustainability. In presenting arguments, each writer we will read will also address the counterargument. This is a good technique to adopt in your own writing. In speculating and writing about these issues, it’s usually a useful idea to bring out both the good and the bad aspects of a solution, though one will probably get greater emphasis.

Prompt: Essay 3 asks you to engage with two* of our readings for this unit, and then combine information from those sources with your own ideas to coherently and logically develop a thesis.

You may write about the essays directly, analyzing how the authors interpret similar data differently and/or employ different emphases to suit their purposes. Or, you may write about a related topic concerning consumerism and sustainability and use the two readings as support.

In addition, you are asked to use one website and one scholarly source in your paper as further support. You must also address one or more counterarguments to your thesis in your paper.

Questions to Consider: How does consumerism affect specific sustainability initiatives? How might consumerism be put to good use in regards to the environment? How have the realms of business and sustainability begun to overlap in contemporary U.S. culture? What do popular purchases reflect about contemporary culture? How has shopping online capitalized on an atmosphere that encourages ill-considered purchases? How is technology use linked to consumerism?

Example topics: You might compare the ritual detachment from one’s “stuff” at Yom Kippur (from Rabbi Schnur’s “Barbie Does Yom Kippur”) with George Carlin’s observations in “A Place for Your Stuff” in order to make a point about the wastefulness of American culture.
OR

You might think about the ways that a business like BP, for example, has made efforts to “go green” and use “Dirt: A Social History” by Terence McLaughlin and Richard Simon’s “The Shopping Mall and the Formal Garden” to argue that business and sustainability are two fields that can go hand in hand.

Criteria: You will need to search electronic databases for at least one scholarly source related to your topic, and scour the internet for a website that is also related to your topic. The website you choose should fit the criteria for a good source we learned about in class and in the library. Your paper will also need to refer to two of the pieces we read for class. Hence, your works cited page will have a minimum of 4 sources on it (2 from our readings, 1 website, and 1 scholarly source).

You should use MLA style, and Times Roman or Courier 12 pt font. The paper should be 6-7 pages when double-spaced. You must have a proper Works Cited page. A rough draft should be ready for Wednesday March 26th FOR SECTION 056 and Friday, March 28th FOR SECTION 092, and a final draft is due Friday, April 4th FOR BOTH SECTIONS.

*NOTE: While we will go over three specific readings in class, you should take the time to read all of the essays on the topic of consumerism we’ve collected for you. These will be made available to you as soon as possible.

Link for Book on Reserve (Essay #3)

Every Day, Every Where: Global Perspectives on Popular Culture is on reserve at the library for you, should you want to use the other essays in there (chapter 9). The link above will take you to the book's Amazon page where you can gather more info.

Here's what your MLA Works Cited should look like for each essay used:

Author of Essay. "Name of Essay." Every Day, Everywere: Perspectives of Popular Culture. Ed. Stuart Hirschberg, T. Hirschberg. Columbus: McGraw Hill, 2002. Pages used.

New Wal-Mart Story

Wal-Mart is in the news again regarding employee healthcare. Follow this link for the story.

In Class Consumerism Activity

After listing items and services purchased during Spring Break on the board, and categorizing them as "essential" or "non-essential," divide into small groups to answer the following questions:

1) Why do college students buy what they buy?
2) How much influence do you think peer pressure and advertisements have on your spending?
3) Where are the products listed on the board manufactured? Where do these products go when you are done using them?
4) Who profits from your consumption?
5) What impact does your consumption have on other people, the planet, yourselves?

CR #6: Media Fast

CR #6: 24-Hour Electronic Media Fast (Experiment)


Theory: One of the best ways to examine any addiction is to remove the source and analyze the response to that removal. That is what we will do with TV, Radio, and Internet usage. This will not be easy – but the best learning is often a difficult process that will then stay with you.


Components: Personal experience, observation, critical analysis


Step One: Between now and the next class, refrain from TV and Internet usage for 24 consecutive hours. If you cheat (check email, listen to your favorite radio talk show personality or use your car radio, watch the Weather Channel, anything!), you must begin your 24-hour cycle again. Please do not cheat – cheating will hamper the honesty of your results and weaken the strength of your analysis.


Step Two: Take notes during your 24-hour e-media fast. Start a mini-journal the minute you start the fasting clock – what are your assumptions about this experiment? How hard or easy do you anticipate this experiment will be? How do you plan to spend your media-free time? As the 24-hour cycle continues (remember, eight of these hours will be spent sleeping!), continue noting your reaction, especially when the urge strikes to check your email or look something up online, or your favorite show is on and you have to miss it. How does it feel? And most importantly, WHY do you think you are having that particular reaction?


Step Three: Use your notes as reference for a short essay (CR #6) relating and examining your experience with this experiment. Answer the following: Which of the three electronic mediums did you miss the most and why? What obstacles did you encounter to this fast (ie, your family wanting you to watch a program, your friends teasing you or not understanding, etc.) How close were your assumptions prior to starting to the actual lived experience of going without electronic media for 24 hours? Why was this experiment hard or easy for you? How did you spend your time? And why did you choose to spend your time that way? What did you learn from this experiment?

You will turn in your answers in the form of a CR on Friday, March 14

Hint: Dig deep – go beneath the surface when asking and answering “why.” This is hard to do and requires time, concentration, and effort. Your discoveries will likely be an eye-opening reward!

Schedule Essay #3

FOR SECTION 092 (Mrs. Acevedo)

W-March 5 “The Culture of Consumerism,” Juliet B. Schor

F-March 7 Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price

M-March 10 Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price

W-March 12 “How Not to Use the Fax Machine and the Cellular Phone,” Umberto Eco

F-March 14 Meet in library for 3rd session with Dr. Buchanan, CR #6 due

March 17-21 Spring Break

M-March 24 “A Place for Your Stuff,” George Carlin, Reenvision of Essay # 2 due

W-March 26 “The Shopping Mall and the Formal Garden,” by Richard Simon

F-March 28 Meet in 3143, Rough draft of Essay #3 due

M-March 31 Conferences

W-April 2 Conferences

F-April 4 Essay #3 due



FOR SECTION 056 (Ms. Fletcher)

SCHEDULE OF CLASS MEETINGS: ESSAY 3

W-March 5 “The Culture of Consumerism,” Juliet B. Schor; SHORT FILM The Story of Stuff

F-March 7 FILM WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price

M-March 10 FILM WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price

W-March 12 “How Not to Use the Fax Machine and the Cellular Phone,” Umberto Eco

F-March 14 Meet in library for 3rd session with Dr. Buchanan, CR #6 due

March 17-21 Spring Break

M-March 24 “A Place for Your Stuff,” George Carlin; in-class activity; Reenvision of Essay # 2 due

W-March 26 Meet in 3143, Rough draft of Essay #3 due

F-March 28 Conferences

M-March 31 Conferences

W-April 2 Workshop

F-April 4 Essay #3 due