Read the attached powerpoint on the media and then watch the following videos linked below to answer discussion questions.
VIDEOS:
Video 1 Advertising Advertising is one of the main storytellers in our culture. One central story it tells is that happiness is the result of consumption. In this clip, communications scholar Sut Jhally explains how we often ask the wrong questions about advertising when we focus on individual effects. Instead, he argues that we need to understand advertising's collective impact on our culture.
Video 2 Consumption Americans are working longer hours with less leisure time than in the past. According to sociologist Juliet Schor, this is partially the result of "competitive consumption," or the drive to have more than those around us do. According to Schor, we increasingly compare ourselves—and our stuff—with both peers and those earning significantly more that we do, creating an endless attempt to acquire and display the trappings of wealth. This leads to greater debt and damage to the environment.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
After watching the videos posted in this week's module, respond to the following:
What role does consumption play in shaping your sense of self?
What is "upscale emulation"? What do you think causes this to happen?
What impact do you think that advertising has on our culture as a whole?