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45 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Ritual
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actions we perform regularly, often associated with an occasion (ie. many people would consider their morning shower a ritual. More formally, the act of marrying in a church has certain rituals associated with it - such as the exchange of rings. The act of marriage itself could be considered a ritual)
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Values
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our understanding of justice, what is good vs. what is wrong or bad
ie. the idea that it is wrong to lie is part of our value of honesty |
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Norms
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the rules, values and behaviours we expect of a group, society or culture
ie. when you enter an elevator it is part of our 'norms' to turn and face the door, as opposed to standing and facing strangers |
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Roles
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the function assumed by a person who hold a particular status, office, etc
ie. the host of a party is a role, and the role comes with expectations - to invite good guests, |
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beliefs
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ideas that we hold as true or justified
ie. many people will hold a strong belief that "honesty is the best policy" |
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material culture
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physical items or objects used by a society
ie. stuff we purchase - such as clothing, cell phones, furniture, etc |
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ideal culture
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how we think we should act
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real culture
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what we actually do act like, how we really behave
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ritual consumption
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related to holidays and events, characterized by intensive consumption of good, services, and/or experiences
ie. birthday parties |
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Goods and Sentiment
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Goods arent just goods, they also come with a feeling or "sentiment"
Stuff is not just stuff, the motivators around why we want certain things is also important, along with the expectation of how we think the item will make us feel - often, not nearly as high reward as we expect |
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What does the "goods we surround ourselves" show ?
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it can show connections to people and it can also set us apart
ie. if we are wearing the same clothes, we can be associated to a group, team, school clique (preppies); if we drive a luxury automobile or wear expensive jewelry it can set us aside from those who cant afford such things. |
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Means of Consumption
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those things that make it possible for people to acquire goods and services, as well as those same things that make people become controlled and exploited as consumers
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consumption match
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attempting to match those above us in status
ie. this may be attempted by wearing the same clothes (may only afford the same shoes, not the whole outfit) |
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treadmill of consumption
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moving materially ahead without making any headway toward satisfaction
ie. the more you achieve, ear, obtain, only creates a desire to achieve and acquire more - closely related to the treadmill of production (both feed into and off of each other). It is also closely related to the idea that North Americans have moved away from the production economy, and are now a Consumer economy- we no longer produce nearly as much as we consume |
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Explain the various types of advertisements discussed in class and provide examples for each:
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1. polite 1800-1900
*tediously detailed, often full page ads, with expert explanation. Often 'apologetic' 2. expert 1920-40 *uses experts such as dentist, doctors. Oft seen ad "9 out of 10 doctors agree" 3. pretty 1940-50s *very little copy, glitzy - 4. intelligent *double agent ads. Acknowledge our intelligence, usually in a funny way - ie. Old Spice ads 5. mystic 2000s ads that dont really do anything - using product placement as the advert ie. using M&Ms on a math counting sheet |
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Explain the concept of 'reciprocity' in terms of consumption
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It is the idea of "giving back", and it takes two forms as discussed in Ritzer:
General reciprocity - where giving is done without any real expectation of a return, said to be the "purest form" (ie. Parents supporting you while you are going to school) Balanced reciprocity - characterizes the market economy, where something is received in exchange for another (ie. payment for a good or service,). it may be less formal, such as when you give a birthday gift to a friend, it will have the assumption that your own birthday will be acknowledged in return. |
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In the treadmills of consumption section, the idea of wealth and happiness was discussed and the idea that they do not necessarily go hand in hand- explain...
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Wealthier nations consume much more than they require, feeding the "treadmills of consumption" and drawing on the "treadmills of production"... and although more is consumed, people are no more happier and actually experience strain - an example discussed was that when polled, many people would speak of the time they were happiest in their lives was when they were students - although they had very little and were stressed, they were happiest in that period
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Symbols
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cultural items, tangible or intangible, which come to take on meaning within a culture or subculture of a society
(ie. The cross is a symbol of Christianity) Symbols can have more than one meaning ie. The swastika as presented by the Nazis symbolizes hatred. But in Hinduism and Buddhism, a swastika on its side can mean the cycles of life and enlightenment |
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Cathedrals of Consumption
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These are the places which enchant us into staying longer, buying more, using more (consuming in all its manners)
ie. McDonalds, Disney World, Cruise Ships, etc. |
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Foodprint
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the amount of land it takes to satisfy a persons nutritional requirements for a year. It highlights the fact that certain diets will be easier on the environment
ie. a person who is a organic locovore vegan (ya right!) would have a smaller foodprint than someone whose diet is heavy in fast food, pre-packaged, alot of Agriculturally raised meat, etc. |
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Explain the concept of "McDonaldization"
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the process where the principles of the fast food industry is coming to dominate more and more of American society, as well as the rest of the world. It is characterized by:
efficiency calculability predictability control irrationality of rationalities |
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Efficiency
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"The Best way to do something"
ie. Weber's Rationalization - rationalizing the 'dehumanizing' characteristic.... McDonald's will have procedures in place to guide the interaction between the "waiter" and the customer - so that the experience will happen as quickly and efficiently as possible |
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Calculability
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Quantification in experience - the item can be counted or calculated
ie. Up-sizing. More means more, but we may have to give up quality |
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Predictability
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you will know how an interaction is going to take place, and it should be the same no matter the location it is taking place.
ie. you can be relatively sure of how a McDonald's visit is going to occur. It is a big factor in de-skilling a workforce |
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Irrationality of rationalities
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inconsistencies are common -
ie. because fast food is so popular, you may be willing to wait a long time in line up at a restaurant |
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hyper-consumption
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the idea of having and using way more than you would actually ever really need or stuff you don't need at all. Often in order to "keep up with the Jones'"
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rationalization
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the use of the most efficient means to accomplish something and the unintended consequences of doing so (Weber)
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simulation
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when a product is marketed as something which it really isn't
ie. McDonald's "Chicken McNuggets" are over processed with fillers in order to make them consistent, they no longer are really chicken. |
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Enchantment
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the feeling that something is 'magical' or 'mystical'
ie. Walmart tries to enchant us with is sheer size, and it miles of items - we get the impression of a special place. Disney World also will do this - in the book it speaks of the idea that it is so clean, accomplished seamlessly through a network of underground tunnels used to whisk away debris. All done so we dont see the dark sides of a production (in the book, discussed Coney Island and its 'seedy' atmosphere) |
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Re-Enchantment
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the renewal of consumers desire and excitement, In the case of the Cathedrals of consumption this is done through Spectacle and Simulation
ie. In Las Vegas, the nightly shows at Treasure Island act to re-enchant a visitor, to provide the 'magic' they were known for. Also special "one-day"only sales can work for department stores |
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What factors have played a role in "changing the way we consume"
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1. One Stop Shopping - Big box stores, everything you need in one location
2. Destinations/Destination Shopping - destinations such as Disney World - IT is the attraction, not its location; Destination Shopping - cross-border shopping, the activity is the destination 3. do-it-yourself/the Prosumer - savings are passed to the customer because you do the work (ie. Ikea) 4.Post-Social world - we now experience less interaction with people (online shopping) |
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Why did the changes in the way we consume occur
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1. The economy - the yearn for things we may not have previously had access to creates demand and access (use of cc cards for buying luxury items)
2. Youth market - now children have higher influence over the purchases in a household 3. Technological changes - children's online wishlists |
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Describe two examples of "New Facilitating Means"
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Credit cards - able to purchase now, pay later. Speaks to the immediacy of our desires, and is promoted by the Cathedrals of Consumption
Internet - able to purchase without leaving home and connected to all the cathedrals |
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How do advertisers use consumer sentiment to sell products
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Our interest in items is based on how they serve our interests, but advertisers try to convince us these same items have deeper meaning (not socially empty)
ie. the representing of love through a diamond (engagement ring symbolizes the promise inherent in a marriage) |
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How is it proposed that consumption may promote community ties but also play against them
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When we as a group utilize similar products - ie. those who love hockey showing their affection for a team during the playoffs may wear the jerseys out to a bar. However, in the same sense, we may choose to stand outside our community by ensuring we have products not common to others, which then may promote "consumption matching" - where people will imitate or follow our purchasing of items ('keeping up with the Jones'")
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How have advertisers adapted to today's technology which allows consumers to 'skip' ads
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Advertisers have endeavored to increase their visibility in this case by performing more product placement within movies or tv shows, some have made entire movies where an item is a main 'character' in the film (ie. Transformers - the new Chevy Camaro was a character - and one of the good guys at that)
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In ref to the film "Tell Me What You Eat and I'll Tell You What You Are" - in general, what does the film speak to when stating "You Are What You Eat"
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Instead of simply speaking of health consciousness, it is referring to the very real situation of undernourishment (causing developmental issues in children) and certain diet practices (causing diseases such as obesity, and further causing Type 2 Diabetes)
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What does the "universal importance of food" refer to?
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the fact that all cultures will have symbolic ties to certain foods and meal or food rituals
ie. the eucharist - the final supper, body of Christ wafer as part of Communion |
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How does the film "Tell Me What You Eat and I'll Tell You What You Are" discuss food and inequality?
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Food accessibility is stratified in society - the hierarchy has first 'dibs' on best
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from the film "Tell Me What You Eat and I'll Tell You What You Are", what is discussed in terms of the historical significance of food
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history influences food, and food influences history. Many wars and major events have been linked to food. (ie. The Great Potato Famine - which killed one fifth of the population in Ireland)
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What is the relationship between "Politics" and "Food" as discussed in "Tell Me What You Eat and I'll Tell You What You Are"
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Nations will structure food as a major commodity - enforcing embargoes on such in order to strengthen national political influence. (ie. coffee - if a nation was to place an embargo on Columbian coffee exports, it would serve to influence the nation to increase cocoa production. Coffee becomes a pawn in the war on drugs).
Corn - subsidized by the American government, disabled competition with Mexico, and in this aspect, pushed them out of the market. (Neo-Liberalism, Free-Trade, Soy Wars, etc) |
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After energy, what is the greatest emitter of greenhouse gases
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Livestock
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According to "What's Wrong With What We Eat" what is the cause of the current health crises in America?
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lack of proper nutrition - too much meat, not enough plant consumption
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In "Food and America" the authors state that "both producing food and eating" became commodified - explain.
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It means that food no longer was grown at home and used by those who grew it. The production became business, and was to serve those with differing schedules, urbanization. It was facilitated by invention - improved roads, railways, refrigeration, air transport, canning, pasteurization, chemical additives to stay decomposition. The result was increase variety, accessibility, and affordability. Negatively, overeating, contamination, and lack of relationship to the actual food stuffs occurs as well.
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What factors have led to the overwhelming globalization of McDonald's
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1. material interests - the company has been so successful, others wish to follow suit
2. Cultural interests - many admire the "American" dream and consuming American products can simulate a kinship to this dream 3. adaptable to today's society - decrease in home cooking, increase in 'take-away' culture |
