Consumer culture is defined by the buying and spending of consumers. Consumer culture today is closely tied to capitalism, because it is driven by money. What distinguishes it, though, is that it is not focused so much on the power of money as it is on the happiness that can be attained through buying and owning. What some people do not know it the human society is strongly influenced to consume. That’s why people think they are defined by what they possess and purchase. Consuming today can be looked at in two main different ways: either in the positive aspect or in a negative outlook.

First, of all consumerism is thought of in a positive way because it is proven that people are happier and more productive when their wants and needs are met. Some of the positive things about consuming on a large scale are: it increases trade between countries and helps create business opportunities, also it creates competition between companies and this leads to great products and harder work ethics. On an everyday life level it can help you create goals for yourself. Not to mention it can help you find a sense of belonging with a group with the same kind of consumerism that you identify with. Consumerism can create a need for hobbies, because you start to collect things over time. It also creates a sense of variety; this is because the people that think positively about consuming are more than likely going to have some money to spend. So they will have more to choose from. Consuming is a huge part of our society and we would be nowhere without it.

Secondly, the negative outlook on consumerism is that it is wasteful and greedy and encourages people to spend more. Consumerism is wasteful because people tend to buy more than they need. An example of that is the show “hoarders”. This show is about people consuming so much that their lives are in danger. Now I know that is very extreme but some people need to see that. Consuming can also be bad for local businesses, people that go out and purchase items from big cities, and online are not helping their town. They do not think about the consequences of the spending they are doing, but they are not to blame. Most people just get caught up in how television advertisements portray certain products. Girls for instance pay more attention to hair ads and make-up ads. These advertisements are trying to show their listeners what kind of new lives they can have if they just use the product, like somehow uses a new dove shampoo can give you volume, which turns in to self-confidence.

However, when I identify myself as a consumer I think of what I buy, where I shop, and what ads I listen to on television. I am the type of consumer that buys what they need not what they want. I only buy items that are on sale, clearance, and discounted.  Unlike many people in today’s society I do not have a bunch of fancy unnecessary electronics. I feel like most consumers are impulsive buyers, and do not think of how their spending habits will affect them in the long run. I normally shop at discounted stores such as: Wal-Mart, Ross, Safeway, Costco, Target, and sometimes the Goodwill. It does not bother me to shop from these places because I know it is making me a smart consumer. I am not buying the newest ridiculous version of Apple or the newest brands of clothing. I get the necessities I need, and try to survive in this world. Honestly I think people learn their consuming habits from the environment they were raised in. Some people are raised in a wealthy family, where the can buy what they want and so much more. They do not have to care about expenses. On the other hand families that are experiencing poverty. Have to learn how to bargain shop to get what they need for that month, and put everything else on the back burner. Things like couponing and clearance sales are natural shopping techniques to those who live in poverty. Consumers are also separated by what kinds of shows they watch. There are ads on different channels to try to target the type of person that would watch those shows. Consuming is an everyday thing and from here I feel like I can only become a smarter consumer.

In class we had to do a photo essay of something that we consume. I did the first thing that came to mind, coffee. Before coming to Washington State University I drank coffee maybe once a week. Now that I am here I drink it almost every other night, too help me stay awake and finish all my homework.  The reasoning behind this essay is to change the way we consume this one thing, in my case coffee. When I brew coffee I always make a full pot, then what I do not end up drinking I pour down the sink. In this photo essay I discovered most of the women on my floor enjoy drinking coffee. So the next time I brewed a pot of coffee, I walked around the floor with the leftovers. Another idea I had was only making half a pot of coffee or even less if I only want one cup. That way it reduces waste and I have an opportunity to make more friends.

Finally, consumer culture is so much more than a definition it is a way of life. This year I will be making a lot of changes in my life. By the end of 2013 I will be married and living in a new place. This is all because of the fact my fiancé is leaving for the army in August. I feel like in this class, I am learning some great tips on how to be a better consumer. Since I’m moving soon, I feel like I can have a new start, and aim to be more aware of my spending. In time I will also have to start paying bills and I know that will really bring my attention to the money I am spending. So this means with these added responsibilities I have to grow up a lot sooner than most teenagers. Very soon I plan on cutting down on the things I own and getting rid of the items I really have no use for. I will be donating them to the goodwill or the Salvation Army. It will not be as drastic as the article about only having 101 things but it will be a step in the right direction. I hope these upcoming changes open my eyes a little more to the world around me, and understanding the value of the dollar.

 

 

The goal of our Invention Mobs project was to create a mural using every participant’s piece of art; a piece of paper in the shape of a star that they have drawn on. We ask them to interpret and draw out what they wish to achieve in their lives by working hard or what they themselves have to work hard to achieve. They interpret these questions in whichever way they wanted to, as long as they draw it out. This project is entirely anonymous, so they should feel comfortable to draw their interpretation. Our purpose for going about creating this mural is to get our fellow peers to collaborate with one another to go beyond just working to receive a grade, but to create something beautiful. We want to get our participants to go beyond just trying to do the bare minimum and actually unleash their creativity and create a piece of something bigger.

Our initial thought was to make a mural. Then we decided that would not work. Our second idea was to get construction paper and each group member would take it for two-three days at a time, and just get people to draw on it that way it would be everybody contribution to a greater piece of art. The only problem we had with that was telling people what to draw. We then decided we needed a theme, so that’s when we finally came up with our project. Our mode of persuasion will be the complete anonymity, the meaning of this project and the sincerity of us as people. We will be communicating with our participants in a kind and considerate manner so as to make them comfortable and willing to work with us, each participant will be able to see their contribution on this WordPress website that we have created. We will be giving them all the information they need to know on our project and they will be informed that we will be taking their picture as they are drawing their interpretation, however their face will not be shown if they do not want it to.

My group and I decided to have the theme “shooting for stars” we felt this theme was very fitting for the meaning we were trying to portray. We each cut out ten stars, with four of us that made forty stars to fill up the butcher paper. Since the requirement was twenty contributions we figured we would go above and beyond just like our theme. As you can see not all of the group members could get ten stars. This made it difficult for us to fulfill the goals we set within the invention mob project. Even with the twenty-seven contributions we got it more than filled the butcher paper, some were even hanging off the sides. I could not imagine trying to fit forty stars on the butcher paper, so everything worked out perfectly in the end.

During the invention mob project my group did not have any writing tasks for me. With that in mind there was no way for me to get better at writing though this process. Since I did not have a writing part, my main contribution was setting up the WordPress website. I also had to keep up with all the demands of the professor. Which included making new pages, and post. In the post were pictures explaining how the group went about the project, it was like a picture essay. We had four different pages, that way it would be easier for the classroom to differentiate between the many different parts of our project. One pages was called “Contributions” in this page was pictures of our participants’ drawling on the stars. Most of the pictures are side views because a lot of people did not want their picture taken. Another page was “Finished Stars” our professor expressed a want to see the stars up close; her idea was to take a video of the poster when it was finished. We thought it would be easier just to take a picture of each individual star and have them all under one page. The other two pages are the mandatory things we had to share with the class like our goal, mode of persuasion, our purpose, and our successes along with our failures.

The people that contributed to the invention mobs project were my group members who include Amber Moon, Michael Whittendale and Stephanie Lincoln-Baines, along with the twenty-five anonymous participants at Washington state university, and myself. The non-human aspect part of our project was getting the butcher paper materials from the recreation center under Honors Hall. Also, Amber Moon got the card-stock from Michael’s in Moscow, Idaho, which is what we used to make the stars. I used my camera to take pictures of the finished stars and then again while they were drawling on them. I downloaded the pictures on my computer, which is how I put the pictures up on our WordPress website. A great thank you was said to each contribution, without them we would not have completed the project.

The Successes for our project are that it was fairly easy to get enough people to accept our request of drawing their interpretation of hard work and achievement. With all of us being friendly to our friends, acquaintances, and strangers they were quite glad to help us achieve our goal. Also, the fact that our project is pretty much anonymous helped as well. Since not a lot of people are that comfortable with drawing, since they feel that they cannot, and also feel uncomfortable with having their face up online for everyone in the class and elsewhere to see. That is when we came up with the idea of us taking pictures of the participants’ from the side. That way their faces would not be shown but it still counted as a contribution. Of course this also was where our failure comes in.
Our only failure was most of the people we asked did not feel comfortable with drawing. We got a lot of responses saying they were bad at drawling, and that they did not want people to make fun of them. It became a hassle to get people to feel comfortable enough with drawing. Even though our project was completely anonymous quite a few still did not feel comfortable with drawing. Thankfully, we all worked our way around this drawback and got enough people willing to draw even though they felt uncomfortable about it.

We noticed within our failures there was a deeper issue at play. We wondered why so many people were not confident enough to draw on a star. My group members and I concluded that some people have low self-esteem issues. With low self-esteem some people feel like anything they do is not good enough. Once we told them the stars were going to be put on a poster for everybody to see, is when most people said they did not want to participate. At that point we explained that the stars were anonymous and we could take pictures from the side, that way their face would not be show. More people were willing to take part in the project. Some people do not let self-esteem affect them as much but other people let it consume their way of life. If you worry so much about drawing on one star, how do you handle other situations that happen every day?

Overall I would have to say our project was a major success. From this project I have learned that collaboration is a huge part of group projects. Throughout this project I have gained a few friends and enough courage to talk to my peers in class. We accomplished our goals and we created a wonderful piece of art that was donated to the Stephenson Complex Center. They said they would hang it up but did not give a specific date. I am pleased that it is being advertised because with this project we wanted to show what people plan to reach for, and what they want to accomplish in life by going above and beyond what they think they can do.

The Successes for our project are that it was fairly easy to get enough people to accept our request of drawing their interpretation of hard work and achievement. With all of us being friendly to our friends and acquaintances they were quite glad to accept our request of them. Also, the fact that our project is pretty much anonymous helped as well. Since not a lot of people are that comfortable with drawing, since they feel that they cannot, and also feel uncomfortable with having their face up online for everyone in the class and elsewhere to see. Of course this also was where our failure comes in.

Since most of the people we asked did not feel comfortable with drawing for pretty much everyone to see, it became a hassle to get people to feel comfortable enough with drawing for us. Even though our project was completely anonymous quite a few still did not feel comfortable with drawing. Thankfully, we all worked our way around this drawback and got enough people willing to draw even though they felt uncomfortable about it.

Our purpose for going about creating this mural is to get our fellow peers to collaborate with one another to go beyond just working to receive a grade, but to create something beautiful. We want to get our participants to go beyond just trying to do the bare minimum and actually unleash their creativity and create a piece of something bigger.

Our goal is to create a mural using every participants piece of art; a piece of parer in the shape of a star that they have drawn on. We will each ask them to interpret and draw out what they wish to achieve in their lives by working hard or what they themselves have to work hard to achieve. They can interpret this question in whichever way they like, as long as they draw it out. This project is entirely anonymous, so they should feel comfortable to draw their interpretation, however if they do not want to that will be fine too.

Our mode of persuasion will be the complete anonymity, the meaning of this project and the sincerity of us as people. We will be communicating with our participants in a kind and considerate manner so as to make them comfortable and willing to work with us, Each participant will be able to see their contribution on this WordPress website that we have created. We will be giving them all the information they need to know on our project and they will be informed that we will be taking their picture as they are drawing their interpretation, however their face will not be shown if they do not want it to.

Colburn, Kenneth A., and Philip R. S. Johnson. 2003. “Air Pollution Concerns Not Changed by S-PLUS Flaw.” Science 299, no. 5607: 665. Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, EBSCOhost (accessed March 15, 2013).

Greenberg, M., (1987). Public health and the environment: the United States experience. New York: Guilford Press.

Hales, S., & Howden-Chapman, P., (2007). Effects of air pollution on health. Bulletin of the New York academy of medicine, 335, 314. http://search.proquest.com/docview/99595601?accountid=14902

Kraft, Michael. “U.S Environment Policy and Politics: From the 1960s to the 1990s.” Journal of Policy History. 12. no. 17-42 (2000). (Accessed March 15, 2013).

Künzli, N. (2000). Long-term health effects of particulate and other ambient air pollution: Research can progress faster if we want it to. Environmental Health Perspectives, 108, 915-918.

McNikle, R. K. 1949. Air pollution. Editorial Research Reports: 545-558, http://search.proquest.com/docview/58706725?accountid=14902 (accessed March 14, 2013).

Price, Tom. “The New Environmentalism.” CQ Researcher 16, no. 42 (Accessed March 18 , 2013): 985-1008. http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre2006120100

Sandberg, D.V., & Rocky Mountain Research Station, (2003). Air quality regulations and fire. In J. Core (Ed.), Wildland fire in ecosystems: Effects of fire on air. Fort Collins, Colo: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest service.

Saylor, L.F. (1971). Air pollution, health effects and urban growth. California medicine, 115, 106-107.

Xia, Y., & Tong, H. (2008). Cumulative effects of air pollution on public health. Statics in medicine, 25, 3548-2559

I do not know if you noticed but I changed the topic of my research paper. It went from animals being connected to better health to now the effects of air pollution on human health. When I started to research the affects animals have on human health I found a few sources, not enough to write a whole paper on. So I sat down and thought about that my research paper was really about. I came up with health, but then I thought about all the major effects  humans go through. The biggest one was air pollution. When I started researches this topic I got a bunch of academic sources. I got a wide range of sources, I used primary, and secondary, along with older and new sources. I figured this would make the paper strong and better to read. I know this might be a dry topic to some people but I care about my environment, and want to inform people about the changes we need to make.

1. Annotation of Xia, Y., & tong, H. (2008). Cumulative effects of air pollution on public health. Statics in medicine, 25(20), 3548-2559

 

This is a secondary source published online on the Wiley Interscience website. The basic idea she is trying to get across is that air pollution can affect people’s health in many ways. The two main types are short-term and long-term. This source goes into more details about the effects of pollution, and other documents just state that they are effects. But this one has been the most useful with all the information. One good point that caught my attention was if the people of the world continue to get more exposure to air pollution then the effects are just going to get worse, because our bodies will try to become use to the bad air quality.  In conclusion this article has taught me more than all other articles I have read on this topic.

 

2. Annotation of Hales, S., & Howden-Chapman, P. (2007). Effects of air pollution on health. Bulletin of the New York academy of medicine, 335(7615), 314.

 

This is a secondary source but the author uses some real life time experience to liven up the article. Also this article talks about the effects of smog on a population. She states that she have been affected by smog all her life and has to learn how to deal with this on a daily bases, she lives in California if that helps explain it. Compared to other things in this topic this article is decent. It goes over long term effects on of air pollution and how we should really consider making laws to prevent the smog form getting any worse. In the article one of the main points is that air pollution is being linked to infant mortality. In conclusion this article has some good facts but it is not the best source for air pollution.

Consumer culture is defined by the buying and spending of consumers. Consumer culture today is closely tied to capitalism, because it is driven by money. What distinguishes it, though, is that it is not focused so much on the power of money as it is on the happiness that can be attained through buying and owning. What some people do not know it the human society is strongly influenced to consume. That’s why people think they are defined by what they possess and purchased. Consuming today can be looked at in two main different ways: either in the positive aspect or in a negative outlook.

First, of all consumerism is thought of in a positive way because it is proven that people are happier and more productive when their wants and needs are met. Some of the positive things about consuming on a large scale are: it increases trade between countries and helps create business opportunities, also it creates competition between companies and this leads to great products and harder work ethics. On an everyday life level it can help you create goals for yourself. Not to mention it can help you find a sense of belonging with a group with the same kind of consumerism that you identify with. Consumerism can create a need for hobbies, because you start to collect things over time. It also creates a sense of variety; this is because the people that think positively about consuming are more than likely going to have some money to spend. So they will have more to choose from. Consuming is a huge part of our society and we would be nowhere without it.

Secondly, the negative outlook on consumerism is that it is wasteful and greedy and encourages people to spend more. Consumerism is wasteful because people tend to buy more than they need. An example of that is the show “hoarders”. This show is about people consuming so much that their lives are in danger. Now I know that is very extreme but some people need to see that. Consuming can also be bad for local businesses, people that go out and purchase items from big cities, and online are not helping their town. They do not think about the consequences of the spending they are doing, but they are not to blame. Most people just get caught up in how television advertisements portray certain products. Girls for instance pay more attention to hair ads and make-up ads. These advertisements are trying to show their listeners what kind of new lives they can have if they just use they product. Like somehow uses a new dove shampoo can give you volume, which turns in to self-confidence.

However, when I identify myself as a consumer I think of what I buy, where I shop, and what ads I listen to on television. I am the type of consumer that buys what they need not what they want. I only buy items that are on sale, clearance, and discounted.  Unlike many people in today’s society I do not have a bunch of fancy unnecessary electronics. I feel like most consumers are impulsive buyers, and do not think of how their spending habits will affect them in the long run. I normally shop at discounted stores such as: Wal-Mart, Ross, Safeway, Costco, Target, and sometimes the Goodwill. It does not bother me to shop from these places because I know it is making me a smart consumer. I am not buying the newest ridiculous version of Apple or the newest brands of clothing. I get the necessities I need, and try to survive in this world. Honestly I think people learn their consuming habits from the environment they were raised in. Some people are raised in a wealthy family, where the can buy what they want and so much more. They do not have to care about expenses. On the other hand families that are experiencing poverty. Have to learn how to bargain shop to get what they need for that month, and put everything else on the back burner. Things like couponing and clearance sales are natural shopping techniques to those who live in poverty. Consumers are also separated by what kinds of shows they watch. There are ads on different channels to try to target the type of person that would watch those shows. Consuming is an everyday thing and from here I feel like I can only become a smarter consumer.

Finally, consumer culture is so much more than a definition it is a way to live. This year I will be making a lot of changes in my life. By the end of 2013 I will be married and living in a new place.  My fiancé is going into the army in August. I feel like I am learning some good tips on how to be a better consumer in this class. Since I’m moving soon I feel like I can have a new start, and be more aware of my spending. In time I will also have to start paying bills and I know that will really bring my attention to the money I am spending. Very soon I plan on cutting down on the things I own and get ride of the items I really do not need. By donating them to the goodwill or the salvation army. It will not be as drastic as the article about only having 101 things but it will be a step in the right direction.  I hope these upcoming changes open my eyes a little more to the world around me.

I am going to revise my Invention Mobs essay.

 

In a few of my paragraphs I plan on going into more detail and adding some examples from class to make the paper stronger. I also think its a good idea too make an introduction paragraph. Since the assignment was just too answer question. I think adding these changes will improve the flow of the paper and make it more organized. Not to mention it will add to the word count, because it was a little under 1500.

Revision

• add detail
• add examples
• add introduction