10
Alternatives to Consumerism
Professor Kasser, SMAC E-119; ; x 7283
Spring 2009
Purpose of Class: Many thinkers have criticized the manner in which consumerism, overconsumption, and profit-seeking dominate global culture. This class uses these criticisms as the starting point for an exploration of various alternatives that might lead humans toward not only a more ecologically sustainable lifestyle, but one that is also more personally enlivening and socially just. These alternatives include changes in personal lifestyles, media practices, economic organization, and social structures. We discuss both the scholarly ramifications of these ideas and how to act upon them in our lives and society more broadly.
Philosophy of Class: We have attempted to set up this class to “practice what we preach” by making it a low consumption and alternative consumption class. We have placed multiple copies of most of the class readings on reserve in Seymour library so that you do not have to purchase books; if you do want to buy your own books, we recommend using www.indiebound.org or www.bookfinder.com, both of which primarily benefit independent bookstores. We also use electronic media when possible and hope that you will read on the computer rather than printing; if you must print, please do so from the recycled paper box or make sure it is double-sided. All assignments will be handed in electronically to minimize paper usage. All of our guest lecturers are either joining us via tele-video-conference, or were already planning to be in Illinois anyhow, thus lowering carbon emissions for the class. And, as described more fully below, we have avoided the consumerist mindset of grades by making the class and all assignments graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.
Organization of Class: This course is composed of six sections. The course commences with a brief introduction to the ideas and reflections on our own personal experiences of consumerism. We then proceed to the middle four sections, which survey alternatives at the levels of our own personal lives, economic organization, media practices, and social structures. Within each section, we will explore ideas about how life might be oriented in a less consumeristic manner. Each of the four sections will also include assignments designed to broaden our knowledge and apply the ideas to our own life. We end with a student-lead conference about actions that might be taken to provide real “alternatives to consumerism.”
Course Schedule
Part I: Setting the stage
March 26 Topic: Overview of syllabus
March 31 Topic: Personal experience of consumerism.
Reading: None
Project: Consumerography due.
Part II: Alternative lifestyles
April 2 Topic: Personal spending habits.
Reading: Dominquez & Robin, YMYL
Chapters 1, 2, & 4
Reading: Pierce, Chapter 9
Project: Begin Application project #1
Project: Reflection paper #1 may be turned in.
April 7 Topic: Voluntary Simplicity
Reading: Voluntary Simplicity, Chapters 1, 2, 3, & 5
Website: Explore www.noimpactman.typepad.com,
especially “What’s it all about?”
Guest: Colin Beavan, virtually
Project: Reflection paper #1 may be turned in.
April 9 Topic: Discuss Application # 1
Topic: Ethical Careers
Website: Explore www.graduationpledge.org, especially “Jobs and internships”
Project: Application project #1 due
Project: Reflection paper # 1 may be turned in.
Part II: Alternative Economic structures
April 14 Topic: Time affluence
Reading: deGraaf (Ed.), Take Back Your Time,
Chapters 1, 16, 20, 25, & 28 plus two others of your choice
Guest: John deGraaf, editor of Take Back Your Time
Project: Reflection paper #2 may be turned in.
Evening: 7 p.m. John deGraaf speaks again for
EquiKnox
April 16 Topic: Alternatives to money - Local
Reading: Helleiner (2002) on Local Currencies - Reserve
Project: Reflection paper #2 may be turned in.
April 21 Topic: Alternatives to money - National
Guest: Clive Hamilton, author of Growth Fetish
Website: Explore www.rprogress.org, especially the
Genuine Progress Indicator
Website: Download Chapter 1 from www.clivehamilton.net.au/cms/index.php?page=growth_fetish#7
Project: Reflection paper #2 may be turned in.
April 23 Topic: Alternative Ownership Structures
Topic: Discuss Application # 2
Website: Explore www.ncba.coop, especially “About
cooperatives”
Website: Read
www.miller-mccune.com/business_economics/a-firm-of-one’s-own-862
Project: Application project #2 due.
Project: Reflection paper # 2 may be turned in.
Part III: Alternative media practices
April 28 Topic: Fighting Commercial Creep
Website: Explore www.commercialalert.org
Website: Explore www.commercialfreechildhood.org
Project: Reflection paper # 3 may be turned in.
April 30 Topic: Ethics of Culture Jamming
Website: Explore www.adbusters.org, especially spoof
ads
Website: Explore www.billboardliberation.com
Reading: Bordwell (2002) on Adbusters - Reserve
Project: Reflection paper # 3 may be turned in.
May 5 Topic: Adbusting
Project: Application Project # 3 due
Part V: Alternative social structures
May 7 Topic: Homesteading
Reading: Nearings, Living the Good Life
Chapters 1, 2, 4, 6, & 8
Film: Nearings
Project: Reflection paper #4 may be turned in.
May 12 Topic: Intentional Communities
Website: Explore www.ic.org, especially “Useful
Articles” and “Find a community”
Project: Application #4 due
May 14 Topic: City planning
Website: Explore www.smartgrowthonline.org/
Film: Subdivide and Conquer
Project: Reflection paper #4 may be turned in.
May 19 Topic: No class – professor out of town
May 21 Topic: Food production and distribution
Reading: Lappe & Lappe (2003), Hope’s Edge,
Chapters 2 & 10, plus one of your choice from Chapters 3-9.
Websites: Watch movies at www.storewars.org and
www.themeatrix1.com
Project: Reflection paper #4 may be turned in.
Potluck: Bring a vegetarian meal (with recipe card) and the sustainable means to serve it.
Ideally the food will be locally-grown, locally-prepared, and/or organically grown.
PLAN TO ARRIVE AT NOON
Part VI: Conclusion of class
May 26 Topic: 4th semi-annual Alternatives to Consumerism Conference – Set up in Seymour Union
PLAN TO PRESENT FROM NOON UNTIL 2:00 P.M.
May 28 Topic: Final Thoughts
Project: Final Thoughts Paper Due
Reading: None
Means of assessment: Grades are a means of evaluating a particular individual’s performance in a class so that others in the “outside world,” particularly potential employers or graduate schools, can decide whether or not this person is “worthy” of hiring or admission. As such, grades are essentially a tool of consumer, capitalistic society and a way in which the educational system has bowed to that particular element of our social system. In our attempt to teach a class that is an “alternative to consumerism” we have therefore opted to offer it only on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis. In order to receive a Satisfactory in this course, a student must receive a Satisfactory grade on all of the following assignments. If I believe that work on any of the assignments is unsatisfactory, the student will have the opportunity to continue to work on it until it reaches a satisfactory level.
1. Consumerography. Write 3 to 4 pages expressing your own thoughts and feelings about what it is like for you personally to live within “the culture of consumption.” Answer questions like the following: What are your early memories of shopping, of commercials, of the things you owned? What is it like “coming of age” surrounded by pressures to buy things? What are your own feelings about being in this culture now? How do you see yourself engaging (or disengaging) from this culture in the future? Other questions are welcome as well.
2. Three reading reflections. The purpose of these reflections is to help you apply the readings and other activities we have done in the course to your life. Thus, you might reflect on how the ideas or activities we’ve encountered relate to your own experience as an individual, or you might take ideas you have learned in other classes and apply them to critique the ideas that we are reading, or you might talk about the problems of practically applying the ideas in your life or in this society. What is important in these reflections is to demonstrate that you are using the ideas presented in the readings and “taking them somewhere new.” There are many times when you can turn in a reading reflection, but you need only turn in papers three of those times; that said, each of the three papers must be from a different “section” of the course, e.g., you can not turn in two reflections from the “media” section. Each paper should be between 2 and 3 pages long.
3. Final Thoughts paper. In this 4-5 page reflection, please consider the variety of issues you have learned about in this class, how they have affected you personally, how they make you think about your current and future life, etc.
4. Four Application Projects. All four of these application projects must be completed.
Project 1
From the time you wake up on March 27 until you go to bed on April 7, keep track of every cent that you spend. Record anything you purchase with cash or check, anything that you purchase with a credit/debit card that you will pay for later, and anything you spend here at Knox that you are charging to an account (thus including meals at the Caf, purchases at the bookstore, etc.). If you are paying for or taking out a loan to pay for tuition, calculate how much you are spending each day on taking classes and include this figure as well. If someone else is paying for some portion of your expenses (e.g., your parents pay half your tuition, your friend buys you a beer), only include the portion of the expense that you spent.
Then place the expenditures into the most meaningful set of categories that best represent how you believe you have spent your money. Calculate how much was spent in each of the categories during the time period.
Then, rate each level of expenditure on 3 questions, using the following scale:
Question 1. Imagine that your life energy calculations have resulted in one hour of life energy being equivalent to $7.00. Did you receive fulfillment, satisfaction, and value in proportion to the life energy spent?
+ = received great fulfillment; increase spending
0 = expense feels okay as is; don’t change
- = received little or no fulfillment; decrease spending
Question 2. Was this expenditure of life energy in line with your values and life purpose?
+ = completely in line with values; increase spending
0 = neither helps nor hurts values; don’t change
- = conflicts with values; decrease spending
Question 3. Is this expenditure helpful to the planet?
+ = helps planet; increase spending
0 = neither helps nor hurts planet; don’t change
- = hurts planet; decrease spending
Turn in a spread sheet (like Figure 4-3 or 4-4 on pages 129-131 of YMYL) that summarizes your expenditures and ratings, and then write a 3-4 page reflection on this exercise. What was it like to track of all your money? Were there any surprises about your spending habits? What did you learn from rating your spending on the three questions?
b. Project 2:
Interview someone who is in college, someone who is middle aged, and someone who is retired about their thoughts concerning trading material affluence for time affluence. Write a 3-4 page summary of these interviews and your reflections about people’s reactions to your questions.
c. Project 3:
Create an Anti-ad (print or otherwise) using the ideas on the Adbusters website (or elsewhere). Bring your anti-ad to class to share with everyone. Additionally, write a 3-4 page explanation of what the process of creating an Anti-ad taught you about how advertising and consumerism are related. After you receive feedback from the class about your anti-ad, make five copies of your revised anti-ad to hang up around campus (if print) or find some other means to disseminate it.
d. Project 4:
Find an intentional community in the Communities Directory or at www.ic.org that you think would suit you well. Do some additional research on this community and write a 3-4 page paper explaining what is particularly appealing to you about this group. What would it be like to live there after you graduate?
5. One Conference presentation
On May 26 we will have our fourth semi-annual conference on “Alternatives to Consumerism.” At this conference students will present to the Knox College and Knox County communities information about a topic of your choice concerning alternatives to consumerism. The material should be summarized in some visual form, ideally in a sustainable fashion (e.g., use recycled cardboard). You will be expected to stand by your display in the hallway outside the cafeterias in Seymour Union and offer explanations and answer questions for passersby during the conference. You may work in a group of up to 3 people for this assignment, but group projects should be more ambitious than projects done by just one student. Topics must be cleared with the instructor by April 16, and can either examine in greater detail a subject presented in this class or investigate something we are not examining. We are quite open to a variety of different topics and different modes of presentation (i.e., films, papers, art work, interviews, scientific investigations, policy papers, etc.). Please come and talk to me if you are having trouble deciding on a topic. Please plan to remain by your presentation from noon to 2:00 p.m. on May 26th.
6. Participation
Most class sessions will be discussion-based; thus, your participation in these discussions is crucial for ensuring the success of the class. A satisfactory participant speaks up in most (though not necessarily all) class sessions. A student who never speaks during regular class discussions will receive an unsatisfactory grade for participation. Throughout our discussions, each of us will be expected to show kindness, consideration and care when others are talking, while still being able to disagree and discuss constructively. In your contributions, we expect to see evidence that your thoughts and understandings are being informed by the readings and by previous discussions. We will assess your participation comments, questions, examples, experiences, and reflections by noting their relevance to the topic at hand. These contributions should demonstrate that you are reflecting and thinking about the topic. A good participant is also a good listener, disagrees in a non-attacking way, and doesn’t “hog” the floor.
Attendance at all class sessions is encouraged and the consistency of your attendance will, obviously, also influence whether or not your participation is satisfactory. A satisfactory participant is at most class sessions. We meet 18 times. Two absences are acceptable; this includes excused absences. If you are more than 15 minutes late for the class, you will be marked as absent for that day. For every absence over two (excused or not), two hours of documented and pre-approved community service will be necessary to make up the missed class. However, if a student accumulates more than four absences total, his/her participation will be judged as unsatisfactory.