2nd Essay (TMA02)

Hi folks, sorry about the wait, but, as previously predicted, studying has been kicked up a notch. BAM!
Anyway, the 2nd of my 7 essays making up my module was involved indeed. It wasn't even a question. It went. 'Consumer society gives people choice. Discuss'
Yeah, OU. Thanks for that. Well, having made sure of the social sciences dictionary definition of consumer society, then checked the entry for 'discuss', all became clearer. Discuss actually is broken down into a meaning and a subheading. These being, 'describe why something is the way it is, then present both arguments relating to it'.

Well, no problem. 1250 words sounds like a lot, but to a blether such as myself, it could be a constraint. I used 1264, which is fine, as it's within an accepted percentage. On this essay, I am asked to use concepts, theories, models and figures/tables to make both sides of an argument. I had practice for this on my entry entitled Are Supermarkets Super?, in which I considered two views, then gave my own. On this essay I used retail parks and supermarkets as examples to discuss. I drew upon two social science concepts. Firstly, Zygmunt Bauman's concept of the seduced and repressed, and Dennis Wrong's concept of sum power games. Bauman speaks of people who conspicuously consume as being seduced, using consumption to outwardly display status, through stuff. The repressed, those who cannot 'effectively consume', due to low income, lack of mobility or access to private transport (Braehead is far away). These folks have their choices restricted by the growth of expensive, far away retail parks, and by supermarkets squeezing out local businesses. So, do they have choice? Yes, but it is restricted and dictated by corporately run, privately owned retail parks. And the seduced? They have more choices, but only to buy what is being offered.

The other concept I used to discuss the question is by Dennis Wrong. If, by some fluke, a supermarket opens, and everyone gains out of it, then it is described as a 'Positive sum game'. Every body wins. If one or more party loses out to the gain of another, then it is a 'Zero sum game'. IF. An important word, as always. The buying power and market power of supermarkets mean that someone, somewhere is losing, be it a local butcher, baker or candlestick maker. Or a supplier, having his prices fixed by ALL the supermarkets to a sweatshop seamstress (see 'Are Supermarkets Super?).

So, there it is. An outline of my 2nd TMA. Right I'm off to check out the STOP website.
http://www.stoptesco.info/

1st essay (TMA02)

Well, the first essay has been marked and returned. The mark was 64, which is a bit of a middling mark in my opinion. The comments I got were encouraging, considering the mark awarded. I knew after submitting it that there was an example I gave which could have been better. So did my tutor. Nonetheless, she was still positive in her critique.
I felt from her comments that I had missed the main point of the question, and suggested to her that her mark was "generous". Yes, I know, gift horse, etc, but I want to pass well, so if the essays are not great, I need to know. It could be argued that, as long as I do the finals really well, then that is fine. I'm not buying that.

I want to know that when I am awarded my qualification, that it has been for consistently good pieces of work, not just because I peaked every 6 months. So, with this in mind, I am about to begin preparing for TMA 02. It's due for submission on the 29th of March.
I've had a "clear pass", now I want a "good pass".

Are supermarkets super?

The easy answer (for me at any rate), is no. I could simply leave it at that, but I am supposed to be writing about my studies, so here goes for this week.

The subject could be anything, but the point of the studies is to be able to take a critical stance on opposing arguments. Since my studies of contemporary UK society are related to consumerism, then supermarkets are the obvious choice, given that most consumption seems to happen in them. If degrees were being handed out to anyone with an opinion on such matters, then I would be the tutor. It will take discipline to work through the subject, and no little patience. Now before those who know me well completely crease with laughter, you should also remember just how damn stubborn I can get. That is one trait which I will be turning into a positive.

On to the question above. I remember my incredulity when ASDA launched George, its clothing line. Raging, I was, that a place where you buy your grub should take away the business of clothed shops. I don't expect to walk into Burton's and get some chicken fillets and spuds with my new strides. Especially not when sweatshops and child labour is a feature of its production. Supermarkets make the ludicrous claim that people in Bangladesh and other countries EXPLOIT labour markets to work in the factories who supply their lines. How do they know? They know because these people are paid more than other workers in similar jobs. BUT, and it is a big but, The wages paid to them are still less than the minimum they would need to live on in their respective countries.Yes, that's right, these cheeky people, who  are trying to live on less than £20 per month, are exploiting Wal-Mart. Well, I was nearly crying into my cornflakes when I read that.

Having an opinion doesn't mean that a person can claim to know stuff, or even to be particularly smart, but knowing what I now know, has given me the right express some opinions, chief amongst which: supermarkets aren't super.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTTSj-VU2u8

Week 4

Another week's study has passed, and as I surmised last week, the level of intensity has stepped up. I have been looking at consumerism this week, (how appropriate to this that Fight Club was on TV again this week, but I digress).
Consumerism, as I have studied this week is not simply a matter of expenditure and "stuff", though I have no doubt that theses will be looked at soon enough. It has been about why, where, how. It has also been about the conceptualisations of aspects of consumption proffered by 3 social scientists, looking as far back as the mid-nineteenth century, to the present day. Conspicuous consumption (Vebler), consuming to display identity (Susman), and the divisions created by consumer society described (by Bauman) as being between the seduced and the repressed.
The exercises have certainly been interesting, and ask the student often to look at themselves. Difficult to begin with, then with not much thought, worryingly easy.
Do I feel confident enough to posit a summary. Well, I could just quote the textbooks in relation to the wider consumer society and say the following:-
We are more concerned today with definition of ourselves by our hobbies/interests than our occupation/profession.
That we display through consumption, an identity that we wish to be known by.
That we are all able to consume, regardless of income.

On a personal level, I can say that all of the above can apply to me at different times for different reasons or audiences, and consumerism is mighty hard to avoid. Even if you avoid Tesco et al, and like to shop in terms of far trade or reduction of your carbon footprint, it is still consumption. Not a happy ending, I know, but there must be plenty of ways in which to redress the balance.

Catching up.

Well, I may have jumped the gun on my studies (entry #1, Week 1, Take 3), but this has a welcome benefit. Now that I have begun part 2 of my studies, now within the bounds of the schedule, I have already carried out 3 of the exercises relating to the material. Woo hoo! I will not, however, be slacking off to beat Pam's score on Bejeweled Blitz. Rather, I will review the work previously carried out, to ensure that I have grasped the contents of the material, and have worked to the standard required.

What I can say new, is that the first TMA (tutor marked assessment, or essay), is the module in microcosm, and that whilst I am confident of having done well enough to make a percentage pass, the material and studies will now kick up a few gears. You know what? I can't wait.