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/
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/
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