Consumption and Mass Media Worksheet
1. Respond to all questions with academic paragraphs of at least 50 words. State your point of view and explain it thoroughly.
• What is conspicuous consumption? How does conspicuous consumption influence purchasing decisions? Think about a high-priced item that you have bought or would like to buy. To what extent does conspicuous consumption affect your decision? Conspicuous consumption is the spending of good lavishly. It is acquiring services mainly for the purpose of showing wealth or income. Doing all this can maintain or give social status. Conspicuous consumption influences purchasing decisions because people tend to buy stuff they want, instead of sticking to only the things they need. I have bought a high priced item; I buy high priced clothing all the time. Thinking about it, I can buy an article of clothing from target and it will serve the same purpose as me spending 100 dollars for the same piece of clothing from a brand name store.
• What is conspicuous leisure? Examples of conspicuous leisure are abundant on television. In what ways are leisure activities informed by social and economic class? Provide an example of a popular leisure activity. What assumptions can you make about the participants of the activity? Conspicuous leisure is a term that denotes visible leisure for the sake of displaying social status. There are many examples of conspicuous leisure on television, for instance Beverly Hills 90210 displays teenagers and their daily activities based on their social status. Shopping on Rodeo Drive is an example. People will show there, to make it known their social status with money and what they can afford. This people choose to indulge themselves in a life of luxury instead of sticking to the bare minimums that they need.
• Define the term globalization. What effect does globalization have on popular culture? Provide an example of how American