Chapter 10 Consumers and the American Ethos
Instructions for short-answer questions: Answer the questions below. Use complete sentences on all answers. No one or two-word answers will be accepted. The questions should be numbered and not in essay format. Make sure you answer all the questions with substance and your understanding of the reading. Do not just copy from the reading. Also, no outside materials can be used; Turnitin 5% or less. Paper must be checked for errors, and have a cover sheet.
What does it mean to be a good business person and a “true professional?” Does it mean taking a customer or client for all he/she is worth? Does it mean making the most amount of money possible regardless of who is hurt in the process? Does it mean joining the Culture of Greed? Or does being a good business person or “true professional” mean serving others to the best of our abilities, while enjoying practicing our given skills and providing valuable services to others?
How has advertising and marketing influenced not only what we buy and sell in this country, but what we value as well? In this chapter we will explore the nature of consumerism as both a catalyst for and an effect of what may be called “The American Ethos.”
After watching YouTube Clip: The Dangerous Ways Ads See Women-Jean Kilbourne-15.51 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy8yLaoWybk
Please answer the following questions using the clip and your experiences with advertisements.
- What are some stereotypical stories media tell about women? Give an example.
- What are some stereotypical stories media tell about men? Give an example.
- What sorts of products are sold using images of women and femininity?
- What kinds of products are sold using images of men and masculinity?
- How is success usually portrayed in advertisements? Give some specific examples.
- Are there forms of success that advertisements seem to leave out? What are they? Why do you think they’re not as common in ads as other kinds of success?
- How is happiness portrayed in advertisements? Be specific about the kinds of happiness that ads typically appeal to, or put on display. And talk about what these ads seem to be saying is the secret to this kind of happiness.
- What are some differences between ads that feature white people and ads that feature people of color?
- What kinds of products are sold using sexuality? Why do you think advertisers would use sex to sell their goods? How does this work, anyway? What does it mean when people say sex sells?
- What is an item that you purchased that was influenced by advertisement? Why?
