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27 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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As you all know over the last few weeks within class we have been studying a variety of related texts in the form of feature articles, as well as the full length expository text called 'Affluenza' written by Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss.
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In an attempt to understand intertextuality and the relationships within the texts, I first tackled each feature article. By breaking them down. I looked for particular parts of the texts which helped me develop a better understanding towards ‘Affluenza’s’ central concept 'the epidemic of over consumption' and the similar concepts and view points as a consequence of this so called ‘epidemic'
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Through doing this I was able to obtain understanding of not only how common the motivations of money and materialistic items are within society but also how each individual who wrote these expository texts describes similar concepts, of causes and effects due to over consumption in Aust. society.
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Including media influences and advertising, parent and child behaviours, economics, the environment, history, marketing, psychology, values and attitudes and waste.
I have come to realise that when we read a text we store relevant and important information within our brains. By doing this we create a broad understanding of a subject or concept and develop on it. |
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As our interest grows we provide ourselves with more and more forms of information until we have a whole understanding of a concept or at least partial understanding, to which we then form our own personal opinion. Linking these concepts to prior texts or knowledge and building on it is called intertextuality.
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As 'Affluenza' is an expository text its purpose is to inform, explain, define and/or describe, to me, as the reader how the ongoing issue of over consumption is causing society to become delusional over money, and how it contributes to our unlimited wants and needs
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Hamilton and Denniss use many different elements and conventions to develop their argument, discussing how and why it occurs, who it affects, the short and long term factors, and progressive steps towards a cure. This is done by presenting their information in facts, detailed explanations involving expert opinions, statistics, diagrams and tables.
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The first intertextuality link I made within the feature articles and 'Affluenza' was, that within the book Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss believe that prior to the 1990's, Australia has been infected by Affluenza, an increasingly overwhelming distraction with money and materialistic items rather than those values and attitudes spiritual or intellectual. Similar observations have also been noted within each feature article.
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In ‘21st Century child’, Cameron Stewart, the author, emphasises 'the new generation of this century', and the 'difference to 20 years ago'.
and 'Faking it' by Susan Maushart where, ' after the 1960's we began to hear of people finding themselves.. their identity. By spending more money on wants rather than just needs'. |
Further more according to Hamilton and Denniss we are 'in the grip of a consumption binge. Unique to human society', unable to satisfy our wants sensibly, we cant seem to make rational decisions and only have ourselves to blame as a society.
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This concept of irrational spending was also emphasized within each feature article. At first I personally disagreed with this statement I found it highly harsh and unnecessary, as to me, if we were unable to satisfy our wants sensibly wouldn’t we be in a worse off position than suggested?
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I would assume due to our growing purchases we are consuming more and more, with the excuse that the items we are consuming are our needs. When in reality we are buying our needs and necessities, as well as temporarily satisfying our wants.
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I feel its a wrong explanation on Hamilton’s behalf, as we wouldn’t go looking for a house, have a budget of lets say $600,000, fall in love with a house that’s just under $1 million dollars and buy it, blowing our budget and choosing not to eat for a year.
But perhaps that is what has actually happened in America, with the mortgage bust, people now having to live in tent cities |
With this thought in mind I then read:
'parents are spending more money on toys than ever before...' yet '..even so it comes at a price'...' family shopping outings becoming more about novelty items rather than foods and necessities'. (within 21st century child) Now I was beginning to re-evaluate my thoughts, finding another statement questioning my beliefs. |
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'people are spontaneous spenders, they are ready to buy and not afraid of debt'. (within Cashed up bogans by Melissa Kent)
It reminds me of a personal experience of give or take...When my parents began looking at a new family car as my brother was getting to tall for the backseat of our Mondao. |
we needed something a little bit bigger to accompany our growing family.
My parents ended up in the long run buying two cars a falcon and a magna, the need for two cars? there wasn’t any.. it came down to the fact that my dad felt he could sacrifice the little things to make up for his spending spree on his new magna |
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(not to mention the ongoing accessories.. even now) and my mum not to thrilled but partially pleased as she had a new car (the falcon), it was simple and more roomy my brother had more comfort on drives and it was a good family orientated car, everyone was happy. But what did we end up giving up? I guess we will never know.
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By the end of the book and after reading all the feature articles at least one I began to find more interesting points making me think about my own personal experiences. I was beginning to gain a better understanding about the links between texts and how they can change and shape our values and beliefs.
Through ‘Affluenza” I gained a better |
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understanding that though perceptions are not reality they can blind us to reality.
People feel that owning things of more expense can forful their needs and wants, yet there is never enough. |
This thought is also acknowledged in similar terms in "Faking It" which describes how '..particular individuals are profiting from the average persons inability to tell the difference between what is fake and what is real' (page 18).
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Moving on from my thoughts...
Feature articles and expository texts both use similar elements within writing to gain a readers attention. |
Yet as we live in a consumer society, advertising is a major factor of business. Within Affluenza it is discussed that beyond the selling of products and making profits, ethics are not addressed within market structures. Perhaps we should question whether advertising is actually legitimate within society or not. Particularly more and more advertising is mainly positioned towards children who are both vulnerable
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and naïve. I feel that its unlikely advertising of goods and services can change our deepest priorities (such as our true selves). Hamilton and Denniss argue that it can alter our behaviour. the concept of advertising exists to change a persons behaviour. When advertising persuades us to do unwise things, it builds a space between our short and long-term interests.These being what we are doing and what we should be doing.
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Both use persuasive language, and have a particular selection of detail (the selection and emphasis developing the authors point of view).
They commonly use statistics, images and expert opinions (like doctors and psychologists). A title, subheadings and imaginative and exaggerated use of language, very emotive and mostly clear to the point. |
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Not to mention their common cause and effect structure, compare and contrast, case histories, slight notations (depending on the article) and repetitive nature.
Reading both a lengthy expository text and a number of feature articles my interests and concentration lasted more on the articles. This most likely was due to a different structure and lay out of columns rather than ongoing pages of extensive paragraphs. |
This is though both effectively presented their argument.
All the feature articles I read provided some kind of contrast between past and present, quotations and associations. As well as notions, and cultural or community based values and attitudes |
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Such as in " Cashed up Bogan" where the word "finally" within the title provides insight into the notion that particular individuals, in this case brogans (blue collar workers and skilled tradesmen) have had to struggle for recognition and now have earn respect. Promoting not only equality but also multiculturalism. This feature article also uses slang by association and interpretations of different attitudes within society.
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Each feature article had an image. providing insight into their intended subject and argument. These images were symbolic and representative, emphatic, indulgent towards their opinions. And were positioned to be eye catching, inquisitive and commonly led into the article.
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Affluenza unlike the feature articles I read did not have any images within its argument. Though like each feature article it did provided different forms of statistics, relevant facts, information and opinions to back up its argument.
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Due to its lack of images, subheadings and eye catching bold titles throughout the book I was unable to be as well informed or as interested in its positioning or its actual topic of over consumption within society.
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Affluenza was written in elaborate paragraphs that I feel were demanding on knowledge and understanding of a reader, particular parts, I was unable to connect with or understand, causing my interest in the book to deteriorate and my concentration to dwindle from time to time.
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The feature articles were each emotionally engaging and thought- provoking particularly their central ideas.
They were written in short paragraphs, relying on background information, intellectually changing ideas, persuading ideas and using humour to hold my interest and gain my acceptance on the authors opinion. |
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As " Affluenza " appeals to a diverse variety of people, pretty much everyone (such as scientists, the community in general, consumer credit councillors, congregations and marketers) for particular reasons or just personal interest I feel that " Affluenza" could have had better potential on certain individuals or groups
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like myself if it had provided more open minded sources, public opinions rather than statistics involving a majority and providing a variety of options as (supposed) cures rather than just "downshifting".
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Over all though I feel feature articles and expository texts have very similar elements, conventions and use of information. The projection of particular structure, style, sizing (especially in paragraphs or images) and argument determined whether my interest was developed and evoked or totally lost.
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When one steps on the wheel of desire, it is never ending. Desire is thus a problematic emotion.
Within Affluenza it discusses that the "The problem is not that people own things; The problem is that things own people" (17). |
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The use of advertising constructs links to objects through associations and symbols, to human longing for health, wealth and love.
A common bombardment in modern society, which provokes illusions which make it difficult to tell the difference between what is fake and what is reality. |
Advertising has caused a huge amount of the rising levels in personal debt. “Affluenza” explains that it is not just marketors of goods and services in general but also financial institutions, encouraging debt, lending more and more money (pp74-76)
This can be seen through ongoing and ever growing marketing over credit cards. Over extending limits, without asking, imposing costs on withdrawals, and loyalty schemes |
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That produce more financial difficulties. In the book this is expressed through the statistics of how many people are now in debt and having problems.
Shown on page 73 within ‘Affluenza’. Figure 6 provides insight into the proportion of people in personal debt, other than housing from 1990 to 2004. Debt has increased from just above 40 billion in 1990 to more than 110 billion in 2004. |
Hi everyone my name is Ashleigh and I will be speaking to you about how my understandings and interpretations of the the full-length expository text ‘Affluenza’ has been influenced by reading a number of associated feature articles.
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Hamilton and Denniss assure that in a marketing society, debt has negative effects, supposedly strongly connected to the rise in depression, anxiety, obesity and a range of other disorders (pp 38)
The Australian Unity Well-being Index finds only minor differences in the average well-being of those with debt (75.4) and those without debt (74.6). People owing over |
$200,000 actually have higher well-being than people with no liabilities—because such people are usually high income-earners with assets behind the debt. Not being able to always pay debts, however, is a clear negative for well-being. In the under $60,000 a year income group well-being falls below the normal range among those who cannot always pay their debts, and significantly so for households with incomes of less than $30,000 a year.
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Hamilton and Denniss offer no solution to debt only critical analysis. They provide ongoing problems instead of solutions. Only temporarily discussing alternative options like policies if sat all throughout the book. The main chance in controlling debt being the ‘Political Manifesto for Wellbeing’ at the end of the book. Which suggests advertising codes ‘be legislated so that irresponsible and deceptive marketing is outlawed’ (p.222).
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Feature articles and expository texts both use similar elements within writing to gain a readers attention. Both use persuasive language, and have a particular selection of detail (the selection and emphasis developing the authors point of view).
|
|
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They commonly use statistics, images and expert opinions (like doctors and psychologists). A title, subheadings and imaginative and exaggerated use of language, very emotive and mostly clear to the point. Not to mention their common cause and effect structure, compare and contrast, case histories, slight notations (depending on the article) and repetitive nature.
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Reading both a lengthy expository text and a number of feature articles my interests and concentration lasted for a longer period of time on the articles. This most likely was due to a different structure and lay out of columns rather than ongoing pages of extensive paragraphs. Though both effectively presented their argument
|
|
|
All the feature articles I read provided some kind of contrast between past and present, quotations and associations. As well as notions, and cultural or community based values and attitudes. Such as in " Cashed up Bogan" where the word "finally" within the title provides insight into the notion that particular individuals, in this case bogans (blue collar workers and skilled tradesmen) have had to struggle for recognition and now
|
have earnt respect. Promoting not only equality but also multiculturalism.
Each feature article had an image. providing insight into their intended subject and argument. These images were symbolic and representative, emphatic, indulgent towards their opinions. The images were positioned to be eye catching, inquisitive and commonly led into the article. |
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Affluenza unlike the feature articles I read did not have any images within its argument. Though like each feature article it did provided different forms of statistics, relevant facts, information and opinions to back up its argument.
|
Due to its lack of images, subheadings and eye catchingly bold titles throughout the book I was unable to be as well informed or as interested in its positioning or its actual topic of over consumption within society.
Affluenza was written in elaborate paragraphs that I feel were demanding on knowledge and understanding of a reader, particular parts, I was unable to connect with |
|
|
or understand, causing my interest in the book to deteriorate and my concentration to dwindle from time to time.
The feature articles were each emotionally engaging and thought- provoking particularly their central ideas. They were written in short paragraphs, relying on background information, intellectually changing ideas, persuading ideas and using humour to hold my interest |
and gain my acceptance on the authors opinion.
As " Affluenza " appeals to a diverse variety of people, pretty much everyone (such as scientists, the community in general, consumer credit councillors, congregations and marketers) for particular reasons or just personal interest I feel that " Affluenza" could have had better potential on certain |
|
|
individuals or groups like myself if it had provided more open minded sources, public opinions rather than statistics involving a majority and providing a variety of options as (supposed) cures rather than just "downshifting".
Over all though I feel feature articles and expository texts have very similar elements, conventions and use of information. |
The projection of particular structure, style, sizing (especially in paragraphs or images) and argument determined whether my interest was developed and evoked or totally lost.
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