Sociology 105 Worksheet

University of Phoenix Material

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 act of buying products that are not needed just to prove that the buyer can afford to buy them. Rims on cars are a prime example of conspicuous consumption. The rims offer nothing in performance value to the car, but are flashy and draw attention to the car. I just bought a 50 inch television, I had a gift certificate for a 37 inch television, but I wanted the bigger one, because bigger is better.

• 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 leisure activities that are extravagant and show wealth. An example of conspicuous leisure is taking long extravagant vacations to exotic places. Higher class society may take longer vacations to exotic places where lower class people may take shorter vacations to less exotic places. Golf is a leisure activity that is enjoyed by people of all classes. The course that a member belongs to shows the level of wealth that the member has because of the amount of money they spend on their membership.

• Define the term globalization. What effect does globalization have on popular culture? Provide an example of how American popular culture has influenced other countries, or how the United States has imported popular culture from other countries.

Globalization is the...