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consumerism

A Reflection on the Gig Economy

August 31, 2018 by Anonymous Leave a Comment

I am no stranger to the gig economy. I have relied on it from time to time to supplement the income from my small business. When business is slow – or more often – when vendors are slow to pay me, I’ve taken short-term temp work, signed up for focus groups or been a “secret […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Building Economic Alternatives, Classism in the Economy, Classist Corporations, Poverty, Workplace classism Tagged With: consumerism, corporations, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, privilege, working class

The Prosperity Gospel and Classism

May 1, 2018 by Andy Pope 1 Comment

As a Christian and a formerly homeless person, I have seen how classism seems to run rampant in American Christianity. This is especially evident in what is often called the Prosperity Gospel. The Prosperity Gospel, in short, is a particularly inviting deception that equates spiritual blessings with material success. Of course, it is entirely conceivable […]

Filed Under: Class prejudice, Classism, Religion and Class Tagged With: consumerism, poverty, privilege, Rationalizing privilege

My Summers on the Cape

August 25, 2016 by Camilo Viveiros Leave a Comment

Working, Not “Summering,” on Martha’s Vineyard Summer rolling around means vacations for many. But for others it means seasonal migration to restaurant and hospitality work. When on the Cape recently, I stopped by a Black Dog store, to check to see if the clothing was still made on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. A considerable […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Classism in the Economy, Consumer culture, Dealing with privilege, Poverty Tagged With: consumerism, low-wage jobs, Minimum wage, money, poverty, working class

All Bodies Are Beach Bodies

July 20, 2016 by Taylor Chapman 3 Comments

Each year, as the chill of winter is thrown off by the warmth of spring and summer, we are inundated with advertisements on television or magazines, along with conversations in school or at work, all asking the same question: Do you have a beach body? The beach body is largely conceived of as a body […]

Filed Under: Class and health, Classism, Classism in Everyday Life, Consumer culture Tagged With: blaming the victim, classism, consumerism, health care, stereotypes

Fugg Off

July 16, 2015 by Class Explorer Leave a Comment

One wintery day I settled into my seat to enjoy a snack at a Finagle a Bagel not far from my office. The shop happens to be in a wealthy suburban neighborhood just outside of a major city, and there is an interesting mix of patrons there on any given day. On this particular afternoon, […]

Filed Under: Classism among Kids, Classism in Everyday Life, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism

Cultivating the Joy of Gift Giving

December 23, 2014 by Anne Phillips Leave a Comment

When I was a little girl, we never had extravagant Christmases. As excited as we were about the gifts, my mom always reinforced that “Jesus is the reason for the season” by making a Betty Crocker birthday cake for Jesus every year, we didn’t bother to put the right number of candles on, obviously. My […]

Filed Under: Class cultures, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, gifts, holidays

‘Black Friday’ has literally consumed Thanksgiving

November 27, 2013 by Anne Phillips 3 Comments

You can’t listen to your car radio, open your mailbox, turn on the television or watch a YouTube or Hulu video these days without being bombarded with ‘Black Friday’ mania. What was once a lazy day-after-Thanksgiving to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season (for those who celebrate gift-giving holidays) has now become a […]

Filed Under: Classist Corporations, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, corporations, low-wage jobs, shopping

Classism is in Fashion

November 19, 2013 by Miki Onwudinjo 2 Comments

Ever since Miley Cyrus twerked her bum on Robin Thicke’s crotch at the MTV awards, cultural appropriation has been a hot topic. But, society has been capitalizing off of minority cultures long before Miley was even conceived. High-end designers are now adopting hip-hop and urban styles to create a new IT look that has been […]

Filed Under: Classism, Classist Corporations, Consumer culture Tagged With: classism, consumerism, fashion, racism, stereotypes, white trash

“Revenge” and the Failures of Social Climbing

October 2, 2013 by Miki Onwudinjo Leave a Comment

The hit ABC melodrama “Revenge” features a slinky, mysterious blonde seeking delicious, sweet, sweet revenge. Emily Thorne, who isn’t really Emily, changed her name from Amanda Clarke, the juvenile delinquent and mentally lost daughter of a convicted 9/11 terrorist. The classist stereotypes portrayed in “Revenge” are viciously ripe. Each class has social limitations keeping them […]

Filed Under: Class in the Media, Pop Culture Classism Tagged With: 1%, consumerism, snobs, social climbers, super-rich

Money is No Object: Over-representing the Upper Middle Class on TV?

September 30, 2013 by Lita Kurth 1 Comment

As a child, I recall watching The Brady Bunch. Wow, they were rich. Although they had a large family, it never seemed to impact their finances. They had money for bikes, vacations, really nice clothes, nice cars, a gleaming kitchen commanded by a servant, a huge house in an obviously nice neighborhood. Didn’t they also […]

Filed Under: Class in the Media, Money, Pop Culture Classism Tagged With: consumerism, upper-middle-class

Adventures in Sustainability on a Budget

July 25, 2013 by Sasha Adkins 2 Comments

I began to eat organic after witnessing first-hand the effects of pesticides on migrant farm workers. I tried to stop using electricity from coal-fired power plants after I watched my students in Washington, DC struggle to breathe on “red-alert” air quality days. I read about the permanently disabling effects that some glues have on workers […]

Filed Under: Building Economic Alternatives Tagged With: consumerism, downward mobility, environmentalists

Brendan and the Magic Jeans

July 14, 2013 by Cari Gulbrandsen 2 Comments

Once upon a time there was a boy named Brendan. He went to high school. He liked to sleep in. He liked to eat pizza. Most importantly, he was nice to his mother. Even though he had a steadfast circle of friends, he longed to be friends with Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole and Ralph Lauren. […]

Filed Under: Classism among Kids, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, kids

Children and mass culture

July 11, 2013 by Pamela Haines 1 Comment

We can’t escape mass culture.  Everywhere, children and adults are bombarded: TV, movies, video, radio, books, newspapers, toys, comic books, billboards, friends and neighbors, etc., etc., etc.. Through all of these media we are pounded with messages that glorify consumerism, reinforce sexual stereotypes, and trivialize and homogenize anything if it will turn a buck. We […]

Filed Under: Classism among Kids, Classism in Everyday Life, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, corporations, kids

The Price of Passing

July 10, 2013 by Lita Kurth 9 Comments

Recently, a community college newspaper offered a fashion profile of several students. I was amazed and alarmed to learn that, if they were telling the truth, they were spending $200-plus on a pair of shoes and the same for a handbag. It’s true that the recent economic downturn has sent middle and upper middle class […]

Filed Under: Class cultures, Consumer culture Tagged With: class cultures, consumerism, working class

Louis Vuitton & Me

July 10, 2013 by Yvonne Williams Leave a Comment

I came home one day and saw my apartment number posted on the “parcel received” board. I said to myself,  “that’s weird, I didn’t order anything from eBay. ” I picked up my package, which had the return address of a student’s mother, and went to my apartment. I opened the package and omg, a Louis Vuitton […]

Filed Under: Classism in Everyday Life, Classism in K-12 Education, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, imposter syndrome, luxury

Jesse’s Choices

June 7, 2013 by Amy Mazur Leave a Comment

My youngest son is about to graduate high school. I am feeling a mix of emotions, as I am certain many others have felt and are feeling at this time. One of the more salient emotions for me is connected to a deep curiosity I have: did I teach him what he needs to know […]

Filed Under: Classism among Kids, Classism in Everyday Life, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, kids

Adjusting to holiday changes

December 26, 2012 by Amy Mazur 1 Comment

Throughout my life, when my holiday traditions have changed, for financial or family reasons, I have found myself yearning for what used to happen. When I was young, my family would travel regularly during winter vacations:  Florida, Washington DC, the Caribbean, Europe.  I grew accustomed to the ritual, and was very excited about all the […]

Filed Under: Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, downward mobility, holidays, middle class

Gifts, power and money

December 9, 2012 by Pamela Haines 1 Comment

The holidays can be hard times. With all the hopes and expectations of the season up, disappointments have more room to play. And when we most want our attention to be on loving and giving, it can easily slide toward getting, proving and comparing.  The pervasive materialism of the season, and the expectation that we […]

Filed Under: A World Without Classism, Classism in Everyday Life, Consumer culture Tagged With: consumerism, kids

Lettuce in winter: When more is less

November 20, 2012 by Pamela Haines 1 Comment

We all know what it’s like to appreciate a rare event–a fine restaurant dinner, a vacation to a far-away place, even an evening at home without the children.  We savor them.  We talk about the pleasures and hold them in a special place in our memories.  These times are part of what makes our lives […]

Filed Under: Classism in Everyday Life, Consumer culture, Spirituality and Ending Classism Tagged With: consumerism, gratitude

I’ll take the Highlander

May 3, 2011 by N. Jeanne Burns 1 Comment

It’s almost impossible to sell anything in the United States without reinforcing the social class hierarchy. But some ads are more explicit than others. The embarrassing thing in this ad isn’t riding the bus. No. It’s riding in your father’s previous-century station wagon. But it’s not just embarrassing. It’s utter humiliation, according to the blonde-headed […]

Filed Under: Class in the Media, Classism among Kids Tagged With: classism, consumerism, kids

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