Guided Reflection 7

GUIDED REFLECTION #7

Focus Chapter, State of the World, 2010

PREPARING FOR GROUP PRESENTATION

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES

TRANSFORMING CULTURES TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY

NAME: Michelle Hess

1.    What is the name of your focus chapter?  Media: Broadcasting Sustainability

2.    Who are the authors?  Jonah Sachs and Susan Finkelpearl, Robin Andersen and Pamela Miller, and Amy Han.

3.    Identify the chapter’s main point. 

The main point is to use media to promote sustainability by encouraging efforts to limit messages of consumption and consumerism, and instead focusing advertising, arts, and other media on encouraging more socially positive behaviors.

4.    Select five quotes from this chapter that are significant to you. Write them down.

..people working to foster sustainable behavior must use storytelling to reach audiences on a human, personal scale. 

The marketing revolution that helped reverse cultural norms so swiftly can be seen as a small miracle – a miracle to learn from and perhaps repeat.

Learning how to critically engage with television, magazines, film, and the Internet is essential in a sprawling media landscape where users are exposed to more and more media every year.

Clever ad campaigns may cause consumers to feel clever by association, but they often encourage them to think uncritically about whether the company behind the campaign follows sustainable business practices.

Music continues to be used as a way to connect with people’s values, heritage, and cultural preferences in order to encourage behavioral change.

5.    Reflect on these five ideas and synthesize them into one idea, one personal thesis. Write this down. (Your thesis must map directly back to the concepts you selected, but do not have to agree with the ideas in the chapter.)

To use media effectively and to gain the maximum advantage in pushing sustainability and environmental causes, we must learn from the past and use advertising methods from the 50’s, storytelling, and even music to encourage people to change their behaviors.

6.    Reflect on and briefly explain why your thesis is of significance.

My thesis is significant because in this age of consumerism, we must use tried and true methods to reach people.  We must connect with them on a meaningful level to have any true impact on them and their practices.

7.    Consider your audience and their point of view. Further explain what you mean by stipulating with examples what your mean or what you do not mean, or by giving an example or two of how your thesis may be applied or misapplied in today’s culture.

My thesis could be applied by taking a popular tv ad and spinning it towards our goals. Another way to use it would be through music. Parodies are often popular, but these rarely have any meaning message.  Generally, parodies are just funny.  If we could turn humor into something meaningful, people might appreciate and catch on to the message. A parody about population control would be a great way to start.

8.    Should your idea(s) be broadly applied in today’s culture, what are the

implications? In other words, what may or may not occur?

            If we effectively applied media strategies as these have been used to boost

consumerism, we might, if we are lucky have a total reversal of consumerism.  If that isn’t possible, I am sure there would be at least a strong reduction in consumerism.  We might even be able to reduce the population.  Wouldn’t that be something.

9.    Reflect on and respectfully address opposition. You may have to do some research or discussion to complete this point.

Some believe consumerism is the American way, and that trying to reduce consumption is a violation of their rights and a breach of the fundamentals of capitalism.  I can see their point; on the other hand, if we use all of our resources, we will be left with nothing. I propose reducing population is the key to any compromise. If we reduce the population, we could all live better.

10. Bring it back to your main point by briefly discussing the consequences, intended

or unintended, or either broadly accepting or ignoring this idea?

            If we ignore the potential of the media in pushing our message, we are missing

out on a grand opportunity.  In addition, if we allow the current media messages of consumerism to continue, things are just going to get worse.  Currently, there is a movement toward simplicity due to the current state of the economy, so this is the perfect time to strike, while the iron is hot.