Spring 2023  |  SOC 3415 Section 001: Consume This! The Sociology and Politics of Consumption (65598)

Instructor(s)
Class Component:
Lecture
Credits:
3 Credits
Grading Basis:
A-F or Audit
Instructor Consent:
No Special Consent Required
Instruction Mode:
Completely Online
Times and Locations:
Regular Academic Session
 
01/17/2023 - 05/01/2023
Tue, Thu 09:45AM - 11:00AM
Off Campus
UMN REMOTE
Enrollment Status:
Open (40 of 45 seats filled)
Also Offered:
Course Catalog Description:
How symbols are created, acquired, diffused, and used for organizing personal identity and maintaining group boundaries. Fashion. Socialization. Structure of retail trade. Role of mass media, advertising, marketing/production strategies. Implications of worldwide markets. prereq: 1001 recommended; soc majors/minors must register A-F
Class Notes:
Students need to be available to meet via zoom on TTH in the posted time slot for small group discussions. Lectures will be posted asynchronously. Click this link for more detailed course information: http://classinfo.umn.edu/?tgowan+SOC3415+Spring2023
Class Description:
The course traces the dynamic frontier of commodification, from the first department stores to the age of the influencer. We will unpack the symbolic construction of products and product-defined "life-styles" through media, the retail experience, advertising and branding. Then we'll shift to ecological critiques and solutions to the problem of waste and the ideology of endless "growth." The course will benefit students interested in gaining a deeper theoretical understanding of the mechanisms of historical and contemporary consumerism, whether they see themselves as critical consumers or ecological activists.
Class Format:
NOTE Students will need to be available 11.15-12.30 Tues Thurs for smaller discussion groups on Zoom. Lectures will be posted asynchronously.
20% Discussions in smaller groups on Zoom.
20% Film/Video/Lecture
60% Online reading and writing.
Workload:
Other Workload: Work Load: 50 average pages of reading per week, 30-40 pages of writing per semester.
Textbooks:
https://bookstores.umn.edu/course-lookup/65598/1233
Instructor Supplied Information Last Updated:
7 November 2022

ClassInfo Links - Spring 2023 Sociology Classes

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