Chapter 1 "Reading the Text" questions (part 2)

After reading your article, respond to the questions under "Reading the Text" that follow it (not the "Reading the Signs" questions). Please put the title of your article in your subject line. Please do this on or before Sunday (9/25).

The Semioctics of Home Decor

1. Summarize how, according to Kron, our possessions act as signs of our identity.
By owning things, we feel in control of these possessions, and well our life. Owning certain items also makes us feel that the whole world owns these items.
2. How do our living spaces work to create group identity?
Living spaces help to create group identity because if you own something, so do the people you hang around with or associate with. People also use items to compete with other people to show them that they have something that the other person doesn't.
3. Why did New York Times readers object to the consumption habits of Martin J. Davidson?
He told the media that he had an $11,000 stereo. That really raised the public eye. He spent tons of money renovating his living quarters. He figured every person lived like he did when there were people eatting, or rather "stealing" meals they couldn't buy.
4. In your own words, explain how pessessions give one a sense of "stability".
If you own something, you feel as if you decide what happens with that object. You feel in control, because the item has no say-so. If you share something, who is to say who really owns it? That could cause a problem that by buying your own possession, could be prevented.

The Semiotics of Home Decor

1. According to Kron, our possessions act as signs of our identity because with our own possessions we feel that they tell about who we are as individuals. Our possessions can, at times, separate us from others. There is a strong sense of control with owning possessions of your own; they can be a symbol of one's personality.
2. In a working environment one's possessions can be shared by other collegues as well. They become more of a norm instead of just your own possessions. Therefore, in this type of environment it can be very competitive in displaying possessions as a symbol of status.
3. I think people reacted the way they should have to Martin Davidson; people felt that the "material" things he bought and bragged about were completely unnecessary in life. People felt like there are so many more important things you should be spending your money on then, for example a $11,000 stereo. People knew he just wanted to be recognized and that's why they reacted the way they did.
4. I think your possessions can definitely give you a sense of stabilty. They are your very own and nobody else's, whether this be your cd collection or your own car; it's yours and only yours. That in itself gives you a feeling of not only control but also stability.

Revolution is the U.S.

1. The Japanese are more traditional, and would like their employees to have a job for life. The Americans are cheap and do every thing yourself. The western European gas station is more expensive because they are more worried for their populations’ welfare. The developing country gas station is run down with many people working but there is no demand for the one pump in operation. The communist gas station only has one employee working because the other three are working in the black market instead.
2. It seems that America is trying to inflict their keys to success on the rest of the world so they can be as happy as we are.
3. They are the people that will inflict all of their social norms on the other countries. Trying to put every thing American in the country.
4. I think he has more of a humor when analyzing the gas stations. It makes you want to read the rest of the piece because this makes you like the author if he can make you smile. Along with you are already starting to agree with him.

Careful, You May Run Out of Planet

1. All names of SUV's are linked to American western frontier or European exploration and settlement. These names imply that because of the SUV, all places can be reached.
2. It is ironic that SUVs are named after frontier exploration, when exploration is unfamiliar to the average consumer. Our fantasticideas of the SUV contradict with our ideas of environmental protection.
3. Women may feel a relief from household duties if they drive a powerful SUV. Household duties may make them feel as if they lack power. The SUVs may restore a feeling of power.
4. SUVs may be advertised for use in the wilderness, but their fuel efficency is bad for the environment.
5. Goewey gives example of how our view of the frontier is somewhat mythical because of parts of history that we don't know. The SUVs promote our tainted image, not the true picture of the fontier. By promoting this false image the SUVs have been very successful.

Revolution is U.S.

1) Cultural values are very different between the listed in this reading. They range from the perfect to the worst. This shows that the way of life is different in each country. In Japan there is the perfect gas station that actually puts pride into what they are doing. The next is the "American way" that is pump it yourself but we all wish that gas was only a dollar. The next theory states that Europe has lazy unhappy people pumping gas, this shows that they are laid back and they think that they do not need to do more than required. Developing countries gas stations resemble their country so to speak. The station is run down and the employees are all reletives because thats all they have. The last one is the communist gas station. This pretty much says that communists are in the mob. They sell to underground markets and do not leave anything for anyone else as long as they get their big fat paycheck at the end.

2) He ment that the Soviet Union was just a flare. It was bright at first but as time went on it burned out. Their leadership was terrible and it was jut asked to be overthrown by their own people. The United States has organization, leadership, and a strong faithful population that all work together to creat a good "super power". It may not seem like this today but those aspects are in our culture.

3) The American Gothic is the image that everybody thinks of when they picture America. The two old farmers was a good resebmlence of the old culture with farming was the biggest market in the united states. Now since time has changed and farming has been subsidized and we have become so far advanced. That is the image we have, crazy, insane freaks that can overpower you.

4)Friedman pretty much tells it how it is. He lays out the information and gives it to you without the sugar coat. He got pretty down and dirty with the communist gas station. Straight forwards comments came out of that but realistically thats how it is, exempting the european theory. I belve that they are some of the happiest people in the world.

Semiotics of Home Decor

1. Our pocesssions explain what is familiar to us and what our idetity is. They become who we are.

2. Our living places ususally identify the family that lives there instead of a group. Back in the past, groupd os civilizations may have built home to identify themselves instead of being strictly for shelter.

3. They believed he was spending way too much money for his house and things when there were people on the street starving.

4. Pocessions are believed to be "ours". When we have something that belongs to us we feel comfortable and we have a little control over the events in our lives. When are pocessions are stripped away we feel powerless.

Jihad vs. McWorld

1. Jihad is a group of nation-states that practices ethno-religious tribalism and this conflicts with McWorld which is the American led global capitalism.

2. The first scenario is a threatened group of nation-states in which culture and people are against each other in addition to being against every independence, technology, and pop culture. War is also involved. The second scenario is quite the opposite. It involves onrushing economic, technological, and ecological forces that demand unity. People are tied together by communications, information, entertainment, and commerce. I agree with these two scenarios as being options for the future.

3. They have anarchy in common. They both have the absence of common will and that conscious and collective human control under democracy. The two groups produce their contraries and they need one another.The conflict between the two groups continue to reinforce one another.

4. In both cultures, Barber says the virtue of the democratic nation is lost. Neither pursue equality and justice. Jihad pursues a bloody politics of identity and McWorld pursues economic profit. He says in the midst of all this no one is a citizen and democracy is non-existent.

The Spam Spoils of War

1. Cave suggests that "the rush to capitalize on terrorist's aftermath" is reflective of the American psyche because America is always rebuilding. When 9/11 happened, everyone rushed to get goods on the war. I think this is how we cope with our problems. When something negative happens we go and get things that show how much pride and love we have for the country. It is our way of saying "yes this happened to us, but we are strong and this will just make us stronger."
2. During Pearl Harbor, people signed up and enlisted to go to war and wanted to get revenge. After 9/11, people felt miserable and hopeless. The people felt like nothing could be done to improve the situation.
3. When Cave says, "Spam is the mirror of our consumer soul," he is talking about how our consumer mind takes over and we try and advertise during these times to deal with the problem. We take advantage of the situation and try to ease the pain by making some money or getting our point across.

The Spam of War

1.) Every american wants to be patric, a proud American, they do not want to see there contry loose, or get destroyed. As or after Sept 11, every american had to step up there intensity of bbeing an american, making themself partic again, showing there pride in the country. It takes some terrriosit threat, or destruction to show the real ameican in all of us.
2.)The most dreatic change you see from now, to when pearl harbor got bombs, is the hate and feeding off fear that everyone strives to upstain and buy. The killing of bin laden, or impling any thing in that nature is what the american public wants to see, not a sign saying" i want you", they want justice. It is a difference in the americans view of justice and they way they think of getting it.
3.)Spamis just a reflection of the deep desires each american strives to see. Each person wants to see Bin Laden dead, wants to see justice and peace, without fear. the spam gives them a way to think they are getting those values.

Jihad vs. McWorld

1) Jihad is the culture of the past that can be seen in eastern countries today, where tribal nation-states have bloodlust for technology, pop culture, integrated markets, interdependence, social cooperation, and the possibilities of the future. McWorld is the ideal of many that the world must be completely connected through communications, information, entertainment, and commerce.

2) The first scenario throws the world into an ongoing war between the many tribes of the nation-states where differences in culture cause the bloodshed. The second scenario shows the world as a shimmering portrait of economic prosperity, technological prowess, and global peace. I believe that the second scenario is more valid than the first, but that the first scenario will be encountered on the path to the second.

3) Jihad and McWorld are dependent on one another because with no McWorld, there would be nothing to protest against and attack for jihad. And if there were no jihad, there would be no reason for supporters of McWorld to expand their vision of peace and wealth.

4) Jihadic culture endangers democracy for the obvious reason that it promotes violence rather than understanding and compromising. McWorld endangers democracy through its greed, fighting for money and power rather than equality and justice.

careful, you might run out of planet

1. SUVs names are all representations of things far beyond. these names make one feel like their curiosity can be satisfied and the person will no longer be confined to the space they dwell in because there is this vehicle that is made to take them to far and betond lands.
2. Goeway points out the irony of SUVs representation of an adventurous, rugged, "out-doors-y" persona when these automobiles are the most polluting of all automobiles.
3. the author claims that SUVs broadened the scope of why and how women can use vehicles.
4. nature is beautiful because it is untamed, and the SUVs history (through their actual uses and just their names) is about taming it or even the right to tame it.
5. Goewey points out that the SUVs are not just big car/trucks with clever "out-door-sy" names. he outlines the history of the certain names or uses for the certain vehicles and why they are more than what they seem.

The Semiotics of Home Decor

1. Our possessions act by telling other who we are. They can tell what we value by the things we possess.
2. Our living spaces tend to tell about us as well. We generally are group that have the same living spaces as ourselves.
3. The readers objected to Martin J. Davidson because they did not feel they needed to know about all the things that he owned. Everybody is not in the same social status and not everybody needed to know about all the things he owned.
4. Possessions gives us "stablilty" because when we own something we know that it is ours. We don't have to worry about somebody else using it if you don't want to.

careful you might run out of planet

1. They tend to be associated with Western Frontier Mythology or Western European Tradition and a blend of American westernimagery and the European exploratory drive.

2. The ironies that come to play are they fact that the names of SUVs are derived from Western European Culture. The contradictions are the fact the SUVs are supposed to come from national idenity. However, America's popular mythology is at hand.

3. SUVs are made as very mascualine vehicles. When women drive them, they can escape from the often-given prissy stereotype.

4. While SUVs are given a rugged and very wilderness-type definiton, they are bad with gas, and polute the air quite a bit.

5. It shows how we the people were given more than the truth, and while we bit onto this mythical personality, we have also bitten onto SUVs. While they seem like very wilderness-friendly vehicles, they arent as wonderful as they seem.

The Spam Spoils of War

1. This can be viewed to different ways. The first would be that America has a strong sense of patriotism whenever a catastrophy occurs. The second would be that American business will always look to make a profit. It is a common question for entrepreneurs to ask themselves, "Hows many different ways can I generate revenue?" This revenue, however, mostly went toward relief efforts, showing that America does also have a passion to help each other out in times of need.
2. According to Cave, the only difference is that after 9/11, the AMerican People had a feeling of helplessness after the attack s occured. People could not enlist to fight for their country.
3.Since spam is so widespread, it is easy to contact hundreds of thousands of people, sending advertisments that interest the common public. This spam, is an easy way to rally people together, as well as making them reach into their wallets.