1. Chapter 7 What role should consumerism play in our economy?
General Outcome
Students will demonstrate an appreciation the relationships between consumerism and quality of life.
Chapter 7 What role should consumerism play in our economy?

2. What guides your behavior as a consumer?
Definitions:
Consumer behavior
Economic growth
Consumer spending
Consumerism
Advertising
Marketing
Boycott

3. What are factors that might influence the decisions you make.
Describe how you identify‐who you are, what you believe in and value, where you live, the groups you belong to, your way of seeing the world?

4. What guides your behavior as a consumer?
In chapter 6 we discussed scarcity. Answer the following question: How do your decisions on quality of life and scarcity influence the decision you make when you purchase something?
When answering this question consider the following questions: How much will you consider your health? Safety? Security? How does choosing a product affect the jobs people have? Environmental impacts? Do you really need that product?

5. To what extent do the products we consume define who we are and what’s important to our quality of life? Read pages 243‐254 and fill in the chart on the following page.
Factor
Notes
Identity
Health and Safety
Jobs
Environment
Marketing

7. What affects the impact of consumerism on the economics of Canada and the U.S.?
Read the comic on pages 258‐260. Read the questions on page 260: What influences John’s behavior as a consumer? How does his income affect his decisions?
Have you ever had a job? What were your choices like before and after you obtained that job? If you don’t have a job, where do you get your spending money? How do you earn it?
Consumer Empowerment:
Read pages 262‐263 and describe the various perspectives.

8. How does consumer behaviour affect quality of life for individuals and groups in Canada and the United States?
Video Clip: Watch the following video clips: “The Big Ideas‐Consumerism #1‐#2” and answer the following questions.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Right down and answer the following questions on the next slide.

9. Describe the perspective of the narrator, Jonathan
Describe the perspective of the narrator, Jonathan. You may want to do this question last.
What does he list as forms of advertisement?
What is the “Big idea”?
Disasters unfold in society how?
How are consumers unaware of what they buy?
How is consumption linked to the environmental downturn?
How has consumption changed over time?
In the film hierarchy in society is described. How did people accept their ‘lot’ in life?
Consumerism is the heart of capitalism. How did consumption become so easy?
How is consumerism seen as a new religion?
What did President Bush tell the American people to do after 9/11? What were his reasons?

10. Come up with 3 solutions to consumerism.
THINK HARD!! In groups of 3 brainstorm the answers to the following questions.
Come up with 3 solutions to consumerism.
How does the GDP connect to our quality of life? What happens when a society STOPS consuming?