Consuming and the American Dream?

A life of voluntary simplicity seems to be the exact opposite of conspicuous consumption that we discussed in our first week. We have come full circle from upper middle class competitive consumption to hippie-ish ideas about conservation and simple living. I appreciated the misconceptions about voluntary simplicity that the author provided, because I had those same assumptions when I began reading. I was surprised how age-old the hippy ideas were, dating back to ancient Greece. I thought reading about this lifestyle in all the different cultures at different times was very interesting. While this life of voluntary simplicity seems to be a good idea, I feel like it would only work on a smaller scale or in technology free environments. Even the ancient Greeks didn’t fully abide by the Golden Mean though, I’m sure, that many believed in it and thought it was right.

This was a very difficult article for me to get through. Elgin makes some very valid points about the value of voluntary simplicity, but his approach and tone really rubbed me the wrong way. If we could truly educate the world and somehow magically achieve worldwide mindset shift, then perhaps we could live in the utopia Elgin describes on p. 407:

 If we intend to live together peacefully as members of a single, human family, then each individual has a right to a reasonable share of the world’s resources. Each person has a right to expect a fair share of the world’s wealth sufficient to support a “decent” standard of living-one that provides enough food, shelter, education, and health care to enable people to realize their potentials as productive and respected members of the family of humanity.

Earlier when he was discussing the practices of voluntarily simplicity, Elgin said, “…there is no dogmatic formula for simple living, there is a general pattern of behaviors and attitudes that is often associated with this approach to living.” (Elgin 401/402).

I found this rather ironic, because he immediately followed this statement with a list of nearly 20 guidelines. Some of the guidelines were fairly common sense: (They “Tend to lower their overall level of personal consumption-buy less clothing with more attention to what is functional, durable, aesthetic, less concern with passing fads, fashions, and seasonal styles”), but others bordered on hippie ideals, such as boycotting companies for political reasons, alteration of “male-female roles in favor of nonsexist patterns of relationships” and “the eloquence of silence” and “the language of the eyes.” Barftastic! The table on 404, while I’m sure it is well meaning, really comes across as almost commune-like. It nearly makes me want to eschew the principles of “voluntary simplicity.”

I like Elgin’s thought process and the message he intended to relay, but I really, really, really disliked his delivery. If he wrote the entire article the way he wrote the last paragraph, I would have found it far less abrasive. In effort to learn a little more about Elgin and his motivation, I learned that this article was initially published in 1981. Our version (“with significant revisions”) was published in 1993 and yet a more current version was published in 2010. I’d be interested in comparing the newest to the older versions.

There were a couple of quotes that stood out for me, in addition to the ones I listed above. I have listed them below.

“Poverty is involuntary and debilitating whereas simplicity is voluntary and enabling.”  (Elgin 399)

“Ecological living is not a path of “not growth” but a bath of “new growth.” (Elgin 399)

- Sara

Last Friday (the 20^th) we were assigned a fieldwork trip to Spotsylvania Mall. The weather was overcast and mild, and I arrived around 10:30. The Mall was quiet and not too crowded. The shoppers that were there appeared to be elderly, parents with young children, and some students (I’m guessing college-age). There were also some Mall walkers, but fewer than I would have imagined.

I haven’t been to this Mall in a very long time, so I was very interested in seeing the changes that I had been hearing about. One of the first things I noticed was it was cleaner than I remembered, and the assistants working at the service desk were very polite and helpful. They actually looked like they wanted to be there working.

We (Sarah G. and I) walked around and got a general feel for the Mall before we went into any stores. One of the most interesting things I noticed, which I don’t believe was there the last time I was, were the advertising booths in the middle of the aisles. Stores would furnish great window displays with up-do-date products that really encouraged you to shop at their store (which I later did).

We talked to the FedEx delivery man. I was really interested to know that he said he delivers daily, and it takes about 45 minutes to do his deliveries to the stores. I would have thought it would take longer—maybe he’s really good at his job or he’s become accustomed to a routine. He had a lot of delivery materials, so I don’t think that affected things.

In addition to the FedEx delivery man, there were also other delivery trucks delivering products and other consumer items.

Every store we went in had very nice and helpful sales people. Although there were other customers in the store, they went out of their way to help us and answer any questions we might have. One salesperson, at the Sears store, went out of her way to explain about a sale they were having and how long it was going on. I went into the store looking for a particular product, which they didn’t carry, but she eagerly offered to order it for me and acted as though it was not an extra burden for her to do so.

Most of the stores in the Mall had great window displays on the front of their stores. They were fresh and inviting, and some even prompted our entry into the store when we hadn’t planned on going in. In the stores, there were displays in the aisles showing sales items, new products, impulse products, etc. This is a great way to sell merchandise, but it’s very dangerous for consumers (or at least it can be).

We walked down around the food court—that was interesting because there was no food court the last time I was at the Mall (I told you—it had been a while!). I’m sure having a food court adds to the shopping experience—you can shop, stop for a bite, and then go back to shopping (without ever leaving). I wondered after I left if the addition of the food court was due to whoever owns the Mall or just a way to update the Mall. I wish I would have asked someone.

The Mall shopping experience is different than the downtown Fredericksburg experience. While the same types of people were there, because the times we visited were similar, I would have imagined that the Mall would have more people. It wasn’t due to the stores opening after 11:00 like in Fredericksburg, as all the stores were open. I guess the economy is taking its toll on everyone, and shopping isn’t done as much as before.

I thought it was interesting to see different things at the Mall, like tax experts, police department, and post office. It seemed to me like a good use of space, as I’m sure not all the spaces are full. I also liked the different types of stores—clothing, shoes, tea, big-mall stores like Macys or Belk, and jewelry stores.

As for transportation, I know the Fred bus comes out to the Mall, but I didn’t see one when we were there. I know that people drive to the store, but as it’s on a busy road I don’t imagine many would walk to the Mall.

It would be interesting to see what the Mall looks like after school or in the evenings. I wonder if there are a lot of teenagers that frequent the Mall (like every other Mall I used to shop at).

As for anything unusual—and this depends on your point of view and what you expect from the Mall—they were setting up a display for the following day to talk about affordable housing. I think it’s kind of interesting that they’re trying to offer things that the community is interested in that doesn’t involve shopping. Also, later in the month they’re sponsoring a blood drive. This reminded me of the reading we had about the new suburban malls and how they incentivized shopping. Kind of interesting—kind of unusual. I suppose I could also say that having a Post Office in a Mall is practical, but unusual.

My overall analysis is that the Spotsylvania Mall has come a long way since I first visited it in the 1990s. The food court is a welcome addition, and all the new upscale stores in the back (which I didn’t have a chance to visit because of time constraints) should boost sales. I would like to visit it again, but the Mall is one of those places you tend to overspend at—kind of like going grocery shopping on an empty stomach. But all in all, it was interesting. And fun.

If I read this article clearly, it is strongly encouraging people to become what most would call “hippies.” The article relates being more aware, or more conscious, of the environment around you to leading a more simple life, in all aspects. Normally, I would just think of simplifying in terms of consumption. For example – buy less, purge items you don’t need, don’t let clutter rule your home. It seems that consumption is not the only thing people need to change to achieve true simplicity. They must also simplify their relationships, work, and connection with nature. According to the article, this can be done by simply being more aware of the blocks that people place in their own way, obstructing all of these relationships. It seems reasonable, but reading the effects, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself at the conclusions that simpler living clears up more time to spend gardening or making music with loved ones, causes people to become more compassionate and more connected with nature (tree hugging, anyone?,) causes people to eat better and consult holistic experts for medical care, and my favorite, use public transportation instead of their own gas guzzling symbols of consumption. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a hippy – I kind of envy the people who have the discipline to live this way. Though the article is very interesting, this world is a long ways away from enough people changing their ways to cause any kind of ripple effect large enough to create the utopia it seems would be required to save the world.

This article may have been my favorite.  While we have read about and downsizing and not overindulging, about the struggles that consumers who live below the poverty line face, the racism they endure (either realized or self-imposed), and now we learn that after everything the most important thing is to live simply and be happy.  Elgin pointed out that it is inaccurate to equate simplicity with poverty – and I wholeheartedly agree.  His argument that “simpler living integrates both inner and outer aspects of life into an organic and purposeful whole” seems to be correct.  I like his point of view that to live more voluntarily is to live “more deliberately, intentionally, and purposefully—in short, it is to live more consciously.” This article makes some very good points and makes you think about your life and how it impacts the world surrounding you.

I do agree with his statement that “[i]nstead of placing primary emphasis on material riches, they have sought to develop, with balance, the invincible wealth of experiential riches.

When I was in high school (many, many years ago) we studied these principles in one of my classes. I think it’s interesting that I’m learning about them again. I will continue to learn more about this, as I find it fascinating. I guess the older you get, the more you begin to question these things(?)

Harmony and purposeful living. No chocolate cookies today. I think I’ll call my mom instead.

Take care. See you tomorrow.

This past Friday, (April 20^th) our class got the chance to visit the Spotsylvania Mall located in Fredericksburg Virginia.  I arrived at the mall with Eleni around 11:15.  It was in the mid 60s with some cloud cover, but other than that it was a wonderful day outside.  I parked in what I would consider “the front” of the mall and we went in the main entrance.  While walking in the parking lot, I saw a lot of customers getting in and out of cars, so I would say that this was the main form of transportation for customers and for employees as well.  I did however see a couple of bus stops and know that the FRED bus does make regular stops at the mall.  There are a lot of stores in the mall and because of this, each store has their own delivery trucks bring their products.  From what I understand the mall gets deliveries almost every day of the week and each store is different.  I did also see a FEDEX man delivering the mail to each of the stores.

When we first walked into the mall we decided to sit at one of the seating areas in the middle of the corridor and people watch and just take in our surroundings.  The sitting area had a few couches and chairs.  Surrounding them there were a few tables and fake plants.  The plants were mostly fern like and potted trees and added to the atmosphere of the mall.  The mall has tall ceilings and is completely enclosed with windows on the ceilings. The first thing I noticed while sitting and people watching was a group of men setting up for what I thought was most likely a high school art fair.  After watching for a while I decided to ask a man, who looked like he was in charge.  He was very nice and answered all of our questions and explained to us that they were setting up for a affordable housing fair that was going to be held here the following day.  He explained that multiple companies were going to come and inform the community about affordable living in Fredericksburg.  He also told us that they were going to set up a kids sections so that parents could bring there kids as well and have them be entertained while they went around to the different booths that were being set up.

Also while I was sitting there I noticed how many jewelry stores were in the mall.  From where I was sitting I could see four different ones selling the same exact thing and as we began to walk around it was interesting to see how many stores actually do sell basically the same things.  For example, Americaneagle and Hollister were set up near each other and both stores sell to the same demographic and basically sell the same thing.  However the only thing that is different is the logo on the clothes.  So to me it seems that people buy for the logo because their products look very similar.

Most of the customers that we observed were older women, middle age women with young children in strollers, and even a few couples.  I did not see many high school or middle school kids, because they were most likely in school.  As we watched customers, most were walking in and out of stores and browsing but not buying.  You could tell that were some women who walked into the stores new what they want and purchased right away.

Walking into each store it was interesting to notice the differences but even some of the similarities that all the stores had in common.  A lot of store use the same tactics to try and entice shoppers to come into their stores and buy their products.  They often have big display glass windows that have big colorful signs that talk about sales and what the customer could be saving if they choose to shop at there store over the others.  Some stores used pictures in their displays while others use manikins.  One store (Saxon Shoes and Accessoires) even had giant red footprints all over the mall that lead customers to their store.  This is a great business strategy because they are very hard to miss and even I found myself wanting follow them all around the mall.

The mall is full of department stores like JC Penny, Belk, Macy’s and Sears and other “chain stores”, such as Claire’s AmericanEagle, Hollister and Express.  There were also a lot of specialty stores like Lids, which sells hats, Bath and Body works, perfumes and lotions and the Sweet Factory, assorted candies.  The two stores that I was surprised to see were a Casco, which is much like a Sam’s club a larger grocery store where people are able to buy in bulk and a Dick’s sporting goods.   As we walked into each of these stores there were a few things that you noticed right away that I have never taken the time to notice before.  First everywhere you go in the mall, there is music playing.  Each store has their own genre playing that relates to their customer demographic.  Hot Topic, an edgier punk store was playing loud music that seemed to be yelling at me when I walked in.  Aeropostale and AmericanEagle played top forties pop music and each shoe store had their own kind of music as well.

Almost every store that we walked into, a salesclerk or someone working behind the counter asked if we needed assistance and if they could point us in the right direction.  I have experienced this in almost every store except for the Jewelry stores in the mall.  I had to go to the mall last week with a small group of people to find gifts for our seniors on the lacrosse team.  We wanted to get them small silver pedants that we could get monogrammed.  However every jewelry store that we walked into the receptionists were not helpful and did not acknowledge us until we said something after standing there for some amount of time.  I do not know if this was because we were college student who they assumed did not have money but either way we are customers.

As we made our way around the mall we eventually found the food court and other fast food restaurants spread out around the mall. There was one larger food court that was like any other food court you would find in any other mall.  Different places selling different ethnic foods, Chinese food, Italian, and of course McDonald’s.  There was also a Dairy Queen, Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks spread out around the mall.

As we were walking around the mall it was interesting to see how many things were there for kids.  A train was driving around the corridors honking its horn and would allow kids to get on and ride around for a certain amount of time.  There was also a forest themed play area that allowed mothers to sit and watch their kids play.  In the food court there was a pirate theme display where kids could “Come and take Pictures in front of the Pirate Ship- Unsmashable.”  After reading the information board I learned that this display was up to help bring awareness to bullying.  In conclusion this seemed to be a very family friendly mall.  This is also a great businesses tactic because like we talked about two weeks ago, in “Born to Buy”, when mothers bring there kids to the mall they are more likely to buy things for there children who are whining, complaining, or even demanding things.

The only time that I visit the Spotsylvania mall on a regular bases is to go to Dick’s.  I personally do not like malls and never feel connected to them.  There are usually to many people and it can get quite overwhelming at times.  So I try to avoid the mall as much as possible.

Overall I really enjoyed the three Fieldwork trips that we took this semester.  I thought that they were all very informative and I was able to observe things that I usually do not pay attention too.  When I walk into a mall it is usually for a purpose, I want to get in and get out as fast as I can, so I really enjoyed just being able to walk in and observe my surroundings.

On Friday, April 20^th, I visited the Springfield Mall at 11:30 in the morning. I was supposed to get there by 11:00 but I got help back in traffic and then a little lost. I finally saw the mall and pulled in, parking outside the Belk. I was surprised that the parking lot seemed quite full for what I was expecting on a weekday at 11:00. While I easily found a spot and not too far from the entrance either, I had half expected the mall to be empty at this time. The weather was nice and I suppose that always seems to get people out of the house. I didn’t see how anybody could have gotten to the mall without driving as the area was much more commercial as opposed to residential.

I went into the Belk entrance which had a table set up with young girls. I thought that maybe it was a girl scout table but wasn’t sure and because I was short on time, did not have the opportunity to speak with them. The Belk looked much like the many I have been in: clean and organized, though this one seemed to be a little bigger than the one I am used to. I walked through the Belk and went out into the main hallway of the mall. That particular entrance had about three young boys who seemed to be handing out pamphlets, though they did not approach me, so I cannot be sure what they were doing there.

Once in the main hallway (I don’t know what else to call it) of the mall I was surprised by the amount of people who seemed to be there at this time of the day. I walked up toward the Costco and the closer I got the Costco, the less crowded the mall seemed. Most of the stores at this end of the mall seemed to target children. The Build-a-Bear Workshop, the ‘Wiggle Worms’ (which seemed to be a play area where mothers can leave their children supervised while they shop), a store called Crazy 8 and the Choo Choo train. I spoke with the girl who ran the train and she talked about how they get really busy during holidays (which wasn’t surprising). I went into the ‘As-Seen-On-TV’ Store where a guy with a Jamaican accent was sitting at the cash register. I always enjoy looking through these types of stores and at all the ridiculous trinkets mixed in with subtly brilliant inventions.

Walking through the mall, I noticed two security guards walking about. They were both elderly men who I figured wouldn’t put up much of a fight, but their presence was still calming. I didn’t understand why the mall needed two GameStops, and the stores weren’t even at opposite ends of the mall, one was closed to the middle and the other near the Costco end. I kept myself from going into the very tempting ‘Sweet Factory’ which was colorful and inviting and also near the Costco end with all the other children’s stores.

I saw many stations set up in the center of the hallway much like every other mall I have been in. One station was selling hair curlers and strengtheners and would do your hair for you, another few stations were selling the typical cell phone accessories and the jewelry station that pierces ears. As I passed by one store, a woman with a tray approached me and asked me to try some tea. Of the few stores that I found the time to go into, most of the employees seemed to be helpful and upbeat. I went into Journey’s to look at the converse shoes as I desperately need a new pair and immediately upon entering the store I was offered help, though I refused the help, it was appreciated nonetheless. I went into Claire’s to look for a cheap pair of stud earrings and the employee working in there was rushing around, though she was kind and upbeat and greeted me nicely. I went into Icing to look for the same thing I was looking for in Claire’s and the employee did not greet me, she only kept looking down at her book. I commented to her on my surprise that they sold flasks and she only grunted in response. I went into Papaya only because it looked like an interesting store, I had never been in one. I felt that there were far too many employees working in there at the time, though they seemed to be friendly. I ended up buying a dress off the sale rack for seven dollars.

After going into the stores I rushed to walk through the rest of the mall before having to leave and saw many stores that I was expecting to see. An Abercrombie, and American Eagle, Finish Line, Victoria’s Secret, Starbucks, J.C. Penny’s, and many more that are typical for malls. I had been looking for a mall directory since I had gotten there and couldn’t find one until I got to the other end of the mall toward the end of my visit. It may have been that I wasn’t looking close enough and missed some on my walk through but I was surprised that I had only seen one throughout my visit. The food court was also pretty typical except for the Chick-fil-A cow walking around, another thing I wasn’t expecting for this time of day.

I didn’t have any particular connection or disconnection with this mall. It is a mall, much like any other. What I didn’t like was the layout, I thought it was annoying how many side-hallways there were with dead ends. I would have preferred to be able to walk through without walking up and down each side aisle to see what was down there.

I really liked this last article that we had to read. I found the writing to be simple and I could understand it well. The author talks about what it really is like to live simply. I enjoyed his story to about the family that worked on the farm. Though my family was never that poor I can say from being Amish  that the simple life is not based on material needs, but only the things that will get us from day to day. I enjoyed his list about trying to live a simpler life. Like individuals who enjoy “walking, making music to­gather, sharing a meal, camping, etc , or volunteering to help others getting involved in civic affairs to improve the life of the community.” Again throughout my childhood this is all I did. I feel that is where society today can learn from the past and realize how living simply can help not only yourself, but relationships and the environment. I also enjoyed that he said that living simpler can help people have more compassion for the world around them. I think that society today is very harsh to the poorer individuals really splitting up the classes and races due to financial situations.  I really liked this reading and felt that I could understand it mainly do to my different background.

On a beautiful sunny day, which happened to be not to hot and not to cold around 69 degrees, I went with my mother to the Spotylvania Mall. As we drove in I noticed the roundabout, which seems to serve a good purpose in keeping the high traffic volume down. I also thought about the way that employees and merchandise would get to the mall. Of course they could always take the Fred, but really how reliable is that. On another not employees and merchandise trucks would have to use a car and due to the layout of the building find the department store closet to the store they worked or were dropping off merchandise. My mom and I, saw parking areas and lots of them, but none close to the door. After searching for five minutes we found one relatively close to the main entrance. There are lots of parking, but I can only imagine how parking is on a busy day. As we walked in the large open main doors, we could only imagine what was inside.

The first thing that I noticed in the mall was how clean it was. It smelled fresh and was very neat. Even though the mall was laid out extremely awkward and confusing, the different hallways and venues looked neat and clean. There were many stores that had the same merchandise and were side by side. For example, Kay’s and Helzberg Diamonds both jewelry stores were center of the mall. Not only that clothing stores like Charlotte Russe, American Eagle and Hollister all seemed to be relatively close to pull in the buyers of all those close. In my opinion, all those stores appeal to college girls so why not have them all in the same hallway so that shopping becomes easy and convenient.  I also found that having the food mart in the back was an extremely good idea. I liked the advertising idea of getting you to shop, shop, shop and then as you get to the back “oh hey, lets grab something to eat.” While we were in the food court I noticed the big red foot prints leading back to another shoe store. Wow, what a great idea that was. I felt like I was Dorothy following the ‘yellow brick road.’ We continued to walk around and I started to notice how bare the mall was. Most of the shoppers were middle-aged women some with children and some not. They all seemed to either be shopping just for fun or going for a nice Friday stroll in the mall.

We continued to check out stores, but the three I would like to note are Victoria’s Secret,  Macy’s and Charlotte Russe. As I passed Charlotte Russe I couldn’t help but notice the amazing window displays and the signs for discounts. Me being a bargain hunter, I ran into the store and straight back to the Clearance Rack, much like many other young women in the store with me. As I noticed there layout, they looked very clean having some discount items in the front to draw you in and then expensive items and then the clearance rack. The employees were extremely nice and eventually they helped me to find 5 or 6 outfits to take home. The store was greatly organized with bright summer clothes and new pop music that every college kid would like. Charlotte Russe is one of my favorite stores because of its great deals, good window displays and nice employees.

The second store was Victoria’s Secret. With there bright pink signs and blasting music who couldn’t love this store. Not to mention all the pictures of the hot models. I love the layout of the store on one side they have bras, and panties. Then fragrances  split the middle with there pink collection on the outside right. It is a really great layout and also due to the fact that you can see the other side while shopping. I also love the employees there. They are so friendly and help any customer that needs help. Not only that they understand that not every women is a super model and helps them decide on the perfect fit for them. The store again has hip music and bright colors drawing women in. In a sense, I feel like it draws in men too. What man doesn’t want to look at a supermodel and help his significant other pick out sexy lingerie. I think that this store was greatly laid out and organized. It has the names, prices and pictures of the bras in every section they are in. Not to mention that when you leave you get a pretty pink bag sprayed with the scents of Victoria’s Secret.

The third store I would like to talk about was Macy’s. In Macy’s most of the shoppers were middle-aged women. Some had children and some were alone. Macy’s is a great store even though it is a little bit expensive. Not only that, but the store is well organized to an extent. My biggest complaint with Macy’s is that sections are poorly labeled. They are labeled but the font is small making it hard for shoppers to find there way around. Another aspect is that I feel like Macy’s is based for older women. They do have a petit section and a male section, but the women’s section is amazing. Plus, they have lots of family items that draw women into the store. Macy’s had nice calm music which made it easy to walk around and shop. The employees were nice and helpful especially the women around the makeup and fragrance section. I liked Macy’s but I found it so big that it was hard to shop because I got tired of looking for sections and trying to read the small print.

I really like the Spotylvania mall. Considering I spent till about 1 there shopping for new spring outfits. I think that mall is laid out weird, but the stores are clean and the venues organized. One thing that I did not enjoy was the different music. I liked that the mall played different types of music to please everyone, but I hated that the stores did it. I realize that they need to draw in their own consumers, but when the music and smell is so loud aka Hollister, I did not want to go in. Also, I felt the lights in the mall made it comfortable to walk around in. Some stores like Papaya were too bright and others were too dark like Hollister. I always thought the mall was for teenagers to hang out and make bad choices, but after visiting the Spotylvania mall I realized that it can be a nice place to go and leisure shop with friends and family.

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Duane Elgin’s article “Voluntary Simplicity and the New Global Challenge” attempted to offer a solution to some of the large consumer problems we have been discussing all year. He suggests that those in the cycle of make and spend change to a more simple living style. He advocates for consuming less, donating more, and attempting to live an experiential life instead of a material one. I agreed with these thoughts, that people would be happier if they took life more casually and just attempted to get the things they needed rather than think they need but actually want. However, I think he is a little to idealistic about implementing this. I think it is very unlikely that the wealthier people will redistribute their wealth to those who are poor in order to live more fairly. And I do not think that this is an American view either. Those with more money are not going to give that up because doing so means giving up power, which almost no one is willing to do. I did like how he argued that this process starts  with the individual and I think among the middle class it could work because of this current economy and their position between the very rich and the very poor, but it will take time.