Assignment 2: The Post Consumer

After carrying out some personal research on the topic we met up to discuss post-consumerism, this is the idea that some things have value, which is immeasurable in monetary terms. For example something, which helps others, or allows for quality family time has a value. This is because people have come to realize that happiness is not only about money and material items.

We began with a general discussion on the topic, talking about what we think post-consumerism is and what a post-consumer would be like in terms of age, appearance, personality etc. We created a mindmap, looking at areas such as products a post consumer might purchase, what their interests would be and who their celebrity icons might be. For example Russel Brand and Prince Charles have been determined as post-consumer celebrity icons. Prince Charles has spent time running the Prince’s Rainforest Fund and educating people about the reasons why we should try to live environmentally friendly lives. Natalie Portman can also be seen as a post-consumer as she is not only a vegan but also refuses to wear animal products. Another celebrity post-consumer is Harry Potter actress Emma Watson who collaborated with People Tree an ethical and environmentally friendly clothing company to create the current spring/summer collection.

Here is a basic outline of characteristics that we think might fit the profile of a post consumer:

Age: We think a post-consumer can range in age from late teens through to the elderly. Anyone aware of issues such as climate change, exploitation of the poor, child labour, animal cruelty, carbon emissions etc can make a conscious design to make a difference by altering their lifestyle.

Income: The income of a post-consumer could vary considerably but we think that most post-consumer are likely to be relatively wealthy/have a comfortable income. This is because with a relatively high income and the ability to buy any material item you desire, it will be easy to see that happiness is not solely dependant on income.

Communication:

Likely to be involved in protests/create petitions (perhaps against companies which cause significant environmental degradation for example)

May be involved in educating others-campaigns, schools, posters/leaflets/merchandise

Raise awareness of global issues relevant to a post-consumer

Shops/Companies:

Charity shops- Oxfam

People Tree- Ethical and Environmentally friendly

Style Junky- Women’s fashion. Social and ecologically conscious. Does not support disposable fashion.

Timberland- Earthkeeper range. Eco-conscious footwear.

Services:

Recycling schemes

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Conservation schemes

Volunteering

Forest Stewardship Council

Could be a member of WWF-tackle climate change, poverty etc

Travel:

Walk/bicycle/car share: reduce carbon emissions

Public transport

Eco holidays/Ecotourism

Responsible tourism

Support for local people/projects

Volunteering holidays

Carbon offsetting schemes-First Choice holidays

Rainforest protection scheme-First Choice holidays

Food:

Organic

Home grown

Allotments

Local produce- reduce air miles

Perhaps vegan/vegetarian

Fair trade: Ben and Jerry’s, Bananas, Green and Blacks etc

Sustainable

Clothing:

Recycled- Oxfam

Make do and mend- fixed, altered, personalized

Home made- crafts person. Knit, crochet.

Fair Trade

Organic Cotton

Biodegradable-Bamboo/ other natural fibres

Celebrity Icons:

Natalie Portman

Jack Johnson

Emma Watson

Prince Charles

Russel Brand

Below are some images of my group creating a mindmap and poster centered around post-consumerism and the profile of a post consumer.

Assignment 1 (Semester 2): Learning Styles.

During our group meeting today we discussed the outcome of the learning style surveys we each took. According to the online questionnaire I took I am a strong reflector, moderate activist and very low theorist and pragmatist. I think this is probably quite accurate, however I do feel there are points in each category that I could argue describe me.

As a reflector it think it is true to say that I don’t like acting as a leader I find this very challenging, I also dislike public speaking and doing things with no time to prepare. However I am not particularly fazed by deadlines as I feel I am quite an organized individual. I also don’t think I over analyze situations. I do fit the reflector role but I can relate more easily to the activists role. This is because I like to try new things, solve problems and welcome new opportunities. I like to work in a team on occasion but I also like to work alone as I sometimes feel group work can in fact irritate me when I feel the workload is unevenly shared or some people are not putting in significant effort. I think it is true to say I am not really a theorist or pragmatist. I don’t really tend to follow a set pattern or work in a step-by-step, structured manner. I also learn well through experimentation and trial and error rather than by being shown techniques or following models.

I correctly guessed the learning style of two people in my group, Sarah and Sophie who are both reflectors. Sophie in fact got the exact same result as I did on the learning style questionnaire, which is a probably a little unusual. I am sure that despite the same result we will each have a different personality and background and can therefore each contribute differently to the group. Two other members of the group are activists and another is a moderate reflector/pragmatist. The dominant mode of the team is reflector but i think the group is quite balanced despite there being no theorists. This is because Sarah who is a very strong reflector is also a strong theorist so our team is not too uneven and perhaps Sean may also be a theorist. He was unable to make the meeting today so we are yet to discover his learning style. As none of us are theorists we will have to ensure that we cover all aspects of the tasks logically whilst working as a group. We will have to be careful, rational and think through our actions, we will also need to make sure our decisions make sense.