Saturday, February 14, 2009

Exam 1: Review Questions

Student Leadership
Contrast the “traditional” definition of leadership with how Astin & Astin think about leadership. What are some the barriers (i.e. limiting beliefs) that keep students from leading/engaging in the classroom or on campus? Relate these ideas to the “silent treatment” exercise I subjected you to in class.

Engagement at Simpson
Use the highlights of the Spezio article as a jumping off point; “grade” the current level of engagement at Simpson and think about what we could do to get students more engaged (see handout on Campus Assessment of Civic Engagement, as well as Simpson Survey data).

A New Engagement, Chapters 1-2
Use your reading of Zukin (PowerPoint outline is linked to my web page) to answer the questions below. What is the main theme/thesis of Zukin’s book? How does he define “civic participation,” and what are the most important findings from his study about it? Know the 4 generations and their profiles, and be able to talk about events that shaped GenX vs. DotNets.

A New Engagement, Chapter 3
What are “public voice” and “cognitive engagement,” and can they substitute for other civic/political responsibilities of citizenship? Zukin claims about 50% of Americans are “disengaged”; how does he know this? Note the gaps in engagement between the old and the young, AND any areas where youth actually show high levels of engagement.

Individualism & Social Capital
Is Hudson right that radical individualism is a dangerous part of American culture? Explain why or why not. What does the “American creed” have to do with this? If you could propose 3 solutions to promote more “community” (vs. individualism) in the U.S. based on Putnam’s work on social capital, what would the solutions be, and WHY? What other positive effects might this have on society (see Putnam article)?

Buyology
Be ready to discuss (in depth) three findings of interest from the video on the psychology of spending.

The Overspent American, Ch. 1
Schor highlights several negative societal problems tied to our culture of materialism and consumption; describe three of these problems. Given special attention to the way we define luxuries vs. necessities, and use the handout on this issue to supplement Schor’s analysis.

Consumption and Happiness
Using the readings, wrestle with the following questions. If some choice is good, why isn’t MORE choice always better? Explain the logic of Schwartz’s arguments on this point, with examples. Then connect and extend this idea to Frank’s discussion of wealth and happiness. What do think is his main insight?

Simplicity and Generosity
Review Schor’s 9 Principles for stopping the “upward creep of desire.” Apply three of these principles (those that “hit home”) to your own life, and illustrate how you might practically use them to change. Other issues: Do you think you could “downshift”? How do you grapple with Singer’s idea on poverty?

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Rising Income (1950s to 2000s)

Someone asked today about how much income has grown in the last 50 years in the U.S. Here is a report from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows the upward trend (the figures account for inflation already, by using constant 1997 dollars). See just the first few pages of the report for an answer...

FYI: the income gains have not been equal by race, with incomes of some minority groups lagging. But the overall trend is income growth since the 1950s for most socioeconomic groups / classes...

Monday, February 2, 2009

Consumer Spending/Saving Rates in 2008

There's been a lot of talk about consumer spending recently, including how this latest economic downturn might influence it. Well, now we have a better idea of what the impact has been. From today's A.P. News article...

...personal consumption spending dropped by 1 percent in December. That was slightly worse than the 0.9 percent decline economists expected. The government also revised its November estimate lower to show spending fell 0.8 percent rather than 0.6 percent in that month.
At the same time, this seems like it's having a beneficial impact on the personal SAVINGS rate, which for the last few years had hovered not far above zero...that's right...zero!

Americans worried about the possibility of more job cuts boosted their savings rate to 3.6 percent of their after-tax incomes in December. That was the highest level since tax rebate checks temporarily pushed the rate up to 4.8 percent in May
What do you think? Have your spending habits changed, as you look at your own budget? Are you saving more, if at all?