Spring 2022 (MWF)

Complete assigned course materials before class begins.

Course Calendar

Week	Assigned Course Material	Assignments Due
Week  1.1	● Overview of course design ● Key points from syllabus	Due: ● Read: Syllabus
Week 1.2	● Sandlin, J. and Milam, J. (2015). ‘Mixing pop (culture) and politics.’ Pp. 323-337. ● Expectations / Hopes vs. Course Description ● Discuss: SAIL Project w/ The Climate Initiative and SD High School students: Consumption & Climate Change
Week 1.3	● Zoom: Seminar
Week 2.1	● Marx, K. (1867). Section 4: The Fetishism of Commodities and the Secret Thereof.
Week 2.2	● Kosoy, N. and Corbera, E. (2010). Payments for ecosystem services as commodity fetishism. Pp. 1228–1236.
Week 2.3	● Zoom: Seminar
Week 3.1	● What is Conspicuous Consumption? ● Mukherjee. R. (2006). Class and Consumption in Barbershop films. Pp.599–614.
Week 3.2	● Mukherjee. R. (2006). Class and Consumption in Barbershop films.Pp.614-629. ● Optional – Veblen, T. (1899). Conspicuous Consumption. Pp. 33-47.
Week 3.3	Zoom: Seminar	Due: ● Concept Video Presentation due via Canvas
Week 4.1	● Koch, E.S., and Sauerbronn, J. F. R. (2019). To love beer above all things: 1–17. ● Optional – Bourdieu, P. (1984). Introduction. Pp. 1-7.
Week 4.2	● Koch, E.S., and Sauerbronn, J. F. R. (2019). To love beer above all things: 17-25. ● Liu, H. (2019). Chop Suey, P.F. Chang’s, and Chinese Food in America. Pp. 155-168.
Week 4.3	Zoom: Seminar
Week 5.1	● Adorno, T. (1942). Reflections on Class Theory. Pp.93-102. ● Rivas, C. M. (2014). Heart of the City: Pp. 125–136.
Week 5.2	● Adorno, T. (1942). Reflections on Class Theory. Pp. 102-110. ● Rivas, C. M. (2014). Heart of the City: Pp. 137–148.
Week 5.3		Due: ● Midterm via Canvas @ 11:59 PM
Week 6.1	● McPherson, A. (2014). “De fuud em produus me naa go iit it!” Pp. 280-303.
Week 6.2	● Chang, C.& McGonigle, I. (2020). Kopi culture: Pp. 213–231.
Week 6.3	Zoom: Seminar	Consumption Reflection: Prompt published in Canvas
Week 7.1	● Ling, R. (2020). Confirmation Bias in the Era of Mobile News Consumption: Pp. 596–604.
Week 7.2	● Choose your own reading that involves a psychological dimension of consumption for Consumption Reflection	Due: ● Submit 100-word annotation and citation info for your article with accessible link by 11:59pm PDT.
Week 7.3	Zoom: Seminar
Week 8.1	● Phenomenology. (2013). Read: 1: What is Phenomenology? 2: The Discipline of Phenomenology; and 3: From Phenomena to Phenomenology.
Week 8.2	● Choose your own reading that involves a phenomenological dimension of consumption for Consumption Reflection	Due: ● Submit 100-word annotation and citation info for your article with accessible link by 11:59pm PDT.
Week 8.3	Zoom: Seminar
Week 9.1	● Waste Land. An Art Collaboration in the World’s Largest Garbage Dump (2010).
Week 9.2	● Sandlin, J. and Milam, J. (2015). ‘Mixing pop (culture) and politics.’ Pp. 337-344. ● Miller, T. (2017). Resistance and Greenpeace vs Shell via Lego in Greenwashing Culture. Pp. 82-95.
Week 9.3	Zoom: Seminar
Week 10.1	Memorial Day – No Class ● Choose your own reading that involves globalization or consumer activism for Consumption Reflection	Due: ● Submit 100-word annotation and citation info for your article with accessible link by 11:59pm PDT.
Week 10.2	Asynchronous recorded lecture: ● Sandlin, J. and Milam, J. (2015). ‘Mixing pop (culture) and politics.’ Pp. 344-347. ● Elshaer, I. et al. (2021). The impact of religiosity and food consumption culture on food waste intention in Saudi Arabia. Pp.1-7 and 12-14; optional: Pp. 7-11.
Week 10.3	Zoom: Seminar ● CAPE Course and Instructor Evals ● Academic Affairs: TA Evals	Due: ● Last call for missing assignments
Finals	Final Exam scheduled from 11:30am-2:29pm PDT. *Consumption Reflection is the Final Exam. Your presence is not required in person for submission.	Due: ● Consumption Reflection due via Canvas @ 2:29 p.m. PDT

COMM 175: Cultures of Consumption

Spring 2022
COMM 175
Graduate Teaching Assistant: Kate Metcalf

Course Description

Welcome to COMM 175: Cultures of Consumption. This course is listed as a seminar, which runs differently than a traditional lecture. Discussion is central to a productive seminar. This seminar explores how and why humans participate in consumer culture. It examines the cultural politics of consumption across time and cultures through several concepts: commodity fetishism; conspicuous consumption; taste; class; and identity formation; consumption’s psychological, phenomenological, and poetic dimensions; and contemporary manifestations of globalization and consumer activism. Lastly, it links these concepts to cultural and ecological issues that emerge because of unsustainable consumption.

Land Acknowledgement

For millennia, the Kumeyaay people have been a part of this land. This land has nourished, healed, protected, and embraced them for many generations in a relationship of balance and harmony. As members of the University of California, San Diego, we acknowledge this legacy. We promote this balance and harmony. We find inspiration from this land, the land of the Kumeyaay. 

Student Learning Goals & Course Objectives

This course involves 4 central objectives:

1. Analyze consumption in relation to culture and various levels of identity
2. Discuss the cultural politics of consumption and key philosophical dimensions
3. Activate environmental consciousness and sustainable consumer logic

Emergent Outcomes

This course encourages students to reflect and self-assess. Self-reflection and critical engagement are instrumental to this process. Will you apply what you know and learn, or are you simply fulfilling a major requirement? Emergent outcomes shift away from a professor’s pedagogical expectations and invite students to participate in learning assessments. Students are responsible for knowing the Quarterly Timeline with Deadlines, which includes drop/add info.

Course Requirements & Assignments

25%	Community-Building Tasks (multiple due dates in Canvas)	10 points
25%	Concept Video Presentation (includes Slides + Peer Review)	40 points
25%	Midterm (see Course Calendar for due date)	25 points
25%	Consumption Reflection (see Course Calendar for due date)	25 points
	Extra Credit CAPE survey 70% response rate	2 points
100%	TOTAL (without extra credit)	100 points

Community-Building Tasks

To encourage students to engage with the course materials and cultivate a collaborative learning environment, there will be various community-building tasks that students can complete throughout the quarter. Such tasks include taking notes during lecture and posting them on a class Google doc by the end of the week, completing course-related surveys, attending relevant Communication events outside of class, participating in community events such as a trash cleanup, attending student hours, and writing an academic review of films or documentaries (among other tasks). The objective is to accumulate 10 points in whichever way(s) are most convenient to students and the professor. Some tasks are worth more points than others. The point totals will fluctuate. The professor will aim to update a placeholder with the point total in the Canvas gradebook on a weekly basis.

Concept Video Presentation (includes Slides and Peer Review)

Students will use either Zoom or Kaltura to record a 3- to 5-minute video presentation about an assigned course concept. The presentation must not exceed 5 minutes. The maximum number of slides allowed is 3 (not including a Works Cited). A Works Cited is required. A prompt with detailed instructions will be provided in Canvas. Presenters will use a visual aid (such as PowerPoint, Google Slides, or the alternative). Faces do not need to appear in the video. Slides must integrate 1 visual, 1 contemporary connection to culture, and 1 contemporary connection to consumption. The Concept Video Presentation and accompanying slides must be uploaded to Canvas. Late submissions are permitted; however, students should collectively understand late submissions negatively impact the peer review process. Late submissions will automatically lose 10 points for Peer Review – no exceptions and no responses to messages regarding the deduction. To help facilitate a smooth Peer Review process, submit your presentation on time. Presentations that are successfully viewable and submitted on time with the accompanying slides will receive full points for the assignment, no questions asked. Late assignments will receive a 10-point reduction due to the collective impact on the peer-review process, no questions asked, and no excuses permitted.

Midterm

A prompt with instructions about the Midterm will be provided in Canvas. Students may submit their Midterm up to one week late without penalty to their grade, but their work will not receive feedback, which could affect learning outcomes. A rubric will be used for grading all Midterms. Minor feedback may be provided. Midterms submitted past the initial deadline do not receive feedback.

Consumption Reflection

A prompt with detailed instructions will be provided in Canvas. Students will accumulate their own research as part of the reflexive learning process. The Consumption Reflection will substitute as the final exam. Students will produce a Consumption Reflection that explores how they synthesized a set of course materials and research articles that connect with a culture(s) of consumption of their choice. Students will submit their Consumption Reflection in Canvas. Various submission types (text, digital, visual, audio recorded, etc.) will be permissible. Students are not required to be present in person to submit the Consumption Reflection as the final exam. Consumption Reflections submitted 48 hours past the Finals deadline will receive a 3% total late penalty. Only a rubric will be used for grading the Consumption Reflection.

Copyright of Course Materials at UC San Diego

Dr. iatarola’s lectures, syllabi, and course materials, including PowerPoint presentations, quizzes, surveys, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by U.S. copyright law and University policy. Dr. iatarola is the exclusive owner of the copyright in those materials she creates. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own use. You may also share those materials with another student who is enrolled in or auditing this course. You may not reproduce, distribute or display (post/upload) lecture notes or recordings or course materials in any other way — whether or not a fee is charged — without her express prior written consent. You also may not allow others to do so. If you do so, you may be subject to student conduct proceedings under the UC San Diego Student Code of Conduct.

Course Resources, Policies, and Grading Information

Platform

This course will be using an online learning management system (LMS) to manage content and grades. Canvas is best viewed in Google Chrome. Zoom may unexpectedly be used to conduct (a)synchronous lectures, which will be recorded and made available to students. Should you need any technical assistance with Canvas, please alert your instructor and send an email to servicedesk@ucsd.edu. In the header of the email, please write “Canvas”. Make sure to include your name, course title, and contact information in the email body. A representative will get back to you within 48 hours (Monday through Friday). Each Canvas assignment displays the due date.

Required Readings, Videos, and Course Supplies

This Canvas course contains PDFs and links for most materials. You will need to use your UCSD VPN login credentials on your authenticated device to access UCSD course materials that require VPN for access. Given the impact of COVID-19 on students’ educational experience and access to resources, a personal laptop, tablet, or smartphone with reliable Internet access will help facilitate emergent outcomes. UCSD students are eligible for the Loaner Laptop Program.

Principles of Community & Anti-Racist Pedagogy

This course calls on all of us to cultivate a classroom environment built on mutual respect and anti-racist pedagogy. This means honoring (y)our responsibility to ensure the safety and comfort for all peers and instructors so we can collectively confront racial and environmental injustices. It is to recognize (y)our biases and make space to listen to and learn from peers and instructors who hold identities and experiences different from (y)our own.

Sexual Harassment

All incidents of sexual harassment or gender harassment should be reported by the complainant to either a person in a supervisory capacity or the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination.

Name and Gender Pronouns

Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. Class rosters are provided to the instructor with the student’s legal name. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me early in the quarter so that I may make appropriate changes to our records.

Disability and Accessibility

I am dedicated to making this course accessible to enrolled students despite these challenging circumstances. If something is inaccessible to you due to disability reasons, life’s obstacles, or COVID-19 impacts, please communicate with me so that I can help you succeed in this course. I will work with you to ensure that you can participate fully in the course. If you require accommodations or services for disabilities, please communicate with me immediately, register with the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD), and complete the necessary steps in the OSD Student Portal to obtain a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter. This letter is required for eligibility for requests. The statement for COVID-19 accommodations has been updated on the OSD website: https://osd.ucsd.edu/resources/covid-19.html. Students who have specific concerns are encouraged to email their Disability Specialist or the general OSD email account at osd@ucsd.edu. To obtain services from OSD, you must apply to that office directly. For more information: check the OSD website; call: 858.534.4382 (Voice) or 858.534.9709 (TTY) — reserved for people who are deaf or hard of hearing; or email: osd@ucsd.edu

Academic Integrity

Appendix 2: UCSD Policy on Integrity of Scholarship:
Student work is run through Turnitin. “To uphold academic integrity, students shall:

Complete and submit academic work that is their own and that is an honest and fair representation of their knowledge and abilities at the time of submission.

Know and follow the standards of the class and the institution.
Thus, no student shall engage in an activity that undermines academic integrity or facilitates academic integrity violations by others. This means:

1. No student shall procure, provide, or accept any material that contains questions or answers to any examination or assignment unless the student’s possession of the material has been authorized by the instructor.
2. No student shall complete, in part or in total, any academic work (e.g., examination, assignment, paper) or obtain academic credit (e.g., attendance, participation) for another person.
3. No student shall allow any academic work or academic credit to be completed or obtained, in part or in whole, for themselves by another person.
4. No student shall plagiarize or copy the work of others and submit it as their own work.
5. No student shall employ aids in undertaking course work or in completing any exam or assignment that are not authorized by the instructor.
6. No student shall alter graded class assignments or examinations and then resubmit them for regrading without the instructor’s permission.
7. No student shall submit substantially the same material more than once without prior authorization from the instructor, such as a paper that was written and submitted in another class.”

Letters of Recommendation

Tenured faculty are in a more equitable position than lecturers to advocate for your success in letters of recommendation (LORs). As a lecturer, occasionally I produce a very limited number of letters during the academic year, provided that: 

• the student has completed at least one course with me
• the student provides an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) and/or a resume
• the student produces and shares written context (e.g., a statement of purpose for graduate school or written synopsis of career plans) that highlights what they are aiming to accomplish and why they are applying for the opportunity
• the student includes basic information in writing about the opportunity
• the student checks in occasionally and converses with me at least 2 months in advance about plans that may require a LOR
• the student submits a request with a signed waiver (available upon request) at least six weeks before the deadline(s). 

If you are applying to graduate school, Dr. iatarola will write no more than two (2) total letters for you. Requests must be submitted simultaneously. The recommendation process is time-consuming and extends beyond submitting a generic letter that speaks to your character or aspirations. For a thorough breakdown of what this LOR process entails, visit Requesting Letters of Recommendation.

Course Assessment and Grading

For students who elect to receive a letter grade for this course and for more information about UCSD’s grading system, please visit About Grades on TritonLink. In this course: 

A – You have excelled in ALL THE REQUIREMENTS for this class, producing excellent work, which includes exceptional written assignments that incorporate an exemplary understanding of the readings and/or concepts for the class when necessary.
B – You have performed WELL OVER THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS for this course by producing good written work, which includes good written assignments that demonstrate a competent understanding of the readings and concepts for the class when necessary.
C – You HAVE MET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS for this class, producing satisfactory written work, which includes acceptable written assignments that demonstrate a basic understanding of the readings and concepts of this class when necessary.
D – You HAVE NOT MET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS for this class, producing poor written projects that reveal problems in understanding basic concepts of this class.
F- You DID NOT COMPLETE COURSEWORK THAT MET THE MINIMUM requirements for this class.

Subject to Change Policy

Information and due dates contained in the course syllabus and Canvas, other than the grade policies, may be subject to change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate. If you have an ongoing or sudden serious medical concern or family emergency, please communicate with me when possible.

References

See the Course Calendar for the Schedule of Assigned Materials

Adorno, T. and Tiedemann, R. (2003). Can one live after Auschwitz?: a philosophical reader. Stanford University Press. Pp. 93-110.

Banh, J., and Liu, H. (Eds.). (2019). American Chinese Restaurants: Society, Culture and Consumption (1st ed.). Routledge. Pp. 155-168. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429485497. 

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Introduction from: Distinction: A Social Critique on the Judgement of Taste. Pp. 1-7. 

Chang, C. and McGonigle, I. (2020). Kopi culture: consumption, conservatism and cosmopolitanism among Singapore’s millennials. Asian Anthropology, 19(3), 213–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/1683478X.2020.1726965. 

Elshaer, I., Sobaih, A. E. E., Alyahya, M., and Abu Elnasr, A. (2021). The impact of religiosity and food consumption culture on food waste intention in Saudi Arabia. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 13(11), Pp.1-17–. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116473. 

Koch, E.S., and Sauerbronn, J. F. R. (2019). To love beer above all things: An analysis of Brazilian craft beer subculture of consumption. Journal of Food Products Marketing, 25(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/10454446.2018.1431577.

Kosoy, N. and Corbera, E. (2010). Payments for ecosystem services as commodity fetishism. Ecological Economics, 69(6), 1228–1236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.11.002.  

Ling, R. (2020). Confirmation Bias in the Era of Mobile News Consumption: The Social and Psychological Dimensions. Digital Journalism, 8(5), 596–604. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2020.1766987. 

McPherson, A. (2014). “De fuud em produus me naa go iit it!” Rastafarian ‘Culinary Identity.’ Ed. Beushausen, W. Caribbean food cultures: culinary practices and consumption in the Caribbean and its diasporas. Pp. 280-303.

Mukherjee. R. (2006). The Ghetto Fabulous Aesthetic in Contemporary Black Culture: Class and Consumption in the Barbershop films. Cultural Studies (London, England), 20(6), 599–629. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502380600973978. 

Rivas, C. M. (2014). “Heart of the City”: Life and Spaces of Consumption in San Salvador. In Salvadoran Imaginaries: Mediated Identities and Cultures of Consumption. Pp. 125–148. Rutgers University Press. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5vjxsz.9. 

Sandlin, J. and Milam, J. L. (2008). “Mixing Pop (Culture) and Politics”: Cultural Resistance, Culture Jamming, and Anti-Consumption Activism as Critical Public Pedagogy. Curriculum Inquiry, 38(3), 323–350. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-873X.2008.00411.x. 

Walker, L. (Director). (2010). Waste Land [Video file]. Arthouse Films. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from Kanopy. https://ucsd.kanopy.com/video/waste-land-0.