Buy Now!

A cross-posting from my LivingGeography blog.

We have a unit called People as Consumers which looks at consumption and the economy. There is a new resource that we can now consider adding here.

The Association for Citizenship Teaching (ACtT) have shared a valuable new resource.

The full resource is now available. You will need to register to download them, but they are free.

It goes with a new documentary which is called 'the Shopping Conspiracy'.

The Buy Now! documentary is on Netflix. You will need a subscription to access this.

In lesson 1, Buy Now! How does advertising influence consumption and its environmental consequences?, students:

• Use film clips to introduce issues related to consumption, corporate responsibility and sustainability
• Discuss how citizens have addressed these issues
• Explore the ‘information neighbourhoods’ model to understand media
• Analyse tactics companies use to increase sales
• Examine the influence of celebrity endorsements on purchasing behaviour
• Create an advertising pitch to learn about corporate strategies
• Discuss environmental and ethical impacts of rapid consumption
• Debate whether companies or consumers bear more responsibility

Here's a review of the documentary. 

It is a certificate 12 so useful for older KS3 and above students.

Directed by Emmy-winning writer and filmmaker Nic Stacey, Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy “pulls back the curtain on the world’s top brands, exposing the hidden tactics and covert strategies used to keep all of us locked in an endless cycle of buying—no matter the cost.”

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy “grants viewers exclusive access to the secretive world of the richest and most powerful brands”, including Apple, Amazon and Adidas. “Stunning revelations from insiders and whistleblowers reveal everything from billion-dollar marketing machines to the design ploys and psychological tricks intended to manipulate consumer behaviour on a global scale. With a playful and subversive style, the film takes audiences on a wild ride through the dirty world beneath the gloss and glam, where nothing is quite as it seems—while arming them with life-altering insights to protect themselves from the tricks of the trade.”

Director Nic Stacey said, “ My hope is that when people watch the film, they realize that we can take back control. While the subject is inherently dark, I wanted to present it in an honest and entertaining way—emphasizing that as consumers, it’s not always our fault. Here’s how we can break the cycle.”

Fish and Chips - ONS report

We explored the rising cost of take-away food in previous lessons towards the end of the year as part of our food topic. This has now been the subject of a report from the Office for National Statistics, picked up by the BBC News page.

On the rocks...

“In Greenland, we make all our money from fish and from tourism. For a long time, I have wanted to find something else that we can profit from.”

Malik Rasmussen

A surprising story in the Guardian on a new project, and one which has attracted quite a lot of criticism from some quarters.

Its co-founder Malik V Rasmussen said the ice, which has been compressed over millennia, is completely without bubbles and melts more slowly than regular ice. It is also purer than the frozen mineral water usually used in Dubai’s ice cubes.

From the LinkedIn page

Imagine having the purest and freshest ice in the world straight from the untouched glaciers of Greenland. Nature has formed our ice over millions of years with no pollutants or contaminants. Once harvested, it is immediately packaged and shipped to ensure the highest quality for our customers. Our ice can be used for cooling drinks, preserving food, creating beautiful ice sculptures, and more. By purchasing our ice, you will enjoy its exceptional quality and support sustainable and ethical practices in our harvesting process.

Website

Image: Arctic Ice - Greenland

Had their chips?

We have been covering some of the reasons for the current food inflation which is causing real concerns for many of the poorest in society, as food prices are rising well above the rate of what is already a high rate of inflation...

In a recent issue of the Guardian there was a piece on the growing price rises facing consumers and business owners, and the impact of potato prices in particular (on this occasion).