So Far
• Sociology/Economics
• We ARE social
beings. How does economics play a role?
Besides Each Other
• Not only do we need each other.
• We also need stuff.
• Two kinds of stuff.
Stuff
• NEEDS
• WANTS
Needs
• We all have basic needs that must be met.
• Food, clothing, shelter.
Wants
• Wants are greedy in nature.
• Money
• Goods
• Land
These needs and wants
• And to make it interesting.
• We are also very competitive by nature.
Our Environment
• We also know that
this world is very
inhospitable.
Sometimes we can’t get all our needs and wants.
So, the goals are:
• To supply our needs.
• To survive this inhospitable environment.
• And have more of wants than someone else.
How to do that.
• It’s not going to be easy.
• There aren’t enough toy cars, A’s or swings for everyone.
• You need to be an opportunist and competitive in nature.
Opportunist
• Seeing an opportunity
and taking advantage of it.
Competitive
• We also need to be competitive.
• Competitiveness gives us that edge to prevail.
The “Edge”
• It all depends on who your target market is.
Jaguar
or
Some company from India?
Materialism / Consumerism• These two concepts
work hand in hand to put us in places like this.
Materialism is a preoccupation with material things (desire for money or possessions.
Consumerism is an inclination toward the buying of consumer goods
We Do Have A Little Help
• Advertisers
• Madison Ave.
• Hollywood
Advertisers
• Their goal is to “guide” us to specific goods or locations.
• iphone
• Germany
In a Nutshell
• We need each other.
• We need to have stuff.
• We want to have more stuff than others.
• We compete against the “others”.
Assignment
• Make a list of all your “wants” in life. Include immediate and long term “wants.”
• Write two paragraphs describing how you plan to get those wants and how competiveness and opportunity will play a role in you attaining them.
How do you Respond?
• Who you are is, influenced by:
Relatives
Friends
Media
Environment
Philosophy
• You will develop a philosophical statement that will guide your actions throughout life.
Philosophical Statement
• Role models play an important part in this process.
• Some of the most influential role models are associated with religious beliefs.
Philosophical Statement
• Later on we tend to be influenced by “Others”
Mr. Demulling’s Favorite Band
Reality Begins to Set In
• As we approach adolescence:
• We begin to realize something.
Reality Bites
• We ALL can’t be:• The greatest running
back in the NFL• The best at Dungeons
and Dragons• Be members of
AC/DC.• Authorized to leave
early for lunch.
For Our System to Work
• We need second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and so on and on place.
• If we didn’t, first place would mean NOTHING!
The Problem
• Our western human nature is to strive for #1.
• How to achieve this is the key.
I Want to be Number One
• Academically at school. ( STUDY )
• Most popular. ( THROW THE BEST PARTIES )
• Have the best car. ( GET A JOB AFTER
SCHOOL )
The Chances
• Of you being valedictorian.
• Throwing the best parties.
• Having the best car.
Economics
• This is when economics comes in.
• We realize we can’t have everything.
• We should concentrate on what we can feasibly have.
Part 2 of the Assignment
• Take a look at your list of wants and rank them according to which you think you have the best chance of completing. 10 being most likely, 1 least likely.
• Develop your own personal philosophy and explain it in one paragraph or less. Then pick one of the 10’s and explain why you believe you’re likely to attain this.
