RE-WRITE OF ESSAY

TASK 6

After reading through Gary's blog I decided to be challenged with stereotyping and whether or not I had done this within my previous work. I came across this which I created for the new coming first years to our studio and was really based solely around stereotype. Of course my research was conducted around the studio but who is to say that mine and the other years present at the time had the same outlook as the new students to arrive in september.

As well as this, it is only now, but I have realised I have used the very stereotyped colours around male/ female - blue/pink. I should imagine my thoughts were to be inclusive of everyone, but in doing so I probably seemed to be falling for what I thought was for all... but in fact may well not have been. Interesting!

TASK 5

Write a 500 word critical summary of the text which explicitly adresses the following questions

1. How is sustainability defined in the text?
2. What are the main characteristics or tendencies of Capitalism
3. Define a 'crisis of Capitalism'. Offer an example.
4. What solutions have been offered to the sustainability question? Are these successful or realistic? - If not why are they flawed?
5. Is the concept of sustainability compatible with Capitalism?

Sustainability is the way in which the values of society, the environment, the economy, and moral and political spheres are kept from the current generation and uphold for those to come. Balser describes this as 'inter- and intra- generational equity'. There is a specific focus, through this essay, on environmental sustainability due to the current environmental crises surrounding us; climate change, natural resources depletion, species extinction, deforestation, and the way in which our capitalist culture, although in an attempt to sustain, is causing the environment more problems due to consumerism and the need for more. Balser explains that sustainability has always been seen as a 'communal concept' but as capitalisation of certain communities emerges so does the struggle for other poorer communities to uphold it without the developing environmental technologies. This ties in with the Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg's thoughts that rather than capital accumulation having a positive affect it actually causes 'social inequality and instability' as one sells and earns, one is left without therefore creating a larger gap between the rich and the poor.

Characteristics of a capitalist community include commodification – turning products into production, accumulation, production , trade and exportation. Flaws begin to arise in capitalisms attempts to sustain as Balser explains, 'Capitalism...is a diverse web that is continuously expanding and trapping. These crises can vary in size, expression and materialization. ' For example commodification of air space for cellular and 3g networks as capitalism is constantly driven to find new avenues of commodification.

There have been many attempts to answer the sustainability question one concept is by Paul Hawkin who identifies that we are infact only human and need to 'work with who we are- which includes our strong instinct to shop the market and buy products of comparable quality at the lowest prices.' He pin points four ways in which businesses and alter the way the work to be more sustainable within a capitalist culture. Although attempting to be realistic compared with other concepts which go in the opposite direction of capitalism Balser argues that Hawkin's is instead 'validating the [capitalist] system.' By merely going along with it then nothing will change.

Balser goes on to explain the problems which surround linking sustainability with capitalism more specifically within a bio-fuel plant built in the very poor residential area in the North End of Hamilton in Canada. While the plant was providing fuel which made consumers 'rest easy because their consumer choices are more environmentally conscious and more sustainable.' It was having a huge negative impact on a very poor community. 'First, the site selected was community green space. Second, the constant tremors resulted in severe damage to several homes in the area..' There was no attempt made to made all people happy and it seems within a capitalist culture sustainability becomes more about making those able to consume feel better about themselves and in turn creating a very large, unmanageable class divide.

TASK 4

se Shannon & Weaver's model of the communication process to write a 300-400 word analysis of a work of Graphic Design. Comment on the ways in which the piece of Graphic Design attempts to communicate to a specific audience, using techniques of redundancy, entropy or noise.

Look at Fiske, J. (2002) 'An Introduction To Communication Studies' if you are struggling.

Essay Feedback

I think after handing my essay in I knew it was rushed and I had not finished it how I had hoped. Richard explained that I seem to have included too many subjects simply within the title and so overcomplicated it for myself to answer such a confusing question. I think my problem also was that I didn't know which part of it to answer and so rushed and only scratched the surface of some. Therefore I am going to re-write my essay considering just one topic but going into much more detail and coming to a more useful conclusion.

Another point made was that I use first person tense which ofcourse is too informal and not as an essay should be so this will need to be changed.

Also I need to add a Bibliography and also improve on my harvard referencing.

Generally my essay was more like a draft than anything. But fingers crossed for the re-write.

Eventual Essay title...

After a lot of thought, possibly wrongly so I wrote my essay surrounding this question:


Is graphic design becoming purely for designers and is this the only way it can exist creatively within a consumer culture full of noise?


I have been looking at various theologies surrounding this and wanted to do this so as to argue eventually FOR graphic design rather than against it as I fear my passion has diminished.


Books to add to the list:
Raymond williams. by Alex O'Conner
Understanding media cultures: Social thoery and mass communication. Nick Stevenson
Graphic Design history. S Heller & G Ballance.

Title Ideas

Considering theories surrounding popular culture to what extent can Graphic Design exist outside of our western ideology?

I have always been interested in the continuous consumer cycle that surrounds our culture. I have recently been contending with the concept that Graphic design is itself flawed with this and only exists because our cultures ideology allows it to, anywhere else it is pointless and shallow.  When I travelled to india I loved the lack of effort that went into the signage on shops in the small towns or simply the packaging on products...if any at all.  I would love to prove myself wrong with this as I feel Design can be more than just a way to make something seem more attractive than it really is and communication through imagery has surrounded us for centuries.

Books I have seen that correspond with my thoughts.

1. Cultural theory and popular culture: an introduction, volume 2006, Part 2. John Storey.

2. Popular culture: production and consumption by C. Lee harrington, Denise D. Bielby

3. Feminism, femininity and Popular Culture by Joanne Hollows. 

4. Culture and anarchy by Matthew Arnold

5. Consuming passions: the dynamics of popular culture. Judith williamson

6. Cultural thoery and popular culture: a reading John Storey.