Englisch Abitur - Zusammenfassung aller Themen:
TOPIC 1: The changing patterns of work and consumption
Bsp:WOMEN IN WORKPLACE – TREND IS REVERSING
• Four decades, number of women who started working grew fast, causing powerful cultural and economic transformation of America society.
• S...
topic 1 – the changing patterns of work and consumption
topic 2 – save the planet save ourselves
topic 3 – technology and society
topic 4 – the march towards equali
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Englisch Abitur - Zusammenfassung
TOPIC 1: The changing patterns of work and consumption
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Consumer Society
• Consumption patterns before the Industrial Revolution:
➢ Population lived in rural areas (ländliche Gegend).
➢ Clothing and household possessions (Besitztümer) were limited.
➢ Fashion, technological change & social pressure did not drive people to make
new purchases.
• Industrial revolution:
➢ Workers moved to cities to work in factories
➢ Earned wages spent on basic needs
➢ Wages and working conditions improved through trade unions
(Gewerkschaften), political reformers and humanitarian groups.
→ Society is growing to todays society
• In developed countries the economy and standard of living depends on trade of
goods between individuals
Changes in Consumption
• Consumption patterns have changed during the last 50 years.
• Spent on basic essentials (food, clothing, housing) lower than spent on non-essential
items (luxury goods, cars,…)
The Consumers of the Future
• Most consumers live in developing countries or emerging markets
(Schwellenland)
• China & India 20% of all
• Emerging markets: Greatest potential to increase number of consumers
• Industrial countries responsible for taking the worlds resources and for
environmental degradation (Verschlechterung)
Consumerism (Konsumdenken)
• Not only purchasing and consuming basic goods and materials
• People spent money in things that will give a certain status
• Products have short life and are quickly replaced
• Over-consumption leads to dwindling resources (schwindende R.) and pollution
• “There is enough on earth for everybody’s needs but not for everybody’s greed.”
Advertising
• Ad. is a form of communication → inform potential customers about products
and services.
• Mass-consumption and mass production is possible because of advertising
• Ads use brand names, brand image,…
• Ads contain factual information or just persuasive (überzeugende) messages.
• Ads are placed where everybody can see them (sides of busses,…)
, • In Great Britain: Advertising standards that forbid sexism, brutality,…
Globalization, the Consumer and the Worker
• Process of interaction and integration among people, companies and nations,
usually for international trade.
• Great increases in cross-border trade because of technological advantages
• PRO: Poor countries develop economically and raise standard of living
• CON: International free market benefits multinational corporations and not local
companies.
SHOPPING AWAY THE BLUES
• Compulsive shoppers: Need to go out at regular intervals and buy latest trends
and styles, no matter if they have the same pieces at home.
• Impulsive shoppers: Don’t want to overspend, but temptation (Versuchung) is
always there. It is wasted trip to go home empty-handed, so they pick up random
things.
• Bargain shoppers: Drive miles to save money. Search for sales, coupons,… and
spent money to things that doesn’t fit or they don’t need.
• Window shoppers: Walk around the malls mentally buying the best clothes, but
don’t buy them in real life. They return refreshed and proud of not having bought
anything.
RISING PETROL PRICES COULD FORCE OBESE AMERICANS TO HIT THE STREET
• Many Americans drive downtown to eat fast food and higher petrol prices should
stop that about 10%
• 4 out of 10 Americans are overweight.
• American obesity rates began to rise in the 1980’s, because of an overworked
population that only has time for convenience food, that contains more calories
• Fast-food companies served larger portions and invented new snacks
• Rising petrol prices: People use public transport or walk
THE BRAND NAME BANDWAGON
• Reason for branding: increase of sales by 30%
• Brand names have big power → people buy things they usually don’t buy
• “Word association”: people believe texts of packages (even though they aren’t
true
THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION
• Globalization is seen as a beneficial thing that brings the world closer together
• Globalization is the product of multinational corporations searching for profit and
cheaper labor.
• Companies move into less developed countries to take advantage of cheap labor
and pay them below the subsistence level.
• Women make products that are shipped into more developed countries and sold
for a huge profit.
• Globalization is about avoiding environmental regulations → terrible working
conditions.
, • Most important: Global market → same products sold all over the world
(McDonalds)
→ Life is becoming more uniform:
➢ Way of dressing
➢ Way of Life
➢ Language
➢ Media
WOMEN IN WORKPLACE – TREND IS REVERSING
• Four decades, number of women who started working grew fast, causing
powerful cultural and economic transformation of America society.
• Since 1990’s there’s a standstill
• Women experienced a change in attitudes and a change in life that allows them
to work outside.
→ spent more time on housework and job, married later, had fewer children
→ fathers had to stay with the children, less sleep, less time for childcare
• Women have already reached their limit of amount of work → trend is reversing
THE INFLUENCE OF MASS MEDIA ON SOCIETY (EXAM PRACTICE)
• Advance of technology → Grow of influence of mass media
(telegraph → radio → newspaper → magazines →television →internet)
• Society depends on information and communication to keep moving
• In daily life we rely on the media to get current news
• Media is an authority for us that gives us news, entertainment and education.
• Big influence on kids, teenagers and society.
• Selling of ads → billions of dollars, because buying decisions based on the ads
• Positive: popular sport in the media→ people make sport→ healthier people
• Negative: stars smoke and take drugs, violence, sexual images, junk food
• Media creates an ideal image of successful and beautiful men and women
→ people want to be like that → no individualism
• People suffering from anorexia and obesity b.c. of media
→ supermodels, junk food ads
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