TuTh, 9:30 AM-10:45 AM, MJ 124
A portion of this course reserved for majors
Fulfills COLL S&H Requirement

Instructor: Seth Friedman
E-Mail: seafried@indiana.edu
Office: Mottier Hall 255
Phone: 855-0844

We like to tell ourselves that we purchase consumer goods simply
because they fill a need. At some level, however, we also realize
that we live in a society in which the consumer goods that we
purchase speak volumes about who we are, what groups we belong to,
and what we aspire to become. Do you shop for clothes at Abercrombie
& Fitch or at Wal-Mart? Do you drive a Hyundai or a BMW? Do you
prefer Windows or Mac? The answers to these questions are
meaningful: Our choices help us craft a social identity, one that is
recognizable — shared by people "like us," but not by those who are
different. The consumption of goods and services plays a crucial
role in the U.S. economy, but consumer culture is more than the sum
of the things that we own. Whether we're in public or in the privacy
of our homes, strolling through Bloomington or watching television,
we're enveloped by advertising. It's the world we inhabit today —
one where it seems normal to be addressed as a potential consumer in
virtually every waking moment of our lives.

The goal of this course is to make us more aware of how advertising
operates in society and how we live within consumer culture. We will
address questions such as: What information, ideas, and values are
communicated in advertising?  What role does advertising play in
television, movies, magazines, and other media? How do manufacturers
and retailers create "brand-name" products, and why do we care about
these brands? What do advertisers know about consumers? Do marketers
and advertisers use tactics that encourage people to separate
themselves into distinct groups? Is it possible to live in the
modern world without adopting the values of consumer culture?  In
short, this class will examine the intersection of advertising,
consumer culture, and the media, with an eye toward understanding
the history, goals, and strategies of the advertising industry.

The final grade will be determined by performance in the following
areas: class participation, short response papers, as well as a mid-
term exam and a final exam.

The primary texts for the class are identified below (additional
readings will be on E-reserve):

Gary Cross, An All Consuming Century: Why Commercialism Won in
Modern America (2002)

William Leiss, et al, Social Communication in Advertising (3rd Ed.)
(2003)

Joseph Turow, Breaking Up America: Advertisers and the New Media
World (1997)