Essay on Consumerism Taking Over Our Universities

In contemporary society, the average person is coddled and raised to be sensitive about everything whether it be good or bad. This translates over to universities, which causes them to be less academic and more consumer- based. As the years progress, the trend is becoming more prevailing which poses the question, do universities truly care about the education that they are providing, or is it turning more into a business? Although some consumerism in education is good and is a driving force to better institutions, too much like we have in it now is beginning to deteriorate the quality of the education provided and in turn weakening American society. Consumerism is becoming more widespread in universities due to the rising number of†¦show more content†¦According to, Grade Inflation in the College Classroom, â€Å"Students are paying more for a college education every year, and increasingly they are demanding the reward of a good grade for their purchase† (Tucker, Cour ts 2). The expectations that the students have going into college are telling of how consumerism is tarnishing higher education. Consumerism affects students’ grades, according to, Grade Inflation in the College Classroom, students are not studying as much as students in the past and their grades are still on a rise. This shift in focus by the university causes the classes to become less intense creating a more mediocre education for the students. This harms students who will have to face the problem of entering the workforce with an inferior education. Studies have shown that, â€Å"Many students feel that lower grades can significantly damage their opportunities to gain employment after attending a university [†¦] it may be difficult to compete with a near straight-A student from a university that has shown grade inflation, if ones grades are lower. Many believe that grade inflation gives certain students an unfair advantage in the job market or when applying to gradu ate schools† (Tucker, Courts 2). If one student goes to a school that is known for a certain subject and graduates with a good grade point average, they could lose theShow MoreRelatedHannah Hoch and James Rosenquist --Insiders and Outsiders of Consumerism and Gender 1551 Words   |  7 Pagesaccordingly the availability of consumer goods. And with the rise of the mass media, various products have been targeted on broad groups of consumers. Consumerism, which is propelled by a system of mass production and high levels of consumption, has been one of the themes in art works from twentieth century till now. In regard to consumerism and gender, I find two figures—Hannah Hoch and James Rosenquist--connected. Hoch once worked for a womens magazine of the huge Ullstein Press while RosenquistRead MoreModern Society and Consumerism Essay1035 Words   |  5 PagesConsumerism is defined as â€Å"the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable† (â€Å"Consumerism†). Its primary motivation is the idea that if one does not have all that money can buy, then he or she cannot be happy. This school of thought has become an integral part of modern society not only in the United States, but internationally as well. While the exact source of this term and ideology are debatable, it is certain now that consumerism is here to stay, intertwining withRead MoreThe Destruction Of The World1585 Words   |  7 Pagesharm is done. The only answer to this is for man to practice self-restraint in an effort to salvage what remains of the world and also w ork towards restoring it to its original form. Humans should adopt a simplistic way of life and do away with consumerism in order to safeguard the remaining species of the animal kingdom. First, humans have complicated the issue of saving animals. If human beings saved existing animals instead of rushing to store animal genes and tissue then animals would not beRead MoreAmerican Consumerism And The United States Environmental Protection Agency Essay1608 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican consumerism or our high levels of production, it is a fact that we live in a throw-away society. What that means is that we produce a lot, throw away a lot, and most things are planned to become obsolete within a few years. Recently, there has been an unprecedented effort to correct these negatives habits of our society, seeing as they can’t last forever. This effort, aptly called sustainability, is one of the most grandiose undertakings in American society today. Universities, corporationsRead MoreImportant Changes in the Political, Social and Economic Life in the UK1314 Words   |  6 PagesChanges in the Political, Social and Economic Life in the UK There have been significant changes in political social and economic life in the UK over the last 50 years with particular reference to identity and the resulting ordering of our lives in terms of family, work and welfare together with the resulting impact on our health. Within the themes of structure and agency, uncertainty and diversity together with knowledge and knowing, this essay explores the consequencesRead MoreThe Invasion of Consumerism into the lives of a Post-Modern Family 1762 Words   |  8 PagesThe Invasion of Consumerism into the lives of a Post-Modern Family Consumerism is taking place everywhere. Whether we like it or not, it has come to invade our everyday modern lives. Steven Miles, a lecturer in sociology at the University of Plymouth says How we consume, why we consume, and the parameters laid down for us within which we consume have become increasingly significant influences on how we construct our everyday lives (1). Consumerism has even gotten to the point of affectingRead MoreAmericanization in France Essay1033 Words   |  5 PagesAmericanization is happening all around us, not just to our children who are emptying into the streets speaking with their best James Dean. American thought has crept into our very lives with everything we do; our day to day routine is now being controlled by American ideals. Every French citizen is falling into the clutches of consumerism and conformity. We are turning into a trinket society, worshipping of a mammon, and witnessing to the death of our beloved culture. I shed a tear to think we areRead More A Critical Exploration of Klein’s Discarded Factory in Connection With Stoller’s Money Has No Smell1636 Words   |  7 PagesThere is an undoubtedly enormous influence on the world by consumerism. Consumerism and capitalism shape the nation that we live in today. Everyone knows this because they see advertisements all day long on television, on the radio, on billboards and through hundreds of other mediums. Unfortunately, what the world is not exposed to is what goes on behind the marketing and the ultimate final sale. There is a dark side to capitalism created not only by shady merchants, but the worldwide multi-nationalRead MoreEnvironmental Message in Wall-E Essay877 Words   |  4 PagesWall-E Science/Description Essay Kari Jacobson Ottawa University LAS 45012- Global Issues in Liberal Arts Karen Bryson January 27, 2013 Introduction The film Wall-E is related to the science and description area because it talks about the environment and what can happen in the future. The film starts with a robot named Wall-E and he has been assigned to clean up Earth from all the waste that the humans have left behind. It shows him coming out of his house that is full of little differentRead MoreMarketing Concept and the possible limitations to this concept.1458 Words   |  6 Pagessales. Customers afford to be selective and buy products which can precisely met their changing needs with increased discretionary income. The key questions arose: What do customers want? Can we develop it while they still want it, and how can we keep our customers satisfied? In order to response to these discerning customers, firms began to adopt the marketing concept. This involves focusing on customer needs before developing the product, aligning all functions of the company to focus on those needs