Read the text- Balser, E (2008) 'Capital Accumulation, Sustainability & Hamilton Ontario'. We have copies in the CTS office, 115, and also in the Vis Comm studio.
Write a 500 word critical summary of the text which explicitly adresses the following questions
1. How is sustainability defined in the text?
Sustainability is defined as a response the current environmental crisis. The idea of sustainability is to maintain our current resources without harming the environment, such as the overuse of tree cutting and atmosphere pollution. Development which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the future.
2. What are the main characteristics or tendencies of Capitalism
Capitalism as a structure has a few significant characteristics, such as the constant search for new things to commodify and constant expansion for the sake of profit. Capitalism thrives in creating then subsuming the other.
3. Define a 'crisis of Capitalism'. Offer an example.
A 'crisis of capitalism' is the occurance of a production halt. It is a result of over production and consumption to the point where there's nothing else to resource for profit. Therefore new methods are conceived in order to pass as a 'new solution' for sustainability. For example, in Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' there's a strong campaign for the realisation of consuming the Earths natural resources and global warming, yet the key solution for it all is the purchasing of electronic cars and new (expensive) Bio Fuels. 'Spend money to save the world' in a sense.
4. What solutions have been offered to the sustainability question? Are these successful or realistic? - If not why are they flawed?
In the text, four solutions are put across for businesses to become sustainable. The first regards the reduction of waste from more efficient resourcing and the second states a need to use environmentally friendly, non toxic, materials and methods of production. The third suggests a restructure of typical business models, focusing on providing a service rather than a product to sell. The fourth is the reinvestment into human and natural capital, sustaining primary ecosystems.
In theory, these solutions would solve much of an impending resource crisis. However the restructure in capitalist business dynamics would require an expensive and arduous overhaul. It's also apparent that the production of the new technologies (to aid sustainability) are infact harmful to the environment themselves.
5. Is the concept of sustainability compatible with Capitalism?
The concept of sustainability and capitalism working alongside one another is far fetched. Currently, being 'green' is a capitalist marketing ploy to gain profit from resource crisis. Consumers buy into the technologies offered as a solution to dwindling energy resources. The global network of businesses, processes of transport and production of technology are, in themselves, detrimental to the environment, yet this effect is also what's earning businesses money. Capitalism is trying to market sustainability first, 'save the world' last.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Portfolio Task 5- Lefebvre & Space
In 300-400 words, use Lefebvre's Spatial triad (see below) to conduct a critical reading of one Social Space in or around Leeds.
Leeds Millennium Square is located right in the centre of Leeds town. The square is a £12m production to mark the year 2000. It's surrounded by local landmarks such as Leeds City Museum, Town Hall and General Infirmary. Not only these but near access to restaurants (Whetherspoons, Revolution and Spice Quarter). Millennium Square's location provides simple access between districts and is a key area for pedestrian movement, with openings (and exits) into the wide public space from each side. The space is represented by it's open plan layout, bordered by grand buildings, and uses cleverly situated walls, steps and bollards to deter any auto-mobile traffic. Pedestrians are invited to take time in the area due to several benches dotted around the square.
Concerning the 'practise of space', many public events are held in the square and these are easily encountered by the flow of the public across the square. The landmarks provide tourist attention whilst the useful location provides convenient short-cuts for various members of the public such as students and workers. Annual events such as the German Market, music concerts, Ice skating rink and sometimes significant sporting events are hosted on the Square. The constant traffic of people leads to very successful and worthwhile opportunity for theses events to return.
The relaxed modern design and aesthetics of the square, complemented by grand steps and 'greenery', provides a desirable social space for when such events aren't held. Initially Millennium Square would have been ideal for a constant circulation of events, but having the only cash-point in the area and several restaurants means there is a consistent flow of people regardless. The varying routine of the public affects the representational space. Tourists, for example, will interact more so with the surrounding buildings whereas locals are more inclined to use the space for daily functions.
Leeds Millennium Square is located right in the centre of Leeds town. The square is a £12m production to mark the year 2000. It's surrounded by local landmarks such as Leeds City Museum, Town Hall and General Infirmary. Not only these but near access to restaurants (Whetherspoons, Revolution and Spice Quarter). Millennium Square's location provides simple access between districts and is a key area for pedestrian movement, with openings (and exits) into the wide public space from each side. The space is represented by it's open plan layout, bordered by grand buildings, and uses cleverly situated walls, steps and bollards to deter any auto-mobile traffic. Pedestrians are invited to take time in the area due to several benches dotted around the square.
Concerning the 'practise of space', many public events are held in the square and these are easily encountered by the flow of the public across the square. The landmarks provide tourist attention whilst the useful location provides convenient short-cuts for various members of the public such as students and workers. Annual events such as the German Market, music concerts, Ice skating rink and sometimes significant sporting events are hosted on the Square. The constant traffic of people leads to very successful and worthwhile opportunity for theses events to return.
The relaxed modern design and aesthetics of the square, complemented by grand steps and 'greenery', provides a desirable social space for when such events aren't held. Initially Millennium Square would have been ideal for a constant circulation of events, but having the only cash-point in the area and several restaurants means there is a consistent flow of people regardless. The varying routine of the public affects the representational space. Tourists, for example, will interact more so with the surrounding buildings whereas locals are more inclined to use the space for daily functions.
Portfolio Task 4: Essay Ideas
Could the theory of Standardization be applied to modern cinema/film?
- Adorno's writings, culture industry and mass culture.
- The affect of Standardization in commerical entertainment, from music to film.
- Standardized structure of film during early-mid twentieth century Hollywood.
- The popularity of standardized film in correlation to social contexts of the time, up until present.
- One example of a standardized Movie.
- Has standardisation adapted or remained the same?
Dika, V.,(2003). Recycled Culture in Contemporary Art and Film. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.
- For an insight on any particular reocurring themes and structures.
Strinati, D.,(2003). An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture, 7th ed. London: Routledge.
- Understanding and evaluating popular culture
Storey, J.,(2001). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
- Different perspective on popular culture
Soundscapes, 2000. On Popular Music. [online] Available at:[Accessed 27 February 2011]
- Adorno's theory of music standardisation
- Adorno's writings, culture industry and mass culture.
- The affect of Standardization in commerical entertainment, from music to film.
- Standardized structure of film during early-mid twentieth century Hollywood.
- The popularity of standardized film in correlation to social contexts of the time, up until present.
- One example of a standardized Movie.
- Has standardisation adapted or remained the same?
Dika, V.,(2003). Recycled Culture in Contemporary Art and Film. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.
- For an insight on any particular reocurring themes and structures.
Strinati, D.,(2003). An Introduction to the Theories of Popular Culture, 7th ed. London: Routledge.
- Understanding and evaluating popular culture
Storey, J.,(2001). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
- Different perspective on popular culture
Soundscapes, 2000. On Popular Music. [online] Available at:
- Adorno's theory of music standardisation
Portfolio Task 3- Semiotic Analysis
Write a 300-400 word semiotic analysis of this Sun front cover. Make sure that your analysis highlights all of the key signifiers, and what they denote and connote. Also, try to highlight any examples of myth that you can see- what ideologies or cultural prejudices are naturalised by the text?. Also, pay attention to paradigmatic and syntagmatic structures and suggest how these shape our reading. Try to outline who the text is trying to communicate, and what cultural codes it relies on to do this. Pay attention to the interrelation of text and image. Pay close attention to the language used in both headline and text.
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This Sun newspaper article is a typical example of how 'red top' newspapers use Semiotics to shape our reading and response to the subject matter.
The article heading of 'Gotcha' is an immediate signifier, spelled out in capitals with a high Pt, which sets the tone of the one sided syntagmatic structured article. Gotcha is a slang term which denotes 'got you' but has casual and relatable connotations towards the working class consumer. Underneath the heading, the article is divided by the imagery of attacked Argentine warships and paradigmatic introduction of the article. Again, both the images and introduction are key signifiers which inform readers of the conflict, but with a strong sense of national pride. The language used in the image captions, particularly 'crippled', denotes the defeat of Argentine warships yet connotes a patronising, sporting-like advantage. All whilst swerving the topic of lives lost on the boats. The article introduction uses key signifiers in the informal use language, addressing the British soldiers as 'our lads' for example.
“WALLOP: They torpedoed the 14,000 ton Argentina cruiser General Belgrano and left it a useless wreck.”
The casual language approach contradicts the heavy nature of war, the use of the word 'wallop' denotes that of a strong impact yet the connotations gear towards a punch in a fist fight, which is a more relatable situation for those unfamiliar with the seriousness of warfare. “Our Navy has the Argies on their knees” demonstrates a patriotic pride in 'our' Royal Navy whilst undermiming the Argentines by referring to them as 'Argies', which sets up an 'us and them' ideology to the readers. These outdated ideologies could relate back to previous conflict, such as the term 'jerries' used by Americans during World War 2 to refer to the Germans. The semiotics of the article are a recycling of national patriotism, used to encourage the British public to back the conflict and defeat 'them'.
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This Sun newspaper article is a typical example of how 'red top' newspapers use Semiotics to shape our reading and response to the subject matter.
The article heading of 'Gotcha' is an immediate signifier, spelled out in capitals with a high Pt, which sets the tone of the one sided syntagmatic structured article. Gotcha is a slang term which denotes 'got you' but has casual and relatable connotations towards the working class consumer. Underneath the heading, the article is divided by the imagery of attacked Argentine warships and paradigmatic introduction of the article. Again, both the images and introduction are key signifiers which inform readers of the conflict, but with a strong sense of national pride. The language used in the image captions, particularly 'crippled', denotes the defeat of Argentine warships yet connotes a patronising, sporting-like advantage. All whilst swerving the topic of lives lost on the boats. The article introduction uses key signifiers in the informal use language, addressing the British soldiers as 'our lads' for example.
“WALLOP: They torpedoed the 14,000 ton Argentina cruiser General Belgrano and left it a useless wreck.”
The casual language approach contradicts the heavy nature of war, the use of the word 'wallop' denotes that of a strong impact yet the connotations gear towards a punch in a fist fight, which is a more relatable situation for those unfamiliar with the seriousness of warfare. “Our Navy has the Argies on their knees” demonstrates a patriotic pride in 'our' Royal Navy whilst undermiming the Argentines by referring to them as 'Argies', which sets up an 'us and them' ideology to the readers. These outdated ideologies could relate back to previous conflict, such as the term 'jerries' used by Americans during World War 2 to refer to the Germans. The semiotics of the article are a recycling of national patriotism, used to encourage the British public to back the conflict and defeat 'them'.
Portfolio Task 2- On Popular Music
Quickly read Adorno's (1941) article 'On Popular Music' (links below). In no more than a few paragraphs, summarise his ideas on pop music, concentrating on highlighting key points such as 'standardisation' etc. Post a link to a YouTube pop video that, in your opinion, epitomises adorno's sentiments. explain why, trying to emphasise the links to the wider 'culture industry' in general.
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Theodor W. Adorno theorised that popular music of the time was subjected to standardization, and thus a particular deviation from what he calls 'serious' (Classical) music - “The whole structure of popular music is standardized, even where the attempt is made to circumvent standardization”. The idea was that popular music recycled the basic structures of previous popular songs and reapplied them so that they were 'familiar' to audiences, even when seemingly differential.
Adorno argues that standardization adds nothing creative and fundamentally new to music. Instead the masses are subdued to slight variations of novelty, comic and love songs, which are relative to the current fashions, commodities and social themes (such as male dominance). These attributes of standardised music allow a listener to familiarise and enjoy popular music, whilst pseudo-individualism causes an overlook of the same basic commercial song structures and melodies.
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Ne Yo - One in a Million
- Typical standardized song structure of R&B love songs; Prominent 'clap beat', chorus-verse-chorus structure, song tempo and vocal notes are apparent in all songs of this type. The song hooks and individual melodies overlap this song structure, an example of pseudo-individualism.
- R&B is popular on commercial radio and as dance music for targeting familiar audiences, and like most R&B, this song plays on the sexual chemistry of males and females.
- Simple narrative to the video as the males are entertaining the mute, objectified pretty females and then Ne Yo himself goes lengths to impress a female, including inciting jealousy as he dances with other females.
- High class fashion and an admirable looking male and female cast are examples of capitalist ideologies and commodities.
-
Theodor W. Adorno theorised that popular music of the time was subjected to standardization, and thus a particular deviation from what he calls 'serious' (Classical) music - “The whole structure of popular music is standardized, even where the attempt is made to circumvent standardization”. The idea was that popular music recycled the basic structures of previous popular songs and reapplied them so that they were 'familiar' to audiences, even when seemingly differential.
Adorno argues that standardization adds nothing creative and fundamentally new to music. Instead the masses are subdued to slight variations of novelty, comic and love songs, which are relative to the current fashions, commodities and social themes (such as male dominance). These attributes of standardised music allow a listener to familiarise and enjoy popular music, whilst pseudo-individualism causes an overlook of the same basic commercial song structures and melodies.
-
-
Ne Yo - One in a Million
- Typical standardized song structure of R&B love songs; Prominent 'clap beat', chorus-verse-chorus structure, song tempo and vocal notes are apparent in all songs of this type. The song hooks and individual melodies overlap this song structure, an example of pseudo-individualism.
- R&B is popular on commercial radio and as dance music for targeting familiar audiences, and like most R&B, this song plays on the sexual chemistry of males and females.
- Simple narrative to the video as the males are entertaining the mute, objectified pretty females and then Ne Yo himself goes lengths to impress a female, including inciting jealousy as he dances with other females.
- High class fashion and an admirable looking male and female cast are examples of capitalist ideologies and commodities.
Portfolio Task 1- Panopticism
Choose an example of one aspect of contemporary culture that is, in your opinion, panoptic. Write an explanation of this, in approximately 200-300 words, employing key Foucauldian language, such as 'Docile Bodies' or 'self-regulation, and using not less than 5 quotes from the text 'Panopticism' in Thomas, J. (2000) 'Reading Images', NY, Palgrave McMillan.
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Panopticism has expanded into almost every corner of modern society since the days of it's inception. We live in a disciplinarian age, where public sectors and buildings are regulated and controlled by architectural layout and hidden close circuit television. "He is seen, but he does not see". In a working environment, in schools and even as pedestrians, we self regulate under the acknowledgement that we're under surveillance.
As individuals, we are 'tuned' to conform to the rules of society at fear of being scrutinized and punished by the omnipresent observation,“permanent visibility assures the automatic functioning of power”. However we can never guarantee we, as individuals, are being watched at any given moment so our actions are controlled via self discipline.
Examples of panopticism can be acknowledged in everyday life. Supermarkets for example specialise in regulated control of masses of consumers. “The panoptic mechanism arranges spatial unities that make it possible to see constantly and to recognize immediately”, the layouts are almost always square or rectangular, with designated entrances and exits,vivid lighting and strategically placed CCTV on high ceilings. Stores also set the shelving units and fridge/freezers out in a grid like system so consumers proceed around at constant 90 degree angles.
The Panopticon structure let supervisors observe captives without being seen “by the affect of back lighting, one can observe from the tower, standing out precisely against the light'. The design of the CCTV camera is akin to that of the panoptic observatory, where we can assume that we're being watched but can't necessarily tell due to the dark translucent dome placed over the ceiling mounted cameras.
We conform to the supermarket environment, and under such visibility and surveillance we subject ourselves to the power overhead. This not only applies to consumers, but staff too. Both sets of individuals will be monitored for 'rule deviation' and work rate, “visibility is a trick” so staff are less likely to communicate, as are shoppers. Whether this amount of exposure is ethical, remains in debate. First and foremost, apparently, surveillance is for our safety. However, the balance seems to sway in that of regulation. Consumers are more likely to maintain discipline and avoid theft, than a parent to feel safe without their children within a yard of them.
-
Panopticism has expanded into almost every corner of modern society since the days of it's inception. We live in a disciplinarian age, where public sectors and buildings are regulated and controlled by architectural layout and hidden close circuit television. "He is seen, but he does not see". In a working environment, in schools and even as pedestrians, we self regulate under the acknowledgement that we're under surveillance.
As individuals, we are 'tuned' to conform to the rules of society at fear of being scrutinized and punished by the omnipresent observation,“permanent visibility assures the automatic functioning of power”. However we can never guarantee we, as individuals, are being watched at any given moment so our actions are controlled via self discipline.
Examples of panopticism can be acknowledged in everyday life. Supermarkets for example specialise in regulated control of masses of consumers. “The panoptic mechanism arranges spatial unities that make it possible to see constantly and to recognize immediately”, the layouts are almost always square or rectangular, with designated entrances and exits,vivid lighting and strategically placed CCTV on high ceilings. Stores also set the shelving units and fridge/freezers out in a grid like system so consumers proceed around at constant 90 degree angles.
The Panopticon structure let supervisors observe captives without being seen “by the affect of back lighting, one can observe from the tower, standing out precisely against the light'. The design of the CCTV camera is akin to that of the panoptic observatory, where we can assume that we're being watched but can't necessarily tell due to the dark translucent dome placed over the ceiling mounted cameras.
We conform to the supermarket environment, and under such visibility and surveillance we subject ourselves to the power overhead. This not only applies to consumers, but staff too. Both sets of individuals will be monitored for 'rule deviation' and work rate, “visibility is a trick” so staff are less likely to communicate, as are shoppers. Whether this amount of exposure is ethical, remains in debate. First and foremost, apparently, surveillance is for our safety. However, the balance seems to sway in that of regulation. Consumers are more likely to maintain discipline and avoid theft, than a parent to feel safe without their children within a yard of them.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
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