Week 9: People Networks

I've been amazed by the content on these blogs over the past six weeks. You've created some amazing narratives. And, hopefully you've had some interesting adventures along the way. Remember to put the skills you've learned (i.e. academic blogging) on your resumes :-)

The portfolio feedback will probably centre around technical stuff  - referencing, grammar, structuring evidence & arguments, etc. Things that will hopefully help when it comes to editing for your case studies.

Speaking of case studies  ...

You will be assigned & sent details of your group for the final assignment this week. The groups need to be based on your case study theme (people, food, nature, stuff).  

You also need to email me a dot point plan of your essay by midnight on Friday 27th sept. For a further 5% of your case study grade.  

Also, ...

Do the Ma Mung (2005) reading and answer the tute quiz questions (located in the week 9 folder on learnJCU).

There are 3 short answer questions that you need to complete. You have two weeks to get it done (it closes at midnight on Oct. 5th and has been opened a week early to accommodate the shift around in the lecture order). 

Quiz Hint: Make sure you look at definitions and types of diaspora when you do the reading.

Finally, ...
  

Watch the lecture and share your thoughts on people networks,  and diasporas (their similarities and differences); use the questions in the tute guide as, well .. a guide .. and let us know what you think. 

p.s. Next week is lecture recess,

so remember to take at least little bit of guilt -free time out from studying.

Week 8 blog - by Tammy Finlay

Survival of the neediest 

for the greediest

Images from left: Child labour during the Industrial Revolution and Carmen Durán 

and other Tijuana factory workers display the products they assemble in TNC factories 

Increased productivity and the ‘all important’ increased profits, that come with new and improved methods of manufacturing and production, are motivating factors for capitalist economies. Modes of production have changed significantly over the past two centuries, from hand-made production to machine production, factories and assembly lines, to the rise of globalisation and Transnational Corporations (Kuttainen, 2013). At each stage, the worker is considered a mere commodity, and exploitation of the most vulnerable continues to be rationalised as an economic imperative.   

From the wide-spread use of cheap child labour at the beginning of the industrial revolution to the current practice in the globalised market, of ‘outsourcing’ labour to third world countries (Kuttainen, 2013), it seems that those with the power are intent on using it to further their own interests. As Dicken notes (2007, p.441) the “already affluent developed countries...sustained [or]...increased their affluence...and poor countries...remain stranded.”

Digital technology (the ‘third industrial revolution’) is changing the face of manufacturing through innovations such as 3D printing, as economies of scale are essentially made redundant (The Economist, 2012). New models simply require software changes, leading to “mass customisation” at low cost (The Economist, 2012). Similar to how Zynga.com lost some of its market share to the proliferation of game developers and apps on Facebook, digital manufacturing also potentially allows for the redistribution of power.   

(Warning: Video may cause projectile vomiting, particularly at 8.40)

In this video, originally posted on the Sydney Mining Club's website in September 2012, Gina Rinehart, laments the high wages in Australia and said “Africans want to work, and its workers are willing to work for less than $2-a-day” (The Age, 2012). Seriously, she said that. Seriously! 

_______________________________________________________________________________

References

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and losing: An introduction. In Global shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world economy (pp. 437-453). London: Sage.

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 8: Stuff. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

The Economist. (21 April 2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017

World's media pan Rinehart's $2 a day African miner comments. (6 September 2012). The Age. Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au/business/worlds-media-pan-rineharts-2-a-day-african-miner-comments-20120906-25fpq.html

Image Sources

Child labour during industrial revolution (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/nhs/cur/Baker_00/2002_p7/ak_p7/childlabor.html

Maung, D. (n.d.) Carmen Durán and other factory workers display the products they assemble. From http://www.angeles.sierraclub.org/hvtf/SoSn/2007_09%20GlobalTrade/maquiadoras/index.htm

Food: another tool to determine power on Twitter?

Food and alcohol plays a large part in the celebrity and fan culture on Twitter. Celebrities offer their fans a glimpse into their life, with snapshots of meals taken from exotic and exclusive locations that only the wealthy can afford. Celebrities endorse different alcoholic beverages, many even produce their own and they advertise to their fans on Twitter. This filters down to how fans interact with each other, it’s cool to be drinking the name checked drink in their favourite rap song. They also mimic the celebrity lifestyle, talking about how “dope” a party was last night, even though they’re only 15.  Young fans write, “they want their life”, referring to their favourite young celebrity.

Celebrities also expand their empire, by developing new businesses like restaurants, cookbooks and lifestyle companies. Such as Jessica Alba’s, The Honest Company and Miranda Kerr’s organic products, which accompany her healthy eating lifestyle. They use Twitter as a marketing and advertising tool, to reach their target audience.

The fans financially keeping up, with the lifestyles of the rich and famous, post photos to prove it. They feel apart of something, if they too are eating at the places the celebrities frequent. Twitter can be used as a podium to draw attention; fans keep up with these celebrities and think they’re apart of a special world; therefore hoping it will draw followers to their account also. Meanwhile other Twitter fans, try to appear more worldly and social with their food snapshots. Some celebrities use twitter as a vehicle to appear like an everyday person, by posting pictures cooking with their kids in the kitchen.  In our lecture this reminds me of, “Virtual space and virtual identity is very much a performed identity, rather than a authentic identity” (Kuttainen, 2013, n.p).

 On the other hand, if you’re a teen from a poverty stricken project, you might not want to follow the users who flash their wealth. Yes, they might feel more comfortable to follow their favourite celebrities, but celebrities are “special”. In turn, they may follow fans with similar lifestyles to themselves. They post pictures of their dinner at their local neighbourhood diner, not at expensive LA restaurants. Pierre Bourdieu argues that, "the distinction between social groups, especially classes, in their tastes for food and other commodities may become a badge of their identity" (Atkins & Bowler, 2001, p.272). 

To some degree, users can choose who holds power over them; there is a sense of great freedom about this. Yes, you may feel powerless when your favourite celebrity has no idea you exist, and posts pictures of their million dollar lifestyle. But it’s your choice whether you let them have this power, by the simple function of “following” or “unfollowing” the celebrity, and besides, you are powerful because you get to become privy to their world. Isn’t that what we all want to do at some point in our lives, escape to somewhere different, far from our own reality? In the end, maybe it’s not harmful at all. Maybe it's as simple as, it just brings a little happiness to their day. 

Reference

Atkins, P., & Bowler, I. (2001). The origins of taste, in Food in society: Economy, culture, geography (p. 272). London, England: Arnold. 

Kuttainen, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives, and the making of Place, Lecture 7 Part 1.

Image Credits

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/22/article-2237075-162B6E3C000005DC-571_634x636.jpg

Facebook - Where the online diary should meet with the 20th century

Facebook is the home of 41,000 posts per second (Woollaston, V. 2012). Or, is Facebook the home of 41,000 diary submissions per second?

Every single time that a user logs onto Facebook, they are encouraged by the application to share with their online friends, “What’s on your Mind?” In that same moment, you can also personalise your thoughts even further by letting your friends know exactly what you’re doing, the location you’re doing it from, who you are with whilst you’re sharing your thoughts, and it even encourages you to share an image to compliment your thoughts. Now, if that doesn’t fall into the genre of a diary entry, I’m not sure what does!

It is through these status updates and the ability to join discussions on other user’s pages, that Facebook allows its users to attract readers by opening a metaphorical window into their minds, drawing our attention to the psyche and the potential secrets locked within the human mind ...” (Rowe & Wyss, 2009).

During the 2013 election, it was very much common place for Facebook users to post statuses that were extremely topical and a blatant attempt to influence the world view of the listener (Van Luyn, A. 2013), or in the case of Facebook, the reader. Even once the political advertising blackout was in place, Facebook users continued to use the power of their Facebook platform to push their political opinions onto their fellow users, attracting readers’ attention by inciting frustration (particularly during the blackout, as most Australian’s were probably looking forward to enjoying some time away from hearing about politics), by discussing a very emotionally charged topic in the community, and attracting readers through common political opinion.

Image from http://facebook.com

It was interesting to observe on Facebook the difference between reality and virtuality, and how virtuality gives the user a perceived power over their community, power that they wouldn’t ordinarily have on a day-to-day, face-to-face basis. The kind of statements that are made on Facebook statuses are not statements that are generally made in reality. And that is where you actually get a much clearer view of the minds of your fellow users. It’s your chance to see what your online friends choose to discuss, and what their true opinions are, when they have the power of both a keyboard and distance between them and their readers. And that is perhaps where the modern day, online diary of Facebook should meet with the 20^th century. There really are just some thoughts and ideas pushed out into the online community, that should really be hidden away under lock and key (Rowe & Wyss, 2009). Particularly during an election!

Reference List

Rowe, C & Wyss, E.L (2009). Language and New Media: Linguistic, Cultural and Technological Evolutions. Creskill, NJ. Hampton Press, Inc.

Van Luyn, A (2013) BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place. Lecture Part 1, Week 6: Genre. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Woollaston, V (2013, July 30). Revealed, what happens in just ONE minute on the internet: 216,000 photos posted, 278,000 Tweets and 1.8m Facebook likes. Mail Online. Retrieved from http://dailymail.co.uk

Image Credits

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2381188/Revealed-happens-just-ONE-minute-internet-216-000-photos-posted-278-000-Tweets-1-8m-Facebook-likes.html

Networking enabled

The current global economy is comprised of simple understandings which govern all involved. Dicken, (2007) formulates the idea that the state or governing body regulates, the countries technology enables but the movers and shapers of the economy are the transnational corporations (pp 437-438). As talked about in last weeks blog, the corporate power is undeniable and completely controlling. This then means "income is the key to an individual's or a family's material well-being" (Dicken, 2007. pp 440) in that corporate control is forced through consumerism which directly involves income. There is a symbolic value of consumer goods (Wilkinson, 2013. n.p.), influenced by corporations, the more quantity and expensiveness the greater the power and status of the individual and family, a cultural symbolic hierachal system.

(Kochie. 2013)

The current composition of the global economy is arranged so that there are winners and losers. Though the spectators or economists are of the opinion no one either gains or loses in the global economy. Dickens (2007) states that "the real effects of globalizing processes are felt not at the global or the national level but at the local scale: the communities within which real people struggle to live out their daily lives" (pp 438) showing the clear influenced parties. However "the growth of the global economy during the past few decades has dramatically increased the material well-being of many people" (Dicken, 2007. pp 439) which would theoretically mean the economy is currently benefiting its influenced parties. This is somewhat tore down by the fact that "20 per cent of the world's population living in the highest-income countries control well over 80 per cent of world income, trade, investment and communications technology" (Dicken, 2007. pp 441), showing the wealthier getting wealthier.

The digital age, internet and networking relate and influence the global economy by furthering technology and therefore the ability to enable the economy. The fact that something so impressive and sophisticated as 3D printing, where the "digital design can be tweaked with a few mouse clicks" (The Economist. 2012. pp 2). the new age of networking and "Digital technology has already rocked the media and retailing industries, just as cotton mills crushed hand looms and the Model T put farriers out of work" (The Economist. 2012. pp 2), meaning what we currently find simple and everyday is a major advancement to the way in which our global economy functions. This can especially be seen in the job market where in the near future "Most jobs will not be on the factory floor but in the offices nearby, which will be full of designers, engineers, IT specialists, logistics experts, marketing staff and other professionals" (The Economist. 2012. pp 3). Virtual networks are being used in such a way as to enable the furthering of the already furthered technology for this time period, "as legions of entrepreneurs and tinkerers swap designs online, turn them into products at home and market them globally from a garage" (The Economist. 2012. pp 4).

References:

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and losing: An introduction, in Global shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world economy (pp 437-441). London, England: Sage. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

The Economist. (2012). The third industrial revolution. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/21553017

Kochie. (2013). Australian Business: Winners and Losers [blog image]. Retrieved from: http://au.smallbusiness.yahoo.com/marketing/

Wilkinson, R. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Week 8 notes. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

Facebook, March Against Monsanto and Stuff

March Against Monsanto (2013).

Flowing on from my week seven post, Facebook uses its metadata for targeted advertising (Van Luyn, 2013). In the week 8 lecture Wilkinson (2013), discussed Fordism and touched on the mindless and robotic nature of the "sameness" of stuff, the birth of consumerism. The way I see it, without consumerism there would be no Facebook. The internet, Facebook is one giant data collection tool, its all about increased profits. This makes me think of the Monsanto agenda and the March Against Monsanto page (MAM), especially the image and video I used this week. Maximised profits at whatever cost necessary is immoral and an abuse of power, it is totally repressive. 

This image is highly provocative I wonder how many more "likes" MAM got after this post? Which brings me to "push-button activism" with all great intentions MAM aims to educate (Petray, 2011, pp. 935). It also aims to raise funds for their documentary and encourage people to literally March Against Monsanto in October. MAM targets the laws that prevent genetically modified foods being labelled as such. Have a look at the video below to get an idea of the Monsanto seed agenda and also the image above. I think Facebook users, a lot of the time want to identify themselves with a worthy cause in their own virtual space, their timeline. 

Stuff as a commodity, food and seeds in this case are being used to control the population in a completely repressive way (Wilkinson, 2013). This globalised economy from transnational corporations like Monsanto, is affecting everyday people at a community level (Dicken, 2007, pp. 438). This also relates back to farmers being squeezed out of their farms and then employed on the land that was once theirs (Patel, 2007, pp. 7). As the market share of these transnational corporations grow, global unemployment will forever be rising, this dissembles entire manual and manufacturing industries in the name of new technologies and again profit (Wilkinson, 2013).

(Cooking up a Story, 2009)

Reference List

Dicken, P. (2007). Winning and Losing: An Introduction. In 5th Edition Global Shift: Mapping the changing contours of the world economy (pp. 437-453). London: Sage Publications.

Patel, R. (2007). Introduction. In Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle of the World Food System (pp. 1-19). Melbourne: Black Inc.

Petray, T. (2011). Protest 2.0: online interactions and Aboriginal activists. Media, Culture & Society, 923-940.

Van Luyn, A. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Week 4 Notes. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.edu.au  

Wilkinson, R (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Week 4 Notes. [Power Point slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.edu.au

Image Credits

Cooking up a story (2009, July 23). Youtube. Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi1FTCzDSck

March Against Monsanto (2013). Facebook. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.phpfbid=662855237066333&set=a.566016720083519.1073741828.566004240084767&type=1&theater

Food, chemicals and corporations

Image 1

The March Against Monsanto (MAM) page on Facebook I'm observing has regular posts from the administrators about food and the global network of implications of how Monsanto affects people and our global food supply. I have used this image of the modern farmer, a MAM post, it demonstrates how the globalisation of agriculture has destroyed farmers businesses and the offending corporations have reemployed the bankrupt farmers as employees on what used to be their own land (Patel, 2007). The week seven reading articulated this perfectly saying, " Who chooses the safe level of pesticides, and how safe is defined? Who decides what to pay the farmers and farm workers? Who makes money out of the additives in food and if they do more harm than good?" (Patel, 2007). The answer is Monsanto, well partially anyway. There is a very clear  connection to Monsanto, Patel's reading this week and both images i have used. If the former vice president of Monsanto is now the head of the FDA, which is the US Food and Drug Administration, this is a major conflict of interest and abuse of power.  

Image 2

Facebook is also subject to corporate control, the second biggest shareholder ACCEL Partners also owns shares in virtual networks like Spotify, Drop Box, Etsy, check out the links. The terms and conditions dictate Facebook has access to all users metadata and they do what they like with it. Mainly it is used for more affective advertising to users. This brings me back to lecture two where we discussed power models, structures, the panopticon. Governments and corporations like Monsanto have complete repressive power over the population's food supply and make maximum profit in doing so (Petray, 2013).    

Reference List

 

Patel, R (2007). Introduction. Stuffed and Starved. (pp.1-19). Melbourne, Victoria: Black Inc. Retrieved from: hppt://learnjcu.com.au 

Petray, T. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, 

Lecture   2: Power: Big Brother and Surveillance. [PowerPoint slides]. 

Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu

Image Credits

March Against Monsanto (2013). Image 1. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=661527707199086set=a.566016720083519.1073741828.566004240084767&type=1&theater

March Against Monsanto (2013). Image 2. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=661795723838951set=a.566016720083519.1073741828.566004240084767&type=1&theater

You are what you eat

Food is not just something we eat to give us energy and keep us alive, it is a symbol for many things.

As argued by Atkins and Bowler (2001): one factor in the origin and persistence of foodways is that they often represent an important expression of our identity, both as individuals and in reference to a broader ethnic, class or religious grouping.

I relate that to food being a representation of cultures, rice and noodles represent some Asian cultures, snails represent the French culture and pasta for Italian culture. In Australian Aboriginal culture for example there are many foods consumed by the colonisers' English language has no interpretation for  and mainstream Australia no knowledge of. Examples are the pearl shell oyster which was displayed recently in a Brisbane newspaper as an exotic delicacy whereas my family have been consuming this food for nearly 40,000 years and refer to them as koenpes.

Food can also be a representation of social class. The wealthy are associated with champagne and caviar whereas, the poor are associated with McDonalds, bread and cheap soft drinks at best.

I have attached online article about food being an expression of social identity: http://www.cromrev.com/volumes/vol33/10-vol33-Cornejo.pdf

Food plays a big role for religious groups, for example the Hindu people do not eat beef as the cow is seen as a sacred symbol, Jewish people do not eat pork and Catholics do not eat red meat on Fridays.

Food has many important roles throughout the world and in many societies. It is an expression of our identity. (Kuttanien, 2013)

When observing my social network the Mount Isa Vent Page (MIVP) there is little to no discussion in relation to the cultural aspects associated with food. The MIVP is a small local group of people who appear to have little cultural awareness or exposure. Their main focus is on being negative and complaining about local minuscule problems. I think that the vents could be more more in depth than the wait times in the KFC or McDonalds lines. It would be interesting to see what the vents would consist of if they had thought with a broad mind about how food is a symbol for religious, ethnic groups and social classes or just thinking differently in general.


References:

Kuttanien, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Week 7 notes. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

Atkins, P., & Bowler, I. (2001). The origins of taste, in Food in society: Economy, culture, geography(pp 273-284). London, England: Arnold. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au


Image Reference:
http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/175/3/f/you_are_what_you_eat_by_sebreg-d54q6gc.jpg

What's on your mind: A new genre perhaps?

Image Source: http://geneabloggers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/new-blogs.jpg

Laurie McNeill (2011, p.314) argues that “genres at the intersection of print and digital culture” retain their traditional conventions and form, while taking advantage of the innovations – the “bells and whistles” (p.319), that the new medium allows. Kathleen Jamieson (1973, cited in McNeill, 2011, p.314) understands this through a ‘Darwinian’ lens, that is, genres evolve and adapt to take into account social and cultural changes in society, including new technologies. Thus, the new medium and its tools allow us to both create new online genres and reproduce traditional genre in new ways (Van Luyn, 2013).

Apart from the platform itself from which a ‘Facebook status’ is visible, let’s consider what else differentiates it as a specific type (genre) of computer-mediated communication, by looking at its features against John Frow’s (2013) four aspects of genre (cited by Van Luyn, 2013):

1. Formal features – use of short sentences, colloquial language, emoticons and internet slang to make a point (sometimes, lol). There are no rules about the proper use of grammar. 
2. Suppositions – people simply share their worldview, opinions, jokes, or snippets from their daily lives without explanation or background information, as we presuppose that our ‘friends’ have a frame of reference. 
3. Intertextuality – refers to previous posts, our lives, or other dominant discourse at the time (e.g. the election, news, sport). 
4. Readers – our posts are designed specifically for our Facebook ‘friends’, in order to achieve a certain effect (Van Luyn, 2013), usually in the form of a comment or a 'like'. 

Not only does the above show that the Facebook status can be considered a genre of its own, it also illustrates how genre shapes both how we produce cultural products and how we understand it (Van Luyn, 2013). 

References

McNeill, L. (2011). ‘Diary 2.0? A genre moves from page to screen.’ C. Rowe & E. Wyss (Eds.). Language and new media. (pp.313 – 325). Cresskill: Hampton Press Inc.

Van Luyn, A. (2013).  BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives and the making of place, Lecture 6: Genre. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Image Source

Image 1: http://geneabloggers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/new-blogs.jpg

Would you "like" something to eat?

Facebook has developed into a multimillion dollar corporation. With its bulk of profit generated from other companies advertising on their website.  From generic advertising that spams every individual’s profile, to advertisements personally targeted at you, Facebook is consumed with marketing. Many large food corporations use Facebook as part of their marketing profile. With 18 million business pages on Facebook already, with a predicted 1 million increase monthly, it’s safe to say many business are taking advantage of the Facebook revolution (McGee, 2013). Companies in the food industry are able to target individuals by their Facebook profile. This allows marking able to cross cultural boundaries, and reach a wider audience (Akins & Bowler, 2001).

Another industry that has utilized Facebook for marketing, is alcohol. In many countries, such as Australia, marketing on alcohol has been limited. Advertisements flood almost every aspect of our lives (Patel, 2007). Food and alcohol are both very competitive industries. Facebook allows companies to battle each other in the cyber world. This can also level the playing field, where local business can create a free Facebook page, and advertise to their community.  

Here is the alcohol regulation on marketing for the Facebook guidelines (Facebook, 2013):

i.    Ads that promote or reference alcohol are prohibited in the following countries: Afghanistan, Brunei, Bangladesh, Egypt, Gambia, Kuwait, Libya, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and any other jurisdiction where such ads are prohibited by law.

ii.    Where permissible, ads that promote or reference alcohol must: (i) Comply with all applicable local laws, required or recommended industry codes, guidelines, licenses and approvals and (ii) apply age and country targeting criteria consistent with Facebook's targeting guidelines and applicable local laws. Where a user's age or country cannot be determined, the ad must not be displayed to the user.

As you can see from above, even though some countries have already acted upon this new area of advertisement, many companies can still take advantage of this marketing area. To have a further look at these guidelines follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/ad_guidelines.php

Advertisements has become part of our everyday life. Exploiting our impulsive needs and desire to shop conveniently. Facebook is another playing field that companies battle for individual’s money and attention.

Have a quick look at some of the most unforgettable adverts.

References

Akins, P., & Bowler, I. (2001). FOOD IN SOCIETY. London: Hodder Headline Group.

Facebook. (2013, July 26). Facebook Advertising Guidelines. Retrieved from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ad_guidelines.php

McGee, M. (2013, July 24). Facebook Has Almost 18 Million Business Pages, Adding 1M Per Month. Retrieved from Marketing Land: http://marketingland.com/facebook-has-almost-18-million-business-pages-adding-1m-per-month-53108

Patel, R. (2007). Stuffed and Starved. Melbourne: Black Inc.

Wagner, J. (2013, July 19). How to Set Up Facebook Ads. Retrieved from John F. Wagner: http://johnfwagner.net/1775/setting-facebook-ad-3/

  

Taste, Role and Corporate control

Talking about someone's taste is normally associated with a sensory receptor, the gustatory cells, however taste isn't restricted to food, its also found in own's likes and dislikes and heritage. In this week's lecture Victoria states that taste is an "Expression of identity" and a "repository of culture"(Kuttainen,V. 2013). That is, taste can help others trace back to our heritage and culture and is a fundamental part of the construction of ones identity. "One factor in the origin and persistence of foodways is that they often represent an important expression of our identity, both as individuals and in reference to a broader ethnic, class or religious grouping" (Atkins, P., & Bowler, I. 2001. pp 273) Through this quote from the reading it can be seen that food is an important part of life, not just through sustenance but through identity.

In the online virtual network "Gradcafe.com" food would be thought of as a central idea. However the cafe is in fact, a metaphorical semblance to the literal establishment. "Food isn't just food, its not just something that nutritionists study, but its also people who are specialists in academic field take up in terms of thinking about its critical role in culture" (Kuttainen, V. 2013) This is true of the online network in that it contains many academia however the importance of food as to nourishment is not in question, but the social importance and activities carried out in that environment are. "While food habits and food systems may not be constitutive of spatially bounded cultures, nevertheless there are regional geographies of food production, food marketing and food preparation in which place and space play an important role." (Atkins, P., & Bowler, I. 2001. pp 275). This food network is similar to the online social network in that the production of the education facilities, the marketing and the preparation of students is all carried out in the one place and space.

(Capper, 2011)

Corporate control is the basis of the social, environmental, commercial and basically every other human influenced network. online virtual networks are plagued by the commercials, and advertisements displayed by the corporate bodies that govern us. "Guided by the profit motive, the corporations that sell our food shape and constrain how we eat, and how we think about food" (Patel, R. 2007. pp 1). Food, in this sense is but one of the corporate controlled networks, that take away the public's "freedom of choice". "Large corporations are very reluctant to cede their control over the food system. Yet Nestle, Starbucks and every other food system corporation have a rock-solid alibi: us." (Patel, R. 2007. pp 11). We as a collective are popularizing, critiquing and constantly commenting about the latest food product, a prime example being the "fad diet". So how do we stop that control and how do we take back our "freedom of choice"? Simple, we can't.


References:

Capper, (2011). Corporate control is now complete. [blog post image]. Retrieved from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HzA7lLsg5IJ7jc_pZEoUYPZjYXCJtaiFkkcRgpLDPMyf-y3ZBWCyxGhpVPLpHzTbMYilWEowi2v6IN6wrE6391a7BDqQlSykIFvtGYf87qKCaF2Y_pySNwYuIQUFFgFw1BqOvobaaJRo/s1600/non+sequitur+corporate+control.gif 

Atkins, P., & Bowler, I. (2001). The origins of taste, in Food in society: Economy, culture, geography (pp 273-284). London, England: Arnold. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

Patel, R. (2007). Introduction, in Stuffed and starved: The hidden battle for the world's food system (pp1-11). Toronto, Canada: Harper Perennial. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

Kuttanien, V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the Making of Place, Week 7 notes. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.learnjcu.jcu.edu.au

Dad illustrates kids’ sandwiches with imaginative drawings

One father, an author and blogger on Flickr, a graphic designer by trade, and consumer has beaten the ongoing battle that most parents have of ensuring their children eat homemade sandwiches at school rather than buying into the market power of corporations.  This supports Patel’s thought around consumer power as “consumers can shape the market by taking their wallets elsewhere.”  (2007. Pg. 17)

It can be recognised that there are two worlds at play around food, from the space the author has created in his authentic and virtual worlds and the power that the author holds within these domains.

Power is held through the aurthor's online virtual network relationships by filtering his medium of photo illustrations as a virtual diary on Flickr which links to a blog page where online narratives give descriptions on how he creates the illustrations. The daily picture narratives are of original illustrations, his cultural product, which are put onto his children’s plastic zip lock sandwich bags creating a form of fantasy, escapism and tradition for his children in their authentic world. As Victoria Kuttainen described, a virtual network is “a place that can be seen as a fantasy, where we promote the best parts of ourselves.” (2013).

 Through his comical originality and craft, this author holds the power within his authentic world by ensuring that his children eat their lunch whilst adding amusement for himself, his children and their school community identity along with a creation of space within their place, school. Vanclay describes that “place-making is a process of transforming bad places into good places and of changing the way people feel about a place.” (2008. Pg. 4)

Reference List

Patel, R. (2007). ‘Introduction’. Stuffed and Starved: Markets, Power and the hidden battle of the world food system. [Class Handout]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

 Kuttainen. V. (2013). BA1002: Our Space: Networks, Narratives and the making of Place. Lecture 7: Food Networks. [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://learnjcu.edu.au

Vanclay, F. (2008) Place Matters:  Making sense of place: exploring concepts and expressions of place thorugh different senses and lenses. National  Museum of Australian Press. Canberra, pg 3-11

Image

http://blog.flickr.net/en/2013/04/19/dad-illustrates-kids-sandwich-bags-with-imaginative-drawings/