Georgetown writing test

The realm of sociology underscores the importance of shared
norms that are used as a guiding principle in any society. This
concept is more pronounced in the realm of functionalism which
places special significance on conformity produced by common
goals. The article mentions how consumerism has become a
culture in its own right which refers to its identification as an
acceptable norm. The gist of the solution is to alter this ingrained
belief in the mind of the masses. Various institutions that
encompass the media and the education can make a difference if
they work in collusion. The article underlines the blatant increase
in consumerism in the last 50 years, a phenomenon that means
that consuming goods is increasingly linked with satisfaction.
Some staggering statistics reveal the extent to which the present
trend can lead us to an abyss that knows no depth. This unbridled
consumption puts a strain on the earth’s depleting natural
resources, engendering a situation in which we are all losers in
the long run. Among other things, an effect of this flagrant trend
is the damage that we are causing to our environment. The
examples of India and China serve to epitomize why efforts to
reverse this trend are imperative. That the consumption has
tripled is a stark reflection of the conspicuous change in spending
habits. Policy implementation has its limits in its efforts to
circumvent environmental degradation and the need of the hour is
to change people’s mindset about consumerism. The example of
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus serves to justify
that changing cultural concepts is not impossible. The article ends
with a prediction that consumerism will die of its own accord,
owing to the fact that in the long term the rational side of a society will overshadow the part that enjoins profligacy.


The role of societal institutions is paramount to say the least. As
the whole purpose is to instill a different mindset in the common
man, the media can play a role that lends itself worthy of being
gauged as important. Considering media’s mass coverage and its
ability to directly reach the people, warnings about the quagmire
we are beset in can serve to remind people that their ignorance
will lead them to the middle of nowhere. It is worth mentioning that
many people pay heed to what they hear in the news, a fact that
emboldens the notion that massive awareness will slowly root out
opulence and consumerism. The essence is to project the
looming danger of the present trend and to instill fear in the
masses of the egregious effects of ignorance. Needless to say, an
individual will respond with alacrity when he becomes cognizant
of the ground reality.

Education is part of a person’s secondary socialization and the
norms and values learnt in this phase remain embedded
throughout an individual’s life. This gives us all the more reason to
use education as another tool to achieve mass awareness.
Reports can be sent to multifarious schools that underline the
environmental quandary that has enveloped us. That the only
solution is a change in spending habits and an end to
consumerism will be a potent message to the future working
population. This mode is more efficacious owing to the fact that it
reaches the target population, a group that will have the power of
the purse in the coming years.