Dr. Juliet Schor is a lecturer teaching Women's Studies 132, "Shop 'Til You Drop." On Thursday, February 4, students flooded the room to sample the professor's goods. She spoke with us that evening.
What is your take on shopping period? It seems like something you might have an angle on?
I think shopping period is okay. It's good for students to get a hands-on look at courses. It makes things difficult for us-TFs and professors-but I'm not a hard line anti-shopper. As a student, it's helpful to have more advanced knowledge.
You seem to have outlined a very appealing course with a catchy title and fun material. Did you intend to have a strong market appeal? Is this a selling strategy?
The course grew out of my research in the last number of years-I've been studying this topic of consumption since '93. I've been slowing incorporating this material in and developing a new course. I am not interested in offering courses that simply appeal to students, but I'm happy to have a large group. I try to structure the course to meet interests and needs while doing justice to the material. But, yes, I chose a spiffy title. It was meant to catch their eye...but the readings are not meant to capture a market. It's a very appealing topic! It's just fascinating. We're all fascinated with consuming, and we haven't approached it intellectually.
Do you have a message targetted to your audience? Are you trying to change habits?
Well, my own point of view is pretty out there. I am a critic of consumer society. It is my intention to give a critical perspective. I would like to see students question themselves and society. I want to provide a little perspective on materialism. My own hope is it will get them thinking with a set of theoretical tools to question the natural order of things.
What kind of students would take this course? Do you have shop-a-holics taking the course?
I think someone who takes "Shop 'Til You Drop" is someone who has contradictory feelings and wants to understand it. I would be surprised if all the people in the call were there for some shopping habit problem.
