Download LEE Abundance Empire Kevin Lee 4/7. 2014 Academic Writing #2 Teddy

Abundance Empire
Kevin Lee
4/7. 2014
Academic Writing #2
Teddy Chocos
LEE 1
Kevin Lee
ESL 100D
Teddy Chocos
4/7. 2014
Abundance Empire
Material Wealth is the value of American culture. It can be plenty of lands and
natural resources. These days, everyone accepts that US is the World Power because the
world standard currency and language are a dollar and the English. The reason which United
States can be powerful is full supporting of material abundance. According to the book,
American ways, written by Datesman, it states “Scholars like David Potter, an American
historian, believe that the abundant material wealth of the United States has been a major
factor in the development of the American character.”(Pg. 102 (1)) His statement
demonstrates material wealth is closely related with the development of the America.
Although material abundance influences negative effects such as people begin to desire
luxury life by provocative advertisement, it gives high development to American which
improves their position and quality of lives.
The material abundance helps Americans to get stronger position and improve
quality of lives, but it influences them on negative effect, luxury life. Especially to young
Americans, some of them are affected by provocative advertisements which beautiful and
handsome stars show off their expensive items such as bags or accessory. They keep buying
luxury goods even though they cannot cover the necessities of life. According to the book,
American ways, written by Datesman, Diamandis and Kotler said “abundance is not about
providing everyone on this planet with a life of luxury – rather it’s about providing all with a
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life of possibility. To be able to live such a life requires having the basics covered and then
some….” (Pg. 110 (31)) Diamandis and Kotler thought material abundance is not for luxury
life and should be fair to everyone for basic in life. For example, in Korea, young male drove
high-priced cars to pick up girls, but actually the boy lived in small one-room. Although
material abundance makes people to fall into luxury life, it contributes positive effects.
The first positive effect of material abundance is the development of advertisement
and this development contributed to Americans to improve their position. For a long time,
Such as farmers, Americans produced something like grain to maintain their own wealth.
However, people began to think themselves as consumers because radio broadcasts and the
spread of television programming developed mass advertising. According to the book,
American ways, written by Datesman, the idea that “in the 1700s and 1800s, most Americans
thought of themselves more as producers than consumers” (Pg. 103 (9)) is the fruit of
advertisement. After the idea settled, American got more power because many companies or
stores attempt to attract consumers with discount or good quality of goods. In other words,
Americans have many advantages in society as consumers. In addition, mass advertising
gives two effects. First effect is that “sponsors had some control over the content of television
programs. If businesses did not like the content, they could withdraw their sponsorship.” (Pg.
103 (10)) According to first effect of advertising, people started to get power as sponsors with
business. Moreover, “a second effect was that advertising techniques were so successful that
over time they began to be used to change Americans’ attitudes, behavior, and beliefs. For
example, the government ran ads to urge teenagers not to use drugs; charities had ads to ask
for donations; and politicians paid to advertise their campaigns.” (Pg. 103 (10)) Such as
sponsors and government, Americans could get power with the idea which Americans
thought of themselves more as produces than consumers by advertisement.
Material abundance improves not only Americans’ power but also quality of life.
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After the development of advertisement, sponsors and businessmen should think about what
American consumers like. American consumers focus on comfort, cleanliness, novelty, and
convenience. Long time ago, the western frontier such as cowboy became heroes and gave
big improvement to expand lands. However, the experience of frontier life was very harsh.
Therefore, “this experience may have created a strong desire in the pioneers and their
children for goods that would make life more comfortable.” (Pg. 104 (14)) Because of the
harsh western frontier experience, Americans desire comfortable life. For example, they buy
many kinds of furniture, design their cars, or travel. Another factor of American consumers
like is Cleanliness. The Puritans influenced Americans to care about cleanliness. The Puritans
were very strict Protestant church and emphasized the cleanliness. Puritans believed that dirty
was a crime or called evil. The Febreze marketing experience demonstrates how Americans
think important about cleanliness. At first, the company, Proctor & Gamble, focused on “how
their product could eliminate not just cover up, bad smells.” (Pg. 105 (16)) However,
Americans did not buy that because they did not want to think their house was dirty so they
needed Febreze. Thus, P&G changed their advertisement such as “a reward for when the
cleaning was finished.” (Pg. 105 (16)) Then P&G earned more than 230 dollars. American
consumers also care about novelty which is new and different. Advertisement also
encourages people to buy new one even though old thing is still working. The last source is
convenience. Such as microwave ovens, dishwasher, or clothes dryers makes Americans find
convenience in their lives. Especially, fast-food such as McDonald’s and KFC is
representative items for convenience and can find easily in everywhere. The four sources
which American consumers like, comfort, cleanliness, novelty, and convenience become
important facts to improve Americans’ quality of lives.
United States can be called as the Abundance Empire. America has many natural
resources and plenty of fertile lands. That is why material wealth becomes the one of the six
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values of American Culture: freedom, self-reliance, equality of opportunity, competition,
material wealth, and hard work. Material Abundance contributes to Americans to get more
power and improve their quality of lives, but it makes people enjoy luxury lives and waste
resources although all people cannot cover their basic necessities such as food, clothing, and
shelter. Moreover, advertisement shows provocative to young people, so many of them enjoy
buying expensive bags, cars, and jewels. However, when the material abundance developed
the mass advertising, mass advertising influenced on American to get more power in society.
Companies and shops should attract consumers to earn profit, so many American consumers
get stronger position. In addition, material abundance affected the quality of American life.
Because of the harsh western frontier experience, American began to desire comfortable life.
The plenty of lands and resource supports American to get abundant and comfortable life.
Even though abundance shows negative effect, they can be existed because of improvement.
Such as good and evil, everything in the world shows double face. Therefore, material
abundance influences United States to improve Americans’ position and quality of lives.
Citation: Crandall, Joann, and Edward N. Kearney. "The Heritage of Abundance." American
Ways. By Maryanne Kearny Datesman. Fourth edition. New York: Pearson Education, 2013.
102-04. Print.