Affluenza
2006-2007 Shared Reading– Shared Thoughts
Affluenza Campus Read Series
To foster a community of learners, the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County, with generous funding from the Wisconsin Humanities Council and in partnership with the Wausau Daily Herald and the Marathon County Public Library, sponsored a campus/community common reading program that also featured a variety of panel discussions and public lectures.
The chosen book was Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic, by John De Graaf, David Wann, and Thomas H. Naylor. Programming for the shared reading project explored the concept of whether contemporary society’s compulsive materialism indicates the rise of an epidemic of debt, waste, greed, and permanent discontent that threatens families, communities, the environment, and the survival of humankind itself.
The capstone event for the programming series featured a public lecture in May 2007, by Bill McKibben, the nationally-recognized writer, humanities scholar, and environmentalist. McKibben’s most influential book, The End of Nature, speaks to the link between consumerism, global environmental degradation, and the loss of a sense of community; he writes of the need for a new kind of environmentalism that takes people’s aspirations for good and durable lives seriously and asks deeper questions than we’re used to asking.
EVENTS LISTING:
What would a year of living in American marketplace culture look like if citizens made a solemn vow to not buy anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary? Social issues journalist Judith Levine foreswears everything from wine to Q-Tips, hair gel to DVDs, and sets out to write about this daunting task and its surprising results in her book Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping. At UWMC, she shared insights gleaned from her year of “voluntary simplicity,” exploring issues ranging from green capitalism, ecological sustainability in both urban and rural environments, and the psychology of the American consumer-citizen. During her residency at UWMC, Levine gave presentations to Ann Herda-Rapp's sociology students, Connie Sexauer's history students, Sarah Rudolph's theatre students, Juliana Hunt's Freshman Seminar class, and English students of Mary Schiltz, Holly Hassel, Jean Greenwood, and Hillary Teynor. She also spoke to Continuing Education's College of the Emeriti, and gave a public lecture at 7 pm on September 27 in the UWMC Theater.
In this panel presentation, a variety of local and UW Colleges-wide presenters discussed the impact of "Affluenza" on American families. Holly Hassel, Assistant Professor of English at UWMC, gave an overview of the cultural context of consumerism; Rita Straub, former UWMC County Extension agent spoke about the family stressors that can arise when living in a materialistic culture; John Houchens, UWMC Associate Professor of Economics addressed the rising problem of credit card debt; and Greg Peter, UW-Fox Valley Assistant Professor of Sociology presented research on the relationship between school lunch programs and childrens' diets.
Jon Baitz' drama, which opened in 1991, explores tensions in a family run publishing house, where the father’s dedication to intellectual histories and social analyses clashes with the realities of a sensational pop culture that is far more lucrative, putting the publishing house at risk. Sarah Rudolph directed the production at UWMC, and she and the actors led audience talkbacks that synthesized the play's themes of capitalism with the concepts found in"Affluenza."
This public presentation by Professor Rees, a scholar at the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia, explored the ecological footprint, a major 20th-century concept he helped to invent, as well as fossil-fuel consumption and global warming. Professor Rees shared his insights, while on the UWMC campus, with students of: Jeff Leigh's Middle East History class; Keith Montgomery's, Kris Prahl's, and Eric Giordano's Global Threats class; Holly Hassel's and Jean Greenwood's English classes; Eric Giordano's Political Science class; and Danielle Dahlstrom's Intro to Business class. He also spoke to the UWMC Continuing Education College of the Emeriti.
Julie Tharp, UW-Marshfield Professor of English, presented a three day course on the De Graf, Wann & Naylor book for students of the College of the Emeriti (seniors group).
This popular musical, by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis, is built upon the premise that in the world of the future, only the wealthy will have access to toilets as the water supply dries up. It satirizes capitalism, social irresponsibility, and corporate mismanagement as it explores the consequences of this absurd predicament. Director Sarah Rudolph and UWMC Theatre students offered talkbacks at the conclusion of the performances.
Steve Sandstrom, Outreach Coordinator for the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute of Northland College and owner of a "green" Bed & Breakfast in Ashland, WI, shared his take on "green consumerism"—or how every person can make a difference in the health of the planet by becoming a more responsible consumer. Sandstrom also conducted residency activities at UWMC, including presentations to Lou Pech's biology students, Ann Herda-Rapp's sociology students, and the College of the Emeriti.
Panelists included: Connie Sexauer, UWMC Assistant Professor of History, speaking on the historical grass roots of reform efforts; Jack Kloppenburg, UW- Madison Professor of Rural Sociology, addressing on the rise of community-supported agriculture; and Lisa McKinnon, Policy Director of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, an organization that promotes healthy urban and rural communities, and protects the state's economic, cultural and natural resources.
Acclaimed author Bill McKibben presented a capstone address for the UWMC Affluenza series and conducted residency activities in Professor of English Lisa Seale's classes. Bill McKibben is the author of a dozen books about the environment, beginning with The End of Nature in 1989. He is a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org, which has coordinated 15,000 rallies in 189 countries since 2009. Time Magazine called him 'the planet's best green journalist.'He is Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College and in 2011 he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Jon Foley, Director of the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment and member of the UW-Madison Speakers' Bureau, gave a presentation on the global impact of world energy consumption.
Various UWMC faculty members led booktalks on the chosen campus/community shared reading. As a series sponsor and collaborator, the Marathon County Public Library hosted four booktalks in September and October. Booktalks for UWMC students and their parents were held on campus throughout the series year.
For a more detailed event listing, with bios of the event presenters, click on this link.