Chapters 6,7,8 Summary + Response

Chapter 6 of Corbett’s “Communicating Nature” deals with modern media’s usage of nature and the environment in advertising. The four main types of advertisements featuring elements of nature to evoke a response from the viewers are: nature as a backdrop, green product attributes, green image, and environmental advocacy. Essentially, companies and producers are trying to get the consumer to associate their product or service with the “green” movement making the consumer believe that buying their products may benefit the environment .

Chapter 7 analyzes mankind’s relationship with animals and the stereotypical preconceived notions people carry with them when dealing with wildlife. Everyday we see animal based symbolism in advertisements, product names and even in general speech, but the origin of this symbolism rarely receives much thought. Since modern society has divorced itself from an interactive relationship with nature, it is almost impossible for humans to approach nature or wildlife without a preconceived “understanding” of an animal based off of media.

Chapter 8 deals with the media and news’ handling of environmental topics. Corbett argues that currently, the news and media play a “guard dog” role, meaning the news and media present environmental issues from a bias perspective in order to protect some social institutions or invested interests. Instead, Corbett believes the news and media need to take on the “watch dog” role to expose unbiased environmental issues and initiate social change, not just follow it.

Nature and the environment play a larger role in modern society than most of us probably realize, which becomes even more interesting when one considers the fact that most of us are more distant from nature and the environment than any previous generations ever were. As chapter eight argues, utilizing this influence the environment has on our speech, media, and news to help move society towards a more educated and sustainable relationship is necessary to ensure  humanity’s relationship with nature in the future is a healthy one.

Alec Hugo

CH 6-8 Summary and Reflection

Brian Carpenter

WRTG 3020

Ch 6 – 8 Summary and Reflection

Summary:

Ch. 6 – This chapter discusses how watching television daily and being force-fed tons of advertisements has affected our view of nature. The chapter discusses this concept and how these advertisements are created by professionals to manipulate viewers and persuade them one way or another. We see how advertisement techniques utilize “nature” in four way particularly; “nature as backdrop”, show “green” of products, provide a “green image”, and sometimes, and to promote (or demote) environmental action.  Given that these advertisements are fueled by (and serve to provide more fuel for) consumerism and capitalism, there is fundamental error in their structure. These ads contribute to the fallacy that these corporations and companies are “going green”, therefore, practicing “environmental consciousness”. By accomplishing this, the advertisements add incentive for the average Joe to buy their product and feel good for supporting the environment.

Ch. 7: This chapter discusses how societal definitions and pop culture has influenced our perception of different animals. Savage representations of predators, particularly, like grizzly bears and wolves, have led to the mainstream ideology that these animals are dangerous and to be feared. From a child we are exposed to different representations of animals, through influences like Disney, which have exacerbated our societal definitions. We can see many other examples, as well, like how Coca-Cola has given us a different more elegant view of polar bears. Moreover, these societal definitions have led to preferential treatment of some animals over others. For instance, our love of animals like elephants, has led to a large flux of people wanting to protect and rehabilitate them, but we are less inclined to protect certain small fish and bird species, in the same area, which may be on the verge of extinction.

Ch. 8: This chapter focused on mass media and how it is the most prominent way, in which our society gains its information about the environment. Many inherent problems lie within this structure, which has led to misinterpretations and, subsequently, an incorrect perception of the state of the environment. A main point and problem associated with this, as described by Corbett, is that often we take what the news says to be true, as there is no opposing evidence to suggest otherwise (because we often don’t take the time to find it). Give, the one-sidedness of the media, we should be asking how “real” is the media coverage we observer over an environmental concern (e.g. an oil spill, or deforestation). The environment is constantly competing with more exciting topics (like how many people died in the car bar in Baghdad last week) for media coverage. This causes it to be pushed aside, and causes typical Americans to believe the problem has been solved because they are no longer receiving updates on that issue. It seems we would need a social change if we would like to see adequate coverage of environmental topics on the media. However, one challenge is the lacking ability to adequately cover these issues, simply because they are often thoroughly entrenched in scientific data, thus, are often be too complex for mainstream society.

Reflection:

I thought it was interesting how these chapters displayed the different links between the media and the environment. I have thought a lot about this subject in the past in some of my past environmental philosophy courses. It is hard to image the extent to which the media influences us and it really sickens me when I think about it. It seems that only through years of specialized education we able to see through the lies and norms established by the media and see humans true interaction with the Earth. This interaction, of course, is one based on extraction and violence. Likewise, these chapters made me ponder how, in a capitalist system, the media is used as a tool in conjunction with the political agenda, to keep the masses blind, obedient, and entertained.

ch 2 summary and reflection

Brian Carpenter

WRTG 3020

CH 2 – Summary and Reaction

 

 

Summary:

This chapter discusses how different cultural environmental ideologies govern human interaction with the environment, in different areas of the world. Two distinct categories emerge which, effectively, resemble the spectrum of ideologies. The first, Anthropocentrism, as the name suggests is the “human centered” ideology, in which humans are superior. Therefore, it is implied that we are “entitled” to the Earth and all of her bountiful resources. Conversely, ecocentrism, is the exact opposite ideology which asserts that no single species holds more value than another (altruism, thus, is implied).  One of the main focuses of the chapter is how religion (such as Christianity) has upheld anthropocentric notions and exacerbated the use of nonrenewable resources. Notions, such as, manifest destiny, indeed, contributed to Anthropocentrism, as well. Examples of ecocentrism, such as, the Native Americans have been ruthlessly destroyed and overshadowed by the prominent Western anthropocentric view.

Currently, we take stake in the notion of preservationism. In this way we value the environment for tourism (majorly), but implied is its aesthetic beauty and therapeutic abilities as an escape from modern industrial civilization. The fundamental error in this notion is that we then view nature as a commodity and are still fully entrenched in anthropocentrism. Though, with this model there is some incentive to protect certain ecosystems, it allows for the destructive nature of western society to continue to spread and level the landbase (while leaving tiny areas of wilderness, mostly, untouched). The fact of the matter is that even with preservationism, we have an exponentially increasing population, which will require an exponential increase in the amount of resources needed for sustainability. In this way, as we have seen in countless representations historically, the ideology of preservationism, (I argue) will definitely be undermined due to an ever expanding need for resources. I believe this will be exacerbated even further, in the future, as corporations gain more and more influence through wealth and subsequent political power. This is due to error in the capitalist system which makes it solely based on profit with very little care for environmental degradation and resource depletion. Unless we change our social and/or political structures to greater value the environment (more so than the façade of preservationism entails), we are setting ourselves up for a catastrophic energy and population crisis and all of the other negative things involved.