Part 1

The purpose of this discussion is to help you understand the growing concerns of consumerism and how the concept of consumerism is applied to varied contexts. Prepare and post a response to the following prompts:

Describe consumerism. Describe a specific context and explain what consumerism means in the setting.

What is planned obsolescence? What role does planned obsolescence play in consumerism? Describe one product or service and explain how planned obsolescence is incorporated into its design.

Note: Do not use the same product or service that a classmate has already used in a previous post.

What are your personal beliefs and biases about consumption?

Having separated your personal belief and biases and using your newly honed skills of ethical evaluation, present how you feel about consumerism and planned obsolescence as a societal issue using ethical theories and concepts.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from the required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Respond to at least two of your classmates' posts by Day 7.

Part 2

corporate market domination. Prepare and post a response to the following prompts:

What is a corporation? What are the defining characteristics of a public corporation? What is a conglomerate? What is the difference between a corporation and a conglomerate?

Describe how media conglomerates are organized in the United States. Use an example of one media conglomerate and examine is various parts. How might these parts work together for mutual advantage?

Consider the ethics of media conglomerates. What are the advantages and drawbacks of allowing large conglomerates to control the mass media? What are alternative ways the media can be organized? Would the alternatives be more ethical or virtuous? Explain your reasoning.