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December 6, 2017

English Department
Salt Lake Community College
4600 South Redwood Road
Salt Lake City, UT 84123

To Whom It May Concern,

Thank you for taking the time to read some of my best work from my Intermediate Writing English 2010
class at Salt Lake Community College. In this class, we were taught the importance of writing clearly and
using rhetoric to make a claim. Included is a sampling of the three main assignments I wrote for class.
The first assignment I was asked to write for this class was a biographical sketch of history as a writer, as
well as what I would like to learn from this course. I was later asked to re-write the biographical sketch
about a transformation that had taken place in my life. I decided to write about why I did not attend
college right after I graduated from high school, and how being in college as an older student has affected
me.
The second assignment of the semester was to choose a topic that I was interested in and write a research
paper. We were asked to brainstorm several topics of interest and create a list. After reviewing the list of
topics with the instructor, I decided on the topic of excessive consumerism. I began my research by
looking on the internet and reading a few articles relating to my topic. I found six sources to use for my
paper, and was asked to write a brief summary of each article, and my thoughts on it. This was a good
way to start getting an idea of where my paper was going to go. After summarizing the articles, I began
writing the paper. Writing took me a lot of time and I made many revisions along the way. In class, we
were given feedback from the instructor as well as fellow students. The feedback was helpful to give
direction towards the final draft of the paper. Through this class, I learned the importance of rewriting and
editing a paper. We had to edit our paper several times, and while at first I thought it was excessive,
looking back at my earlier drafts, I see how much the editing process improved the flow and clarity of my
writing. This is an important skill I will undoubtedly use in the future.
The third assignment was to write a revision of the research paper using rhetoric to find a solution to a
problem posed in our research. I chose to focus on the practice of minimalism and how it can help realign
excessive desires for material goods towards a more balanced lifestyle. I struggled the most with the
rhetorical revision writing process. I think it is because excessive consumerism is such a widespread
practice, that there is no easy solution. It has to be a personal choice to be conscious of the goods we buy
and find our own definition of happiness that does not rely on material goods.
By taking Intermediate Writing, I was better able to understand the importance of using rhetoric as a
persuasive writing tool. The skills that I have acquired in this class will assist in writing skills needed for
my future career.
Sincerely,

Shanon Gunn
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Table Of Contents

1. Never Too Late Page 3

2. Consumerism and its Polluting Effects on our Happiness Page 4

3. Less is More Page 10

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Shanon Gunn
English 2010-08
Salt Lake Community College
November 2nd, 2017
Never Too Late

I never thought it would take until I was thirty years old to go to college. While I was in
high school, I took a few concurrent enrollment classes, but I always wanted the experience of
actually going to college. If you had asked me back then where Id be in my life at thirty, I would
have said I hope to be working in the dental field, be married and have children. Luckily, I
have two of those three now, but life got in the way of going to college right after high school.
Instead, my daughter was born two months after I graduated. I had to work a lot to support her,
so college was out of the question right away. Her dad and I were married when she was almost
one year old.
As the years went on, it seemed harder and harder to go back to college. My husband
decided to attend a technical school which required us to move across the country to
Pennsylvania. While he attended school, I stayed home with our daughter. It was important to me
to be able to stay home with her, and any job I could get would not pay enough to cover the costs
of daycare. We really enjoyed our time living in Pennsylvania, but when my husband graduated,
we moved back to Utah so he could go to work for his familys business. I was pregnant with our
son at the time, so as soon as our daughter went to school full time, I was again home with a
newborn.
I have been lucky enough to only work part time while my kids were very young. I have
only ever had a job, but always wanted a career. I knew I needed to go to college to find a career
that I would love. Since starting college again last summer, the classes I have taken have helped
me gain a greater appreciation for the world around me and have a better understanding of the
way the world works. While I havent decided which field I will go in to, I am enjoying taking a
variety of classes to expand my knowledge.
I cant dwell too much on the thoughts of what could have been had I gone to college
earlier in life. All I know is that the time I put in to getting a college education is time well spent.
Regardless of what field I decide to go into, the knowledge I have gained will benefit my life and
my familys as well. I want my children to see the positive impact that getting an education can
have in your life. I hope that they can see from my example that it is never too late to follow your
dreams.
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Shanon Gunn
English 2010-08
Salt Lake Community College
18 October 2017

Consumerisms Polluting Effect on Our Happiness

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the number of items you own? Has it ever felt like

your belongings own you? Our country has become one of excess in everything we do. We buy

more than we need and dispose of goods so rapidly, our landfills are overflowing. Levels of

pollution are rising and are likely contributing to a change in our climate. Not only is the rise of

consumerism contributing to the pollution of the Earth, it has also been shown to pollute our

everyday lives and lead to lower levels of happiness. How did we get here, and what can we do

to change our behavior? Through my research, I have learned about the rapid rise of

consumerism throughout history, as well as how it is currently affecting our everyday lives. I

found resources that show levels of excessive materialism lead to decreased happiness. I also

found hopeful ways in which we can change our everyday lives in order to combat the effects of

consumerism on our happiness and the environment. I hope to present these findings in a way

that can change peoples buying behavior and lead to positive changes overall.

It would be difficult to understand the consumer lifestyle we live in today without

understanding the history. The article Consumerism from Encyclopedia.com gives a detailed

background of the rise of consumerism in America. Consumerism in America began in the

1700s when colonists had to learn to produce the goods they needed. Through the 1800s the

industrial revolution brought great improvements in both technology and transportation.

Steamships and railroads made transporting goods across the U.S. much quicker and cheaper.
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Then in the 1900s the automobile gave consumers even more access to manufactured goods. It

was also the beginning of consumer credit, as automobiles were too expensive for most people to

pay cash for them. Advertising through the 1920s also contributed to a rise in the sale of

household goods. The stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression led to a drop

in the economy and production of goods, but eventually sales resumed and continued rising.

After World War II in the 1940s came the Baby Boomer Generation and the beginnings of the

consumer driven society we know today. Technological advances and improvements in

manufacturing, as well as advertising and social media have contributed to the rise of

consumerism and have led to the state we find ourselves in today (Consumerism).

As consumerism continues to rise, Earths resources continue to be depleted at alarming

rates. The website Worldwatch Institute states The United States, with less than 5 % of the

global population, uses about a quarter of the worlds fossil fuel resourcesburning up nearly 25

% of the coal, 26 % of the oil, and 27 % of the worlds natural gas (The State). The

unintended consequences of a growing economy have resulted in air and water pollution at

extraordinary levels. This article gives a thorough look at many statistics surrounding the effects

of consumerism on not only the environment, but society as well. The article states that:

Individuals often face personal costs associated with heavy levels of consumption:

the financial debt; the time and stress associated with working to support high

consumption; the time required to clean, upgrade, store, or otherwise maintain

possessions; and the ways in which consumption replaces time with family and

friends. (The State)

The article paints a bleak picture of the future if our amounts of consumption are to continue at

the current rates.

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Not only does the manufacturing of the products we use contribute to pollution of the air

and water sources, higher levels of consumption have also been shown to pollute ones way of

thinking and contribute to unhappiness in their life. I found many articles with the consistent

theme that higher levels of consumption and materialism lead to unhappiness. The article

Consumerism and its Discontents states for materialists with less money and other conflicting

desiresunhappiness emerges, researchers are finding (American Psychological Association).

Those with strong materialistic wants report greater unhappiness in relationships, often due to the

time and money spent pursuing materialistic goods.

Another article, The Brief, Tragic Reign of Consumerism And the Birth of a Happy

Alternative, gives an overview of how excessive consumerism has increased the economy, yet

led to people becoming more dissatisfied with their lives. The author, Richard Heinberg, gives

examples of why consumerism is hurting us. First, he states, it warps peoples values. He gives

the example of conspicuous consumption, a term established by Norwegian-American social

economist Thorstein Veblen in his 1899 book, The Theory of the Leisure Class. Conspicuous

consumption is referred to as the acquiring of luxury goods solely for the purpose of establishing

status (Conspicuous Consumption). Even though his theory was developed over one hundred

years ago, it still rings true today, as everything from our cars to our cell phones, even clothing

and shoes are purchased with the hope that we will be noticed and admired for the things we

own. A second problem seen with consumerism is that it cannot continue at its current rates. The

author states that even at a fraction of one percent per year growth in consumption, all of

Earths resources would eventually be used up (Heinberg). Even though excessive consumerism

is having a negative effect on both society and the environment, he still argues that if everyone

were to stop using and purchasing items, it would have a negative effect on jobs, pension funds,
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government services and the economy. The result would be a deep, long-lasting economic

depression (Heinberg). The author concludes with examples of new ways that countries are

looking at levels of consumption and satisfaction. Instead of focusing on the Gross Domestic

Product of the country, they are focusing on new statistics, Gross National Happiness and the

Happy Planet Index. The point of GNH and HPI is to count economic success more by how

people feel about their lives and circumstances, and less by measuring consumption (Heinberg).

The Happy Planet Index rates countries on four elements: Wellbeing, Life Expectancy,

Inequality, and Ecological Footprint. Even though the United States is thought of as being one of

the best countries in which to live, it ranks 108th out of 140 countries rated. This is due in large

part to our large ecological footprint. The United States material wealth isnt being translated

efficiently into sustainable wellbeing for its residents (Happy Planet Index).

Since it would be impossible for consumers to cease buying new things, what are the

alternatives to the lifestyle we have become accustomed to? According to Miriam Tatzel, Ph.D,

reducing our consumption of material items can help not only the environment, but our

happiness as well. In her presentation to The American Psychological Associations 122nd annual

convention in 2014, she explains that peoples wants escalate as they tire of what they have and

they want something else, which in turn leads to more consumption and more waste in landfills,

more energy consumed and more carbon emitted into the atmosphere (Happier). She also

gives several examples of how to achieve both happiness and improve the environment. One is

learning how to live a thriftier lifestyle. Also, spend time doing things that you enjoy, rather than

buying new things. Studies have shown that people experience more lasting happiness from

experiences rather than material goods. Another example is to cultivate talents and relationships,
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rather than pursuing money and social status. Being an independent thinker and not worrying

what others think of you or your possessions can also help improve overall satisfaction.

In conclusion, even though the rise of consumerism has developed rapidly, there seems to

be no end to the rising production of goods in our economy. The world population is rapidly

increasing. Developing countries are becoming more advanced and are creating an even higher

demand for manufactured goods. Studies are showing that owning more possessions does not

make us happier, that in fact the opposite is happening. We are becoming less dissatisfied with

our current situations in life as we acquire more goods. While there may not be anything we can

do in the immediate future to stop the high rate of producing goods, we can take small steps now

to change our behavior. We must be more mindful of how and what we consume. Find a balance

between the things you own and those that matter the most to you; your relationships, the

environment, and your own personal happiness.

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Works Cited
Consumerism." Encyclopedia.com, 2003, www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-
thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/consumerism. Accessed 10 September 2017.
"Consumerism and its Discontents." American Psychological Association, June 2004,
www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/discontents.aspx. Accessed 19 September 2017.
"Happier Consumers Can Lead to Healthier Environment, Research Reveals." American
Psychological Association, 9 August 2014,
www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/08/happier-consumers.aspx. Accessed 27
September 2017.
"Happy Planet Index." Happy Planet Index, happyplanetindex.org/countries/united-states-of-
america. Accessed 10 October 2017.
Heinberg, Richard. "The Brief Tragic Reign of Consumerism - and the birth of a happy
alternative." Post Carbon Institute, 14 April 2014, www.postcarbon.org/the-brief-tragic-
reign-of-consumerism-and-the-birth-of-a-happy-alternative/. Accessed 20 September
2017.
"The State of Consumption Today." Worldwatch Institute, 2016,
www.worldwatch.org/node/810#4. Accessed 27 September 2017.
"What Is Conspicuous Consumption." What is Conspicuious Consumption?,
www.conspicuousconsumption.org. Accessed 30 September 2017.
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Shanon Gunn
English 2010-08
Salt Lake Community College
25 November 2017
Less is More

Excessive consumerism in todays society is creating discontent and unhappiness. In my

research for my exploratory essay, I found many negative aspects of excessive consumerism.

Pollution of the environment as well as ones happiness is one main negative of excessive

consumerism. The Earths resources will not be able to keep up with the rate of manufacturing

going on today (The State). Another negative factor is the accumulation of debt and the time

wasted caring for goods we purchase. This leads to people having to spend more time working

just to pay for the accumulation of goods (Consumerism and its Discontents). But what would

happen if excessive consumerism as we know it now were to cease?

In the article The Brief, Tragic Reign of Consumerism And the Birth of a Happy

Alternative, author Richard Heinberg gives an example of what could happen if consumerism as

we know it were to cease to exist:

Commerce would contract; jobs would vanish; pension funds would lose value;

tax revenues would shrivel, and so would government services. Absent sweeping

structural changes to government and the economy, the result would be a deep,

long-lasting economic depression (Heinberg).

We all know that we can not stop making purchases and that companies will not stop producing

the goods that we have all come to believe that we need.

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What can be done to stop the growing discontent that is felt with the endless pursuit of

goods? What happens when you realize that the pursuit of happiness no longer involves spending

more than you have to impress those around you? When your home is overrun with useless items

and your wallet is empty? I believe that one solution to this problem is implementing certain

aspects of the practice of minimalism into your life.

Minimalism is defined as the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the

removal of everything that distracts us from it (Becker). Minimalism does not mean owning

very few possessions, rather owning what you need to survive. It means not chasing after the

newest or most expensive items. It is identifying what you value most in terms of needs and

wants and how you spend your time. Minimalism is redirecting your desires and focusing on

what brings you joy.

Minimalism is often referred to as simpler living. It is influenced by the beliefs of

Buddhism and Taoism, philosophies that believe in the practice of simplicity, modesty, and

letting go (Gevorkova). Minimalism takes great changes in behavior and thought and being able

to let go of possessions that you no longer need or bring joy to your life. It is being able to be

okay with living with less. Minimalism is not only a physical practice. It can also be applied to

other aspects of your life, such as work and relationships. Shifting from a life of excess to one of

minimalism can be a hard transition that takes practice and mindfulness. It is not an easy process,

and one that will challenge you to keep trying. With each success though, you will find

happiness returning to your life.

However, minimalism is a struggle known mostly only to those in the middle and upper

classes. What about those that dont have the luxury of owning too many things? We live in a

society of excess, as long as you have the means to pay for it. But not all are so fortunate to
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claim that too many possessions are making them unhappy. Many people just struggling to get

by would give anything to have the problems faced by mostly middle-class citizens. Minimalism

can also help free up time and resources that can be spent towards helping others.
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Works Cited
Becker, Joshua. Buying Stuff Wont Make You Happy. Becoming Minimalist, 2016,
www.becomingminimalist.com/buying-stuff-wont-make-you-happy/. Accessed 12
November 2017.
- - -. Find a Rational Minimalism that Works For You. Becoming Minimalist, 2014,
www.becomingminimalist.com/find-a-minimalism-that-works-for-you/. Accessed 12
November 2017.
Consumerism and its Discontents. American Psychological Association, June 2004,
www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/discontents.aspx. Accessed 19 September 2017.
Gevorkova, Lolitta. On Minimalism: A Solution to Gaining More Time. Evernote, 01 February
2017. https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2017/02/01/on-minimalism-a solution-to-gaining-
more-time/. Accessed 12 November 2017
Heinberg, Richard. "The Brief Tragic Reign of Consumerism - and the birth of a happy
alternative." Post Carbon Institute, 14 April 2014, www.postcarbon.org/the-brief-tragic-
reign-of-consumerism-and-the-birth-of-a-happy-alternative/. Accessed 20 September
2017.
"The State of Consumption Today." Worldwatch Institute, 2016,
www.worldwatch.org/node/810#4. Accessed 27 September 2017.