[csaa-forum] RE: wanting to be effluent

[Jeannie Martin]

Yes francis - I see no necessary direct link at all - things are
Incidentally my comment re houses was about people in general be they in
Liverpool,  Balmain,  Bankstown or wherever - after all  people are just
trying to make lives for themselves, and why shouldn't they? ( and I don't
believe they are all 'dupes' ( or dopes)).
Jeannie
BTW I have the latest Freedom catalogue if anyone wants a quick rundown


Dr. Jeannie Martin
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow,
Centre For Cultural Research
Parramatta Campus
University of Western Sydney,,
Locked Bag 1797,
Penrith South DC NSW 1797
Phone +61. 2. 96859600
Fax; +61.2. 96859610
e-mail <je.martin at uws.edu.au>
----- Original Message -----
From: "Francis Maravillas" <Francis.Maravillas at uts.edu.au>
To: "CSAA discussion list" <csaa-forum at lists.cdu.edu.au>
Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 6:54 PM
Subject: Re: [csaa-forum] RE: wanting to be effluent


> I agree, Jeannie. There seems to be a perception that people who have nice
a house can't be critical, progressive or 'leftish'. Class/cultural capital
distinctions do not necessarily correlate with political positionalities (or
voting behavior) - and even Bourdieu acknowledges that.
>
> Francis
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jeannie Martin <jeanniem at ozemail.com.au>
> Date: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 5:17 pm
> Subject: Re: [csaa-forum] RE: wanting to be effluent
>
> > What is wrong with wanting a nice house and having a bit of a
> > spend to get
> > it.?
> > I did all that
> >
> > Dr. Jeannie Martin
> > Adjunct Senior Research Fellow,
> > Centre For Cultural Research
> > Parramatta Campus
> > University of Western Sydney,,
> > Locked Bag 1797,
> > Penrith South DC NSW 1797
> > Phone +61. 2. 96859600
> > Fax; +61.2. 96859610
> > e-mail <je.martin at uws.edu.au>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Amanda Wise" <amanda.wise at scmp.mq.edu.au>
> > To: "'CSAA discussion list'" <csaa-forum at darlin.cdu.edu.au>
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 4:01 PM
> > Subject: RE: [csaa-forum] RE: wanting to be effluent
> >
> >
> > > As much as I'm appalled by the spread of Plasma TV mania and the
> > > consumer credit frenzy it represents, I think the point needs to
> > be made
> > > about how we direct our angst. Why are we so worried for the former
> > > working classes who've 'sold out' to the Plasma/Project Home
> > world of
> > > consumption yet not a word has been said about all those other
> > consumer> classes.... what about the Leichhardt/Annandale
> > renovators (insert your
> > > capital city equivalents here), the Bondi million dollar semi-
> > detached> cottages? The $10,000 leather lounge in the million
> > dollar warehouse
> > > apartment in Alexandria, overlooking the Redfern housing commission
> > > flats? Maybe these people voted Liberal too. Why are the Mc Mansion
> > > residents so much more guilty/responsible for the current state of
> > > affairs?
> > >
> > > Be aware of the power/class/cultural capital distinctions we're
> > drawing> on.
> > >
> > > All that aside - I suppose one important challenge is indeed,
> > (as some
> > > have said on this list) to forge a new politics of
> > affect/empathy among
> > > these groups. Ie: What sorts of popular discourses might we generate
> > > amongst the newly (and old) affluent groups that would produce an
> > > empathetic, rather than antagonistic view of the genuinely
> > struggling> workers out there, refugees, and so on...
> > >
> > > When I was researching/working with East Timorese refugees in
> > western> sydney on the independence struggle I was continually
> > amazed at the
> > > level of participation among working and middle class anglo senior
> > > citizens. There were compelled to action through the very active
> > work of
> > > a group of Catholic nuns who basically travelled the length and
> > breadth> of Australia telling the East Timor story and bringing
> > Timorese refugees
> > > out to visit small Catholic parishes. Not many people know that
> > a large
> > > chunk of the funds for East Timor's independence struggle was
> > raised by
> > > white nannas in suburban and country Australia. The nuns
> > understood the
> > > power of 'empathy building' ...
> > >
> > > That's our challenge - finding the right empathy building
> > messages, the
> > > kind that don't patronise, and finding the right means to get
> > them out
> > > there.
> > >
> > > Amanda
> > >
> > > (and yes - I did say Chinese in Sylvania Waters. Indeed - there are
> > > whole new classes of liberal voting migrants who even own Plasma
> > TVs. I
> > > remember my interviews with East Timorese in Western Sydney ...
> > many of
> > > whom had a key goal -to get out of Cabramatta and move to the new
> > > housing estates around Liverpool. And most East Timorese would never
> > > vote Labor - Whitlam is a dirty word to them - not suprisingly
> > given his
> > > cosy relationship with Suharto in '75)
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: csaa-forum-bounces at darlin.cdu.edu.au
> > > [csaa-forum-bounces at darlin.cdu.edu.au] On Behalf Of John Scannell
> > > Sent: Tuesday, 12 October 2004 3:39 PM
> > > To: CSAA discussion list
> > > Subject: Re: [csaa-forum] RE: wanting to be effluent
> > >
> > > Sally
> > >
> > > I am gonna let you take the heat for the Freedom Furniture stuff
> > now...> But I agree with you on consumerism and the whole mania of
> > conspicuous> consumption which has swept the country and is
> > driving me insane...
> > > John
> > >
> > > Sally Scott wrote:
> > >
> > > >What a defensive barrage has been creative by allusions to Freedom
> > > Furniture
> > > >and fondue. Interestingly, for what it says about the
> > discources of
> > > cultural
> > > >studies, I was using the list of aspirational accoutrements as
> > symbols> of
> > > >consumerism rather than class. That is, Australians,
> > irrespective of
> > > >suburbs, are more interested in what they can buy and when,
> > rather than
> > > >issues like education and health reform, refugees or workplace
> > equity.> Are
> > > >we consuming ourselves into an apathetic torpor? What
> > significance does
> > > this
> > > >have for both the political process and the future of the Left (as
> > > distinct
> > > >from the Labor party)? (I understand my assumption here is that the
> > > Left are
> > > >less concerned with a consumer economy)
> > > >
> > > >There is a wonderful doco doing the rounds about the big
> > corporates and
> > > the
> > > >many ways in which they are driving consumption - out of this
> > all power
> > > >leads to them. Where is our Left in this packet of Crispies?
> > > >
> > > >Sally
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >csaa-forum
> > > >discussion list of the cultural studies association of australasia
> > > >
> > > >www.csaa.asn.au
> > > >_______________________________________
> > > >
> > > >csaa-forum
> > > >discussion list of the cultural studies association of australasia
> > > >
> > > >www.csaa.asn.au
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > _______________________________________
> > >
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> > >
> > >
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> > >
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> >
> >
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> > csaa-forum
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> >
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> >
>
>
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