Assignment (also submit to Turnitin.com)
At this point we have read several articles and essays on the topic of consumerism. While they share the same overall topic, they demonstrate distinctly different perspectives on the matter. What’s more, each article has its own idiosyncrasies as a result of each author’s argument style (most notably, the evidence they use to support their claim). We have spent plenty of time picking these arguments apart and analyzing them, but now I would like you to join the discussion with your own perspective. Consider the following questions:
If anything, what is wrong with consumerism as we have discussed it?
Is it hurting our culture? Helping it? Both?
Do the authors we have read neglect some aspect or aspects of the issue that you feel ought
to be considered?
You will need to use these authors as sources to support your argument, so revisit each of them so you are able to refer to them easily. Develop a claim of your own on the matter, similar in format (but not content) to those we have read. Also, take into account how each of the authors use outside sources to support their arguments with varying degrees of success.
The Articles
Living with Less/A Lot Less
The Happiness Conspiracy
Consumerism and Its Discontents
Enjoyment as an Alternative to Materialism
Needing the Unnecessary

Final Draft
– Toulmin argument elements (a single governing claim your thesis supported by reasons with good/relevant evidence, and with refutations where appropriate)
– TEA structure for body paragraphs
– Appropriate conjunctions to demonstrate logical relationships between ideas
– Focused sentences with cohesive links
– 3-4 pages, double spaced
– MLA formatting (1-1.25 margins, 12 pt Times New Roman font, page #s)
– A Works Cited page stapled to your final draft (this will list any sources you cited or
used for information e.g., your article, dictionaries used for definitions, etc.) See your
Easy Access handbook for rules on MLA citation. No cover page is necessary.

(also submit to Turnitin.com)
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Added on 24.02.2016 02:33
The happiness conspiracy
http://newint.org/columns/essays/2006/07/01/happiness-conspiracy/