Well this is the end folks, thanks for sharing this experience with me. I hope you have enjoyed delving in to the real meaning of shopping as much as i have.
Here are a few other blogs i have commented on, check it out.
Gracie
Jasmine
Kendyl
Kayla
Thursday 27 October 2011
Wednesday 26 October 2011
References
Green, T. (1968). Work, Leisure, and the American Schools. New York:, Random House.
Fontana Communications Series, London, Collins, 1976. New edition, New York, Oxford University Press, 1984
Crepeau E. ( 2003 ). Analyzing occupation and activity: A way of thinking about occupational performance. In Crepeau E., Cohn E, & Schell B (Eds.), Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy ( 10th ed., pp.189-198). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Fontana Communications Series, London, Collins, 1976. New edition, New York, Oxford University Press, 1984
Crepeau E. ( 2003 ). Analyzing occupation and activity: A way of thinking about occupational performance. In Crepeau E., Cohn E, & Schell B (Eds.), Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy ( 10th ed., pp.189-198). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Shopping. (2011). Retrieved 9 17, 2011, from Wkipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopping
Butler, M. (2011). Outline of ergonomics. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago Polytechnic.
Thursday 20 October 2011
The Need for Activity
Over the last few weeks i have been sharing with you all about shopping in a range of different ways. For me i engage in the activity of shopping for a range of reasons and do it in a range of ways. You will see from my stories i have shared that shopping has a range of needs for me. Primarily i have a need for shopping in order to survive. It is the gathering of nourishment that is not only necessary, it is endless- it must be done over and over again. Grocery shopping is something i do weekly and will continue to do, despite how much i may enjoy or dislike the activity. I will be doing it for the rest of my life. Wow now that i put it like that... Mind you online grocery shopping is an option and continues to become more and more popular! Perhaps i will take to that when i cant bear the harsh artificial lighting and all the other crazy people any longer!
I also have a need to shop for more pleasant reasons however! Whether its for a new dress for the next wedding or as a small pick me up, i will continue to find comfort in a shop; being greeted by a beaming smile, surrounded in items that bring me pleasure! But i am sadly reminded that my finances are not nearly as healthy as my list of things i dream of having!
Wednesday 19 October 2011
Ambience
Coming up to the holidays i reflect back on the last semester and all the things we have done. The thought of whats to follow after the holidays frightens me a little as i sit there in the library hunched over my computer. It comes to me that i need a pick-me-up, something just to lighten me up a little and take my mind off everything thats going on at the moment. I have the perfect solution; some retail therapy will fix me up nicely! I convince a couple of the girls to come along and off we go to the MAC counter.
The place makes me feel a little light headed, lit up in all its glory. The MAC girls swarm over to us as we enter, they look flawless as always all decorated like dolls in the latest collection of makeup. I have a brief look around, it doesnt take long for me to convince myself that i need a few new things. Despite not having enough money to afford a single thing, im not phased. Arthur Barnett do something incredible for people just like me, they make dreams come true for some of us. They have a fantastic oppopritunity for customers were you can put products on hire purchase and you have three months to pay it off, the only exception being you have to spend a minimum of $200; not a problem! I dont think about it to much otherwise i might talk myself out of it, next thing you know i'm seated on the stall and the makeup artist is coming at me with a whole lot of different products painting my face with foundation and powder and blush and mascara and all kinds of interesting things. She talks me through each different product and i am easily convinced that i need the whole lot. I reasoned with myself that this would be my makeup for the entire summer and i would definitely need it for special occasions such as my brothers wedding in December. Feeling great after my mini makeover, i take the whole lot and head over to the counter to set up my hire purchase account. I just have to pay a small setup fee of $20 and then walk out of there with almost $200 worth of new make up. What have i done? Oh well to late now, i shall deal with the implications of this purchase at a later date. Until then i will be feeling great with my new goods!
Ambiance
I guess the activity of shopping comes down to labour/food. It is an essential process that human beings do in order to have food and survive. But there is so much more to it than that and i have come to realize this lately as i have been religiously going shopping weekly. When you step in to a shop, any shop, there is the immediate demand for money and the pressure of spending your hard earned cash. Shops have a tendency to dress things up to make them appear more appealing to the eye in the hope that we, the innocent by standers will fall for it. Majority of the time we do! They are oh so very clever when it comes to marketing. They give us sales and pretty decorations and big posters and buy one- get one free deals, they give us it all just so we will spend a buck or two! And more often then less we don't REALLY need that second pair of shoes, or the three bags of chips for $5 but when it comes to saving a few cents or dollars we seem to find the necessity for these items.
There is a social aspect that comes in to shopping also which makes the experience all the more significant. In my case going shopping with my flat mates brought out different roles in each of us, i personally felt like i took on a motherly role as i lead the shopping expedition. It can also be an activity where you connect with others, i connected with an old friend as we searched for a dress that was of great significance to me, i trusted this particular person in helping me find the perfect one! There was a lot of small talk and banter that went on between me and the shop keeper, it is something that they are advised to do with customers and i guess it is linked closely to the idea of ambiance. Immediately i felt welcomed and connected to the shop keeper, when she started picking out dresses for me to try on and advising me about different ones i felt a sense of security but also increased pressure to make a purchase. Obviously i had the intentions to buy a new dress but what shop would get me first? The race was on.
Lighting and music all come in to the essence of the activity also. The sound of live music and the natural lighting of a bright sunny Saturday morning will always remind me of the markets from when i went with my mother when i was young but also now as an adult and perhaps it is something i will do with my daughter in the future. The artificial lighting and the same familiar songs always bring me back to the supermarket and i would imagine is something everyone is familiar with. Retail is quite different however, the lighting is usually perfect for the setting, the music is appropriate for the type of shop and they do everything right to get customers foot in the door.
Ambiance is an essential aspect of an activity. It is the things that we associate with an activity or a place or an event that makes it significant to us. It is what makes it memorable and brings together people in our lives, links us to other places, thoughts and connections. All these things are what make an occupation significant, it is these aspects of an activity that bring meaning to it.
The place makes me feel a little light headed, lit up in all its glory. The MAC girls swarm over to us as we enter, they look flawless as always all decorated like dolls in the latest collection of makeup. I have a brief look around, it doesnt take long for me to convince myself that i need a few new things. Despite not having enough money to afford a single thing, im not phased. Arthur Barnett do something incredible for people just like me, they make dreams come true for some of us. They have a fantastic oppopritunity for customers were you can put products on hire purchase and you have three months to pay it off, the only exception being you have to spend a minimum of $200; not a problem! I dont think about it to much otherwise i might talk myself out of it, next thing you know i'm seated on the stall and the makeup artist is coming at me with a whole lot of different products painting my face with foundation and powder and blush and mascara and all kinds of interesting things. She talks me through each different product and i am easily convinced that i need the whole lot. I reasoned with myself that this would be my makeup for the entire summer and i would definitely need it for special occasions such as my brothers wedding in December. Feeling great after my mini makeover, i take the whole lot and head over to the counter to set up my hire purchase account. I just have to pay a small setup fee of $20 and then walk out of there with almost $200 worth of new make up. What have i done? Oh well to late now, i shall deal with the implications of this purchase at a later date. Until then i will be feeling great with my new goods!
Ambiance
I guess the activity of shopping comes down to labour/food. It is an essential process that human beings do in order to have food and survive. But there is so much more to it than that and i have come to realize this lately as i have been religiously going shopping weekly. When you step in to a shop, any shop, there is the immediate demand for money and the pressure of spending your hard earned cash. Shops have a tendency to dress things up to make them appear more appealing to the eye in the hope that we, the innocent by standers will fall for it. Majority of the time we do! They are oh so very clever when it comes to marketing. They give us sales and pretty decorations and big posters and buy one- get one free deals, they give us it all just so we will spend a buck or two! And more often then less we don't REALLY need that second pair of shoes, or the three bags of chips for $5 but when it comes to saving a few cents or dollars we seem to find the necessity for these items.
There is a social aspect that comes in to shopping also which makes the experience all the more significant. In my case going shopping with my flat mates brought out different roles in each of us, i personally felt like i took on a motherly role as i lead the shopping expedition. It can also be an activity where you connect with others, i connected with an old friend as we searched for a dress that was of great significance to me, i trusted this particular person in helping me find the perfect one! There was a lot of small talk and banter that went on between me and the shop keeper, it is something that they are advised to do with customers and i guess it is linked closely to the idea of ambiance. Immediately i felt welcomed and connected to the shop keeper, when she started picking out dresses for me to try on and advising me about different ones i felt a sense of security but also increased pressure to make a purchase. Obviously i had the intentions to buy a new dress but what shop would get me first? The race was on.
Lighting and music all come in to the essence of the activity also. The sound of live music and the natural lighting of a bright sunny Saturday morning will always remind me of the markets from when i went with my mother when i was young but also now as an adult and perhaps it is something i will do with my daughter in the future. The artificial lighting and the same familiar songs always bring me back to the supermarket and i would imagine is something everyone is familiar with. Retail is quite different however, the lighting is usually perfect for the setting, the music is appropriate for the type of shop and they do everything right to get customers foot in the door.
Ambiance is an essential aspect of an activity. It is the things that we associate with an activity or a place or an event that makes it significant to us. It is what makes it memorable and brings together people in our lives, links us to other places, thoughts and connections. All these things are what make an occupation significant, it is these aspects of an activity that bring meaning to it.
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Affordances continued.
Having collaborated a shopping list with my flat mate’s we were now ready to hit the shops. We had a whole range of items on the list that we hoped to buy however given our tight budget I knew there would be some serious debates about who gets to get what and tossing up over what things are more important for us to get. Being the only girl on the shopping expedition i naturally became the leader of the group, it was totally unintentional but the boys seemed to become more reliant on me and I guess i took on a mother role in a way. I felt quite comfortable in the supermarket, it was a place I was familiar with and grocery shopping was something I had done many times before. As a young girl I was always the one to go along with mum and help her do the grocery shop while my brothers helped dad with whatever it was he was doing or they skived off to the electronics stores close by to play on the games. I had always enjoyed doing this activity with mum and when I finally got my licence mum often got me to go do the grocery shop for her as I had a good idea of the types of things she would want and the types of things she goes for when she does the shop. I knew a good deal when I saw one, something my mother had taught me from her many years of experience as she had 4 growing boys, myself and a hard working father to feed every day of the week!
So while I kept hold of the list and kept a look out, one of the boys manned the trolley while the other waited for my command and went and collected whatever items I told him to get. It was a short stop in the fresh produce aisle as we usually get our fruit and veg from the market or the vege shop for a better price. We zig zagged up and down each aisle trying to keep to the shopping list as much as possible and not getting all caught up by the specials and unnecessary items. The meat section had us all confused and frustrated as we realised how much chicken breasts were this week, we took a good 10 minutes picking out the chicken and mince…there went half our budget!
Now we just needed to get the essentials and get out of there. Bread, milk, eggs and butter. My calculations had gone out the door by this stage so we were now shopping in faith, quite risky business! As we strolled down the remaining aisles we all glazed up at the many items we would like to have in our trolley but knew there was just no way we could ever afford those luxuries, not until we get our degrees anyways!
Carrying on from last week about affordances, this week we looked at some different aspects of it. Affordance is all about the outcome of the activity in respect to particular attributes. After i went for a grocery shop with my flat mates it got me thinking and i could see how what we had talked about in class related to the activity of shopping in regards to spirituality, aesthetics and health.
Spirituality is the fundamental orientation of a persons life, that which inspires and motivates that individual. It is the essence of a person that gives them a greater sense of purpose, meaning and substance in their life. There was a sense of spirituality that i experienced when i was at the grocery store with my flat mates. I felt a real sense of responsibility and meaning during the activity being the only female. My two male flat mates looked to me for guidance when we were shopping, i took on a mother role and acted similar to how my mother used to when i went grocery shopping with her. I was the dominant one during the activity and had the last say on what we did and didn't get but not because i was being bossy or over powering, they just seemed to respect my opinion.
Aesthetics has been put down to the "potential to express and enhance a sense of beauty". When i thought about grocery shopping, initially i couldn't of anything "beautiful" about it. The buildings ugly, the trolley is ugly, the floor is ugly, the big high aisles are ugly. When i think of the things i see, touch, smell, taste and hear though, i realize that these things bring me pleasure. The colours of all the fruit and veg is appealing to the eye and makes me want to buy lots just so i can have the nice contrasting colours! Walking down past the bakery the smell of fresh bread makes my mouth water, the feeling of having a trolley full of food that we are going to be able to annihilate when we get home excites me. In regards to the packaging of food, the more attractive the packaging will be the deciding factor when it comes to making a purchase.
Health in regards to shopping is a significant part of it. Going to the grocery store offers us an opportunity to be naughty or nice! I find that depending on my mood will determine what i choose to buy; going after i have been exercising i tend to make more healthier options compared to when i am tired and hungry and buy whatever i feel like at the time, i often end up with a whole lot of treats and nothing to make dinner with!
Aesthetics has been put down to the "potential to express and enhance a sense of beauty". When i thought about grocery shopping, initially i couldn't of anything "beautiful" about it. The buildings ugly, the trolley is ugly, the floor is ugly, the big high aisles are ugly. When i think of the things i see, touch, smell, taste and hear though, i realize that these things bring me pleasure. The colours of all the fruit and veg is appealing to the eye and makes me want to buy lots just so i can have the nice contrasting colours! Walking down past the bakery the smell of fresh bread makes my mouth water, the feeling of having a trolley full of food that we are going to be able to annihilate when we get home excites me. In regards to the packaging of food, the more attractive the packaging will be the deciding factor when it comes to making a purchase.
Health in regards to shopping is a significant part of it. Going to the grocery store offers us an opportunity to be naughty or nice! I find that depending on my mood will determine what i choose to buy; going after i have been exercising i tend to make more healthier options compared to when i am tired and hungry and buy whatever i feel like at the time, i often end up with a whole lot of treats and nothing to make dinner with!
Tuesday 27 September 2011
Ergonomics
“Constantly make slight invisible adjustments to an activity to adapt to the needs of those taking part and ensure that it continues to work for its intended purpose” (Caulton and Dickson 2007)
In its simplest form ergonomics is the science of work. It is the study of work, how it is done and how it could be made better. In class today we took a look at three key aspects in regards to ergonomics; person, activity and environment and the relationships between these three factors which i am going to discuss in regards to shopping.
Person
As a student living in Dunedin away from home and no longer under the wing of the parents, it is now required for me to do my own grocery shopping for food, this is essential for my survival. I also shop for leisure and save up money so i can go out for the day with a friend or by myself to purchase new clothes, cosmetics, gifts etc. In regards to productivity, when i am buying food or clothes or whatever it may be i am putting my money in to the economy. Going to the markets on Saturday mornings and purchasing locally grown produce is a good opportunity to help support the local economy.
Shopping is something i am familiar with, i feel comfortable doing it and it comes to me quite naturally. Its something i can do independently or with others and can take me a couple of minutes to a few hours to do, depending on the situation. Its part of my weekly routine to go do my grocery shopping, generally every Tuesday and i occasionally go in to town for leisure shopping or just window shopping once a week. It can be quite chaotic or stressful at times, there are financial demands that come with shopping and keeping to a budget can difficult.
In terms of spirituality, I am motivated to shop by the fact that i need food to survive, the desire for something new and the experience it brings. It can be a great opportunity to bond with friends, to get inspired by new clothing styles and peoples creativeness and talent.
Occupation
There are certain demands that are associated with shopping, depending on what type of shopping you engage in. There are physical demands such as being able to get around a supermarket, being able to try on clothes in a store, the ability to tolerate standing for a long period of time, being able to carry bags of items etc. However now days thanks to a wonderful thing called technology and internet, you can do online shopping which simply requires you to scroll down a page, select what you want and make an online payment for whatever goods you want. Online shopping has certainly taken off over the past few years and is becoming more and more popular for purchasing clothes, furniture, food, electronics; anything you can think of. online shopping takes away the physical requirements for shopping, you don't even need to leave your seat and you could purchase an entire new wardrobe. Having reduced the physical demands of shopping, it is now something that is more accessible to everyone, particularly those who may have physical restrictions
However online shopping is not the way for everyone, there is certainly a whole experience that is associated with shopping, whatever it may be for.
Environment
Shopping no longer takes place in a mall, a supermarket or down at your local markets. It is no longer limited to these physical environments however they do still exist. Online shopping has taken away from the physical aspect of shopping and the act of going out and being in the physical, cultural and social environment of shopping. There is still a demand for supermarkets, malls and shops however as we still see new ones popping up all over the place. There is real culture associated with shopping for example going to the markets on a Saturday morning there is food, live music, fresh produce and the exchanging of goods between locals. When it comes to clothes shopping the culture of the environment is consumerism. Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerism). There is always something new when it comes to shopping, when you have purchased one thing there is always the next thing. This is where a competitive streak comes in to shopping, not only for the shop or service, but also for the client. There is a social demand to have the next big thing, the newest iPhone or latest fashion.
I have just touched briefly on ergonomics and i hope to get in to the more 'nitty gritty' aspects of it over the next few weeks. Shopping is a complex activity and there is a lot to cover as there are different 'types' of shopping but i hope to explore it in more detail. For me; shopping is something i do out of necessity but also as something i enjoy doing. There are no physical limitations for me when it comes to shopping as i can choose to go out to the mall, the supermarket or markets to go shopping or i can shop online. The only limitation would be financial which is often the case!
As a student living in Dunedin away from home and no longer under the wing of the parents, it is now required for me to do my own grocery shopping for food, this is essential for my survival. I also shop for leisure and save up money so i can go out for the day with a friend or by myself to purchase new clothes, cosmetics, gifts etc. In regards to productivity, when i am buying food or clothes or whatever it may be i am putting my money in to the economy. Going to the markets on Saturday mornings and purchasing locally grown produce is a good opportunity to help support the local economy.
Shopping is something i am familiar with, i feel comfortable doing it and it comes to me quite naturally. Its something i can do independently or with others and can take me a couple of minutes to a few hours to do, depending on the situation. Its part of my weekly routine to go do my grocery shopping, generally every Tuesday and i occasionally go in to town for leisure shopping or just window shopping once a week. It can be quite chaotic or stressful at times, there are financial demands that come with shopping and keeping to a budget can difficult.
In terms of spirituality, I am motivated to shop by the fact that i need food to survive, the desire for something new and the experience it brings. It can be a great opportunity to bond with friends, to get inspired by new clothing styles and peoples creativeness and talent.
Occupation
There are certain demands that are associated with shopping, depending on what type of shopping you engage in. There are physical demands such as being able to get around a supermarket, being able to try on clothes in a store, the ability to tolerate standing for a long period of time, being able to carry bags of items etc. However now days thanks to a wonderful thing called technology and internet, you can do online shopping which simply requires you to scroll down a page, select what you want and make an online payment for whatever goods you want. Online shopping has certainly taken off over the past few years and is becoming more and more popular for purchasing clothes, furniture, food, electronics; anything you can think of. online shopping takes away the physical requirements for shopping, you don't even need to leave your seat and you could purchase an entire new wardrobe. Having reduced the physical demands of shopping, it is now something that is more accessible to everyone, particularly those who may have physical restrictions
However online shopping is not the way for everyone, there is certainly a whole experience that is associated with shopping, whatever it may be for.
Environment
Shopping no longer takes place in a mall, a supermarket or down at your local markets. It is no longer limited to these physical environments however they do still exist. Online shopping has taken away from the physical aspect of shopping and the act of going out and being in the physical, cultural and social environment of shopping. There is still a demand for supermarkets, malls and shops however as we still see new ones popping up all over the place. There is real culture associated with shopping for example going to the markets on a Saturday morning there is food, live music, fresh produce and the exchanging of goods between locals. When it comes to clothes shopping the culture of the environment is consumerism. Consumerism is a social and economic order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerism). There is always something new when it comes to shopping, when you have purchased one thing there is always the next thing. This is where a competitive streak comes in to shopping, not only for the shop or service, but also for the client. There is a social demand to have the next big thing, the newest iPhone or latest fashion.
I have just touched briefly on ergonomics and i hope to get in to the more 'nitty gritty' aspects of it over the next few weeks. Shopping is a complex activity and there is a lot to cover as there are different 'types' of shopping but i hope to explore it in more detail. For me; shopping is something i do out of necessity but also as something i enjoy doing. There are no physical limitations for me when it comes to shopping as i can choose to go out to the mall, the supermarket or markets to go shopping or i can shop online. The only limitation would be financial which is often the case!
Sunday 25 September 2011
Affordance
I have always loved going to the Saturday morning markets. It is something I did often with my mum when I was younger before I had sport and work commitments. Since being in Dunedin for my second year now, I hadn’t once been to the farmers market which I had heard so much about. I had always been meaning to go but never got around to it mainly due to the fact that it was quite a walk from where I live. I had put some money aside during the week to save for the markets and I was looking forward to buying some locally grown produce. I knew that the fruit and veggie’s would probably be a bit more expensive then the fruit and veggie shop down the road however nothing beats organic, locally grown fresh produce so I was willing to pay a little extra.
We had a bit of a late start and didn’t end up getting to the markets till after 11, it was still very busy however and everyone was laden up with all sorts of interesting things. My sensors were working overtime taking in everything that was going on; the smell of freshly brewed coffee, an acoustic guitar playing in the back ground, the rushing of people around me, all the interesting looking stalls, all the interesting looking people. However, the one thing that overpowered all of these things and caught my attention the most was a particular smell, it made my mouth water and without even realising, I found myself walking in the direction of the smell along with the rest of the crowd. It wasn’t long before I found myself at the back of a line with a $5 note in my hand ready to order a world famous BACON BUDDIE! And it did not disappoint, I inhaled the entire thing and enjoyed every bite however I didn’t feel quite so good after… Feeling very full after eating a heart attack between two pieces of bread we figured it would do us some good to have a bit of a walk around the entire market to see what they were selling and what bargains we could find!
There were plenty of stalls scattered around and they all sold quite different things however considering how late it was many of the stalls were looking pretty scarce and owners were beginning to pack up. All the fruit and veges in particular had been well picked over and there wasn’t much left at all. I was a little disappointed as I was looking forward to getting some fruit and things but I guess I will know for next time that you have to get in quick! After doing an entire loop around all the stalls we found ourselves back at the food stalls and couldn’t help ourselves but get some dessert after our failed attempt at getting fruit and veges so with the money we had been intending to buy healthy food with, instead we all went and got waffles! A decision I am not proud of but I enjoyed every jam and cream filled mouthful.
Having not achieved anything we had intended to do or get, I was feeling pretty content with myself regardless. The bacon buddie and waffles alone are worth going back for! At least I know for next time that you need to get in quick to get the fresh produce but if not, there are still plenty of other things worth spending your money on! Well in my opinion anyways.
"An affordance is a quality of an object, or an environment which allows an individual to perform an action".
"An affordance is a quality of an object, or an environment which allows an individual to perform an action".
Affordance relates to the activities we engage in and their ability to bring about changes in us. I had been thinking about this in relation to shopping this week and how engaging in this activity causes us to act in a certain way.There are three components of affordance that we looked at this week in class: communication, connections, good and bad. After going to the markets in the weekend i was able to see how this activity fits in to these three aspects or affordances.
Communication can be defined as the activity of conveying meaningful information. While at the markets this was evident in a range of ways. The verbal communication between individuals was occurring all around. In my case we met up with some other friends when we arrived and we all grabbed something to eat together so it ended up being a real social thing where we caught up, talked about our weekend plans and discussed what stalls we were wanting to check out and suggested different ones to each other.
There was the communication between the seller and buyer, a relationship quickly developed when the buyer took interest in what the seller had to offer, immediately the seller would strike up conversation or offer a taste test etc. There was often some negotiating that went on between the seller and buyer.
The sellers obviously took pride in what they were selling, it was an expression of their hard work and skills which they were now able to receive credit for both financially and verbally. This was their way of communicating to others what they were capable of doing and an expression of themselves, people were able to show their appreciation for it by purchasing whatever it was they were selling.
Connections are constantly being made. There is a evident culture at weekend markets, the exchanging of fresh food and home made goods. I felt an immediate connection to my child hood as the markets were something i did often with my mum when i was younger and it had the same feel about.
Good and Bad aspects i guess would be the never ending need to purchase food and the constant spending of money. As a student i am very much limited by money and food from the markets can often be more expensive then purchasing from the supermarket. On the other hand the markets offer a great opportunity to give back to the community and support the local economy rather than buying from big supermarkets like countdown that import a lot of their produce from over seas.
Communication can be defined as the activity of conveying meaningful information. While at the markets this was evident in a range of ways. The verbal communication between individuals was occurring all around. In my case we met up with some other friends when we arrived and we all grabbed something to eat together so it ended up being a real social thing where we caught up, talked about our weekend plans and discussed what stalls we were wanting to check out and suggested different ones to each other.
There was the communication between the seller and buyer, a relationship quickly developed when the buyer took interest in what the seller had to offer, immediately the seller would strike up conversation or offer a taste test etc. There was often some negotiating that went on between the seller and buyer.
The sellers obviously took pride in what they were selling, it was an expression of their hard work and skills which they were now able to receive credit for both financially and verbally. This was their way of communicating to others what they were capable of doing and an expression of themselves, people were able to show their appreciation for it by purchasing whatever it was they were selling.
Connections are constantly being made. There is a evident culture at weekend markets, the exchanging of fresh food and home made goods. I felt an immediate connection to my child hood as the markets were something i did often with my mum when i was younger and it had the same feel about.
Good and Bad aspects i guess would be the never ending need to purchase food and the constant spending of money. As a student i am very much limited by money and food from the markets can often be more expensive then purchasing from the supermarket. On the other hand the markets offer a great opportunity to give back to the community and support the local economy rather than buying from big supermarkets like countdown that import a lot of their produce from over seas.
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