Grade 9AC Social Studies Chapter 7: Role of Consumerism in our Economy

Main Focus for Chapter 7​: What role s​ hould​ consumerism play in our economy?

Consumerism: an economic theory that links prosperity to consumer demand for goods and
services, and that makes consumer behaviour central to economic decision making

1. Name three things that influence you as a consumer. (3) popularity, price,
quality
2. What impact can consumer behaviour have on the environment (provide
examples) (2) Consumer behaviour has to be sustainable or it can cause
global warming e.g. fossil fuels being burned to make petroleum then gives off
harmful air pollutants

3. List three ways impacts on the environment connect to quality of life.

(3)Impacts on the environment connect to quality of life by lighting in the cities
causing animals to think night is day, plastics in the ocean causing harm to
sea creatures and manufactured chemicals creating ozone depletion
4. Read the descriptions and view the photos on page 239. How might marketing
affect consumer behaviour? (3) It might affect consumer behaviour by
influencing people with their decisions to purchase. The decision may connect
to your moral values or how you feel about the information provided
5. The economic theory of consumerism says the more people buy, the better it is
for the economy. Read page 253 - Why might Canadians have different views
about the value of consumerism. (3)The more people buy the larger quantities
of waste byproducts are made. Canada’s government have put in place laws
and programs related to the environment and consumer behaviour. Consumers
want more green products to help the environment. Canadians are choosing to
purchase energy efficient appliances.
6. To what extent do consumers choose the products they buy, and to what
extent does marketing determine what they buy? Page 243, 255 Please give
examples/support to your position. (5) Depending on the type of person can
affect how marketing determine what they buy. Brand names can influence
people, some people like to follow the crowd and be the same. Cost can
influence some purchases which isn’t influenced by marketing.

Boycott: a decision by consumers to stop buying a product or service as a way to bring

about change.

7. How might boycotts affect producers? (2) Boycotts can affect producers as
their product is not being purchased. This in turn means the company is not
making money from this. Also this affects the workers who no longer are being
paid to work.
8. What positive and negative impacts might they have on quality of life? (4)
Negative impacts on quality of life by boycotts are losing jobs so reduced
income and producers have less money to spend on the quality of products.
 Positive impacts can be reduced effects for climate change and improved
human rights.
9. Pg. 263 To what extent do the boycotts on this page reflect collective identity?
(4) The boycotts reflect collective identity by the group feeling a shared
belonging by working together organizing rallies, petitions and speeches. Also
working together in forcing a change.

Social program: services provided by government to reduce economic inequalities and

promote the well-being of citizens

Health insurance: an agreement by a company to pay for your health services, in exchange
for a fee that you pay each month or each year.

Private health care: health care paid for by individuals

Public health care: health care paid for by taxes

10. To what extent do differences in the way the U.S. and Canada regulate
products for health and safety reflect differences in their economic systems?
(4) The differences
11. How much control should consumers have over choices that affect their health
and safety? Why? (4)

Profit: money made from a product or service above and beyond the cost of providing the
product or service

Tax base: all the economic activity in a society, taxed by government to pay for services

Taxation model: a policy of a political party or government about what to tax (eg. incomes,
purchases) how much to tax and how to spend taxes

Sales Tax: tax paid at the time of buying a product or service, and based on a percentage of
the price of the product or service.

Goods and Services Tax: (GST) a federal sales tax in Canada

Income Tax: tax based on a percentage of a person’s income

Tax evasion: misrepresenting what you earn to avoid paying taxes

Black market: another term for underground economy.

Underground economy: economic activity based on buying and selling products and
services illegally.
Median: a concept in statistics that means the middle number in a set of data organized in
order of least to most.

Per Capita: “average per person” So….GDP per capital is a way to estimate how well off
people are in a county.

GDP - Gross Domestic Product: measures the amount of wealth a country’s economy
generates

12. Find the exact GDP per capita in 2018 (you will have to research this) for the
countries of:
Canada Mexico United States (3)

The GDP for Mexico per capita in 2018 was 9698 US dollars per person

The GDP for USA per capita in 2018 was 63790 US dollars per person

The GDP for Canada per capita in 2018

was. 36211 US dollars per person

13. Why might understanding the role of marketing be important to you as a

consumer? (4) The role of marketing is important to know as a consumer as it
helps you realize it is about are trying to create demand, encouraging you to
buy products even if you don’t need them. Marketing uses various techniques
to encourage you to buy. Including testimonials, bandwagon effect, emotional
appeal, statistics and using words/images promising everything but delivering
little or nothing.

14. How do factors such as jobs and the environment connect to citizenship,
identity and quality of life?
Citizenship (2 )
Identity (2 ) Read pages 234,235 before answering this question
Quality of life (2) jobs and the environment connect to quality of life as having
a job improves your life with financial gains, it makes you part of a unit. The
environment

Total: 50 Points
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