Hello there!
Sorry, it's been awhile. It's been one of those months with little sleep. However, my baby does have three teeth now, so, worth it? I'm sure you have all been frantically checking for new posts and getting very disappointed...all three of you followers, haha.
Well, writing this blog is kind of therapeutic for me, so never mind. Here's something that has been on my mind this week.
There are some things that I feel very strongly about, I suppose they would fall under the category of 'Women's issues'. Anyone who has seen my facebook page or even read this blog before is probably well aware of that. One of the biggest issues for me has been described as the 'pornification' of our culture. I think the word pornification is pretty self explanatory, but to explain it further I would say it is about the mainstreaming of pornography, or porn culture, or perpetuating an ideology where women are purely objects to be used by men. That is a basic definition of what I'm referring to, and if I go any more into it right now I will start getting really angry and typing really fast while clenching my jaw...whew.
I believe that I can make a difference to this problem, as we all can. Maybe just a small difference, but at least stir up some change. I can do this (and have several times) by speaking out where appropriate, writing letters to those who promote these ideals or those who are responsible for regulating particular industries, and boycotting certain companies and refusing to buy their products.
No, I don't believe that a huge corporation will be severely stung by my withholding my money. I do believe that maybe if many people do the same thing, or the companies are concerned that others will do the same, they may be pressured to reassess their advertising strategy (or whatever is the problem). I know many companies make products supposedly to meet customer demand, therefore if I don't purchase products made by sleazy companies, I am not proving them right. They can't turn around and say, See? Our product is selling really well, so obviously there is a demand for it, or obviously nobody is offended by our style of advertising.
More than these small things, this is a matter of integrity for me. I feel uneasy about giving my money to corporations who glamourise or promote ideas that are just wrong. Think about it, if I buy products from one of those companies, I am directly helping them grow and prosper. This does not sit well with me.
I might have to give some examples of dodgy companies/promotions, but I think that will make this post way too long so maybe next time...
So here is where things become blurry for me. Do I boycott everything that I deem to be offensive? How much trouble should I go to to boycott these products? Can or should I be more sensible while still being able to be comfortable with myself?
Whatever you can live with. If it really is a lot of effort/work to avoid a product/company, and you really want/need the product, you can probably live with your decision. Don't agonise over these decisions too much, like you say, your individual actions do not have far-reaching consequences in this circmstance.
ReplyDeleteI use my own example. I do not like to spend my money at places owned/run by any church or religious organisation.
The 'rules' I have set myself for this are:
1. Only companies I have come across as religious i.e. I don't sit down and spend hours researching every store I buy from before I make a purchase, only if something happens to make me aware of their religious connections.
2.The effort to avoid it has to be worth it. If I need a bottle of water, and the only place selling them within a reasonable distance is church owned, I will purchase. If there is another stor across the street, i will cross the street.
3. My atheist beliefs shouldn't infringe on social events. e.g. My daughters' friend had a birthday party at an indoor play centre owned by a church. The day is about the birthday child, and me kicking up a fuss about the location is selfish. Same with my sister's wedding at an anglican chapel-not about me!
If you can live with it, do it.
Thanks for your thoughts. I found out last week that Woolworths is running a competition to send a group of guys to the Lynx lodge, which I cannot fathom! The thought crossed my mind to shop elsewhere, but then I remembered I don't live in the city right now, with three or four local supermarkets to choose from, and that Woolies is my only choice unless I want to inconvenience myself driving to another area about 10 mins away.
ReplyDeleteI was talking about this with my husband and he pointed out that surely our family's need for food and groceries trumps my potential boycotting. That seems realistic to me. In this situation I will still shop at my local Woolies, but I won't buy Lynx (the Lynx is a no-brainer for me!)