1. Analyze some aspect of popular culture (fashion, social media, celebrity adoration, TV, movies, popular music, video games, sports, etc.) from the perspective of the Friedmans (free market) and Marx. Do you think that as long as the exchange is voluntary “everyone wins”? Do you think popular culture is fundamentally exploitative? Do you think the consumers of popular culture are being exploited? Does it support the bourgeoise? Use the language of the Friedmans and Marx and Engels in your answer. (Again, the papers are short so keep the focus on the authors, not in explaining to me the intricate machinations of some little corner of popular culture. Keep it simple and be minimal, here. Also, as noted, try to do justice to both views. And, please, do not feel the need to pick “one side” over the other. The idea is to see both sides in this area. Even so, feel free to show how either side may “fall short” in its understanding or how their perspective may blind them from seeing something [See module 1 images, the cylinder, the blind men and the elephant, etc.].)
2. Look at this material as it applies to YOUR economic situation. Do you believe that you are being exploited or do you think the “invisible hand” better describes it? Look at school (both the expense of it and what you hope to get out of it) and/or whatever job you have. Do you see both exploitation and the invisible hand? Use the language of the Friedmans and Marx and Engels in your answer. (Again, try to do justice to both views, to see, in theory at least, how both sides could be applied here. Yet, again, you are also free to show how a perspective may fall short or be blind to certain things.)
