Theme 6: Consumerism

The Evolution from Prehistory to Today

Homework: make a list of ten items that you can find in your home that come from different countries. Locate the
countries on the map of the world below.

Item Country of Origin

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

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What can you conclude?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Develop three open-ended questions based on your conclusion.

1. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

How is it possible that all of these products can be found in Belgium today?

I. Prehistory: Consumerism for Survival

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The first humans were ………………………………….. They survived by …………………………………..and …………………………………...

Approximately …………………………………..years ago, humans started to farm; they became …………………………………...

Agriculture practices were developed to ………………………………….. the land and ………………………………….. animals. These

people were …………………………………..………. The first form of trade was ………………………………….

To Barter: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Self-sufficient: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

II. Antiquity: The Beginning of Commerce

IMPORT AND EXPORT

Under the Roman rule, most people used goods produced in their local area, but wealthy Gallo Roman citizens wanted
exotic luxury goods from distant lands with cultures different from their own.

They imported and exported a variety of goods. Study the map on the next page. Which kinds of goods were produced
in Gaul and exported throughout the Empire? Which other goods produced elsewhere in the Empire could have been
imported by traders in our regions ?

Goods
imported: .................................................................................................................................................................................
.................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Goods exported: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
…..……..………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..............

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THE ROMAN ROADS

The Roman road system was originally built to facilitate the movement of the army throughout the Empire. These
roads also spurred trading activities by allowing the quick transportation of many products across hundreds of miles
of territory.

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ROMAN ROAD CONSTRUCTION was similar right across the empire over hundreds of years, although the materials used
would vary depending on what was available locally. Now, observe the following diagram and label its arrows with the
number of the corresponding comment.

1) At the bottom of the trench, the Romans put a

layer of big stones.
2) Broken stones, pebbles, cement and sand to
make a firm base.
3) Cement mixed with broken tiles.
4) Paving stones formed the surface of the road.
These were cut so they fitted together tightly.
5) Curb stones at the sides held in the paving stones and
made a channel for the water to run away.
A NEW CURRENCY

Because trade was vital to the success of the Empire, the Romans made it as easy as possible. There was only one
currency used. The Gallo Romans paid for the goods they bought with gold or silver coins. These coins played an
important role in the Gallo-Roman society.

Look at the coins above. Tell if they are typical of the Celtic civilization or the Gallo-Roman one. Justify your answers.

III. Middle Ages :

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3.1. SOME NEW STRUCTURES
During the Middle-Ages, in Europe, trading and consuming habits underwent some major improvements.

Observe the following documents and name the key innovations illustrated on them.

Fair scene in "Le c hevalier errant" by Thomas de Saluce, ca 1403 - 1404

Drawing based on a English manuscript illustration of ca.1400

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Definitions

...................... : a structure that allows buyers and sellers to exchange any type of goods, services and information.

..................... : a human settlement bigger than a village but smaller than a city.

Did you know ?

In fact, markets and towns are not innovations but rediscoveries from the Roman times. The Romans were used to
welcoming merchants in large towns structured around market places. In contrast, the barbarians who defeated them
were unable to organize trade in great
conditions.

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Why are markets and towns so important ?

Listen carefully to your teacher’s explanation and reproduce the diagram drawn on the blackboard.

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3.2. THE EXAMPLE OF BRUSSELS

In the 10th century, Charles, Duke of .................................................... constructed a fort on ..........................................

Island, the point at which the ................................ river becomes navigable. This is the seed of what would become
Brussels.

By the end of the 11th century, an open-air marketplace is set up on a dried-out ........................ near the fort. The
market is called the Nedermerckt, or Lower Market. Nowadays,this place is known as the ........................................... . It
served as a market until November 19, 1959.

Throughout the Middle-Ages and the Modern Times, wealthy merchants of Brussels built houses around the edge of the
square.

Imagine that you are a wealthy housewife from the past. What kind of goods and services can you purchase at the Lower
Market ?

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..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................

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3.3. QUALITY AND TRACEABILITY

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Observe the following documents. What kind of information can you learn from them ? Is this information important ?
Why ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................................................................................

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Definitions

..................... : a product or service free of deficiencies.

......................... : the ability to verify the history of an item by means of documented, recorded identification.

The guilds

Nowadays nobody would buy a product without strong guarantees about its
quality and origin !

This consumer attitude originates in the Middle-Ages with the guilds.

During the 11th century, merchants, artists, bankers, and other professionals
group themselves together in business associations called guilds. The bankers
belong to the bankers guild. The bakers belong to the bakers guild... And so on.

The purpose of the guilds is to keep each member's territory exclusive. If you were a baker, your guild promised you a
certain amount of space before another baker could build a shop.

As well, if your shop burns down, the guild would care for you and your family.

In exchange, guilds had strict rules that guild members had to follow.

Rules include:

a. Price Control: The guild decides on the price of each item.

b. Wage Control: All workers have to be paid the same.

c. Quality Control: Each article has to be examined by a board of the guild and stamped as approved.
The guild members who are found to be cheating the public are fined and forced to do work again at
their own cost. The worst punishment is to be expelled from your guild. This means that you can no
longer trade in your town.

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 d. Advertising Control: No guild member can advertise his goods. The guilds want
people to think that all goods offered the same quality, no matter what shop sells
them.

e. Traceability : Each guild member has to sign his products

so the consumer can always know where the product is
coming from.

Bakers’ marks in london in the 16th century

Check your comprehension !

1. Give a synonym for guild :

.........................................................................................................................................................

2.Why is it favourable to be a guild member ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

3. Why can we say that the search for quality and originality originates in the Middle-Ages ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................................................

4. What is the worst punishment for a guild member ?

........................................................................................................................................................

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In order to be recognized by customers, each guild master has a large sign hung on the front wall of his house. Can you
associate the following signs with the corresponding guild ?

1. those who make armours 11. those who manufacture metallic goods

2. those who make guns 12. those who gathered fruits

3. those who transport goods by boat 13. those who make gloves

4. those who prepare and sell meat 14. those who produce flour

5. those who make bread 15. those who sell fish

6. those who manufacture wooden goods 16. those who make clothes

7. those who make socks 17. those who dye fabrics

8. those who sharpen knives 18. those who make wooden shoes

9. those who make spurs 19. those who make horse riders’ items

10. those who make chairs 20. those who make keys

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4. Modern Times
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4.1. A NEW WORLD

Observe these two maps. Which key differences can you spot between them ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

This map of the world was made by Moroccan

cartographer al-Idrisi for King Roger of Sicily in the
year 1154. South is up in this representation.

This map was drawn in 1570 by

Abraham Ortelius a Flemish
cartographer.

According to you, what can

explain these huge differences ?

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..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................

Many people in the Middle-Ages are curious about the

world around them, but travel is so dangerous that they
need good reasons to explore far-away lands.

These reasons are connected to the consumption

problematic.

4.2. THE GREAT DISCOVERIES: CAUSES

The two main trading routes during the Middle-Ages are the Silk Road and the Spice Route

Colour the silk road in red ; the spice road in blue.

A) The Silk Road

The silk road is an overland route that runs for 11,000 kilometers. It begins in .......................... and ends in
constantinople, in ......................... Chinese merchants carry silk on camels over mountains and through deserts. Once
they reach Baghdad or Damascus, they trade their goods with Arab merchants. The
Arab merchants then take the goods

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 overland or by ship to Constantinople. From there merchants frome................................ or .....................................
shipped the fabrics to Italy.

B) The Spice Route

The Spice Route is the sea and land route through which spices are brought from China, India, the Middle East and the
Spice Islands (Nowadays : .................................................. ). These islands are named so because of the valuable spices
growing there. These exotic goods are very popular with wealthy medieval Europeans who use them to flavor their food
and to make perfume and medicines.

.............................................................

Price

Intermediaries

As we have noticed it, spices and silk are extremely expensive in our regions
during the Middle-Ages. Nevertheless Europeans consumers are fond of them,
so the Italian merchants buy a lot of these luxury goods from their Turkish and
Arabs colleagues.

The problem is that Arabs and Turks are not really interested by the goods
produced and sold by the Europeans : they just buy a few of them. As a
consequence, European nations import much more than they export !

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Why is this situation risky on the long term ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

How is it possible to solve this problem ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

That’s what Spain and Portugal will do !

A) Portugal : Dias and Vasco Da Gama

In 1487 a young adventurous explorer, Bartholomeu Dias, set out on an expedition to find
the southern tip of Africa. At this time, no one knew how far South it extended. In 1488 Dias
and his men discovered this tip and named it « The Cape of Good Hope ». Following in the
foot steps of Bartholomeu Dias, another explorer left Portugal in 1497 hoping to sail around
Africa, and reach India. This explorer was Vasco Da Gama.

B) Spain :Christopher Columbus

Traveling to India around the southern tip of Africa was dangerous and
difficult. An Italian sailor, Christopher Columbus ,proposed finding a
new route by sailing West. Columbus thought that if they sailed west,
they would eventually circle the globe, and arrive in Eastern Asia.

Label the following map with the names of the corresponding

explorers. Colour in red Christopher Colombus’ journey and in green Vasco da Gama’s one.

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The journeys represented above will change the course of history ! Thanks to the great explorers Europeans will get
what they are looking for : luxury goods at a fair price... they will soon get much more !

4.3 THE GREAT DISCOVERIES : CONSEQUENCES

Europe’s desperate search for a new road leading to India lead to the contact between « two Worlds ». An Old one
(............................................) and a New one (........................................). Soon, goods unique to one « World » are
transferred to another.

Observe the document on the next page and answer to the following questions.

1. Which products that you consume everyday originate from the New World ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

2. Explain the following statement : The New World received a lot of great things from the Ancient World.
Nevertheless we can’t ignore some other « bad things »

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................
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Nowadays, thanks to the great explorers products and goods that were specific to one region can be purchased all
around the world !

Did you know ?

Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no oranges in Florida, no bananas in

Ecuador, no paprika in Hungary, no tomatoes in Italy, no coffee in Colombia, no
pineapples in Hawaii, no rubber trees in Africa, no cattle in Texas, no donkeys in Mexico,
no chili peppers in Thailand and India, no cigarettes in France, and no chocolate in
Switzerland....

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5. Contemporary Times
5.1. CONSUMPTION TODAY

A) After WWII
At the end of WWII, Europe’s infrastructure and industry were nearly destroyed. The large effort to rebuild and
modernize Europe after the war created one of the biggest economic booms in history. For the first time, people had
enough money to buy things they did not need, or luxury goods.

Can you think of some examples of things we buy that we do not need?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

Companies needed a way to encourage people to buy things that were not necessary to their survival, and so
advertising became very common. The television also became popular at this time, and soon advertisements were
everywhere. Advertising also helps companies compete against each other in the market.

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Why do companies advertise their goods?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................................................................

B) Globalization: Earlier in history, people could only buy goods that were made in their community or country.
Today, manufacturing and transportation have become so advanced that we consume many of the same
goods from the same companies, all over the world. This is even truer now that we can use the internet to
buy anything, from anywhere. The tendency for goods and services to be sold all over the world is called
Globalization. Some companies that are so famous, we know them by only their logos

Can identify the name of the company with each of the logos? Why do we recognize these logos so easily?

..............................................................................................................................................................................

_____________________ ____________________ __________________

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_____________________ ____________________ __________________

The supermarket : a consumption temple.

A supermarket, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise. This kind of store is
organized into departments. It is larger in size and
has a wider selection than a traditional grocery
store.

The supermarket typically comprises meat, fresh

produce, dairy, and baked goods departments
along with shelf space reserved for canned and
packaged goods as well as for various nonfood
items such as household cleaners, pharmacy
products, and pet supplies. Most supermarkets also
sell a variety of other household products that are
consumed regularly, such as medicine or clothes,....

Its basic appeal is the availability of a broad

selection of goods under a single roof at relatively

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low prices. Other advantages include ease of parking and, frequently, the convenience of shopping hours that extend far
into the evening.

Check your comprehension !

What is the key difference between a supermarket and a traditionnal grocery store ?

..................................................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................................................

Give a list of all the products sold in supermarkets.

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..................................................................................................................................................................................................

What are the supermarkets’ greatest appeals ?

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Type of organism Old World to New World * horse

New World to Old World
* rabbit (domestic)
Domesticated animals
* pig

* rock pigeon
* bee
* sheep
* cat
* silkworm
* camel
* water buffalo
* chicken
* alpaca
* cow
* guinea pig
* goat
* llama
* goose
* turkey
* honey bees

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 * olive

Domesticated plants * onion

* opium

* almond * peach

* apple * pea

* apricot * pear

* artichoke * pistachio

* asparagus * radish

* banana * rhubarb

* barley * rice

* beet * rye

* black pepper * soybean

* cabbage * sugarcane

* cantaloupe * taro

* carrot * tea

* coffee * turnip

* citrus (orange, lemon, etc.) * wheat

* cucumber * walnut (English)

* eggplant * watermelon

* flax * amaranth (as grain)

* garlic * avocado

* hemp * common beans (pinto, lima, kidney, etc.)

* kiwifruit * black raspberry

* kola nut * bell pepper

* lettuce * blueberry

* mango * cashew

* millet * chia

* oat * chicle

* okra * chirimoya

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* chili peppers * pineapple

* cranberries (large cranberry, or bearberry species) * potato

* coca * pumpkin

* cocoa * quinoa

* cotton (long staple species) * rubber

* guava (common) * squash

* huckleberry * strawberry (commercial varieties)

* jicama * sunflower

* maize (corn) * sweet potato

* manioc (cassava, tapioca, yuca) * tobacco

* papaya * tomato

* peanut * vanilla

* pecan * zucchini

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