Day Schools

Can you buy happiness?

Day School – Saturday, 25th September from 12.00 noon

Socialist Party premises, 52 Clapham High St, SW4 7UN
(nearest tube:Clapham North

This is a follow-up to a half day school given by the same panel of speakers on
‘Mental health and capitalism’ just 3 years ago.
At that half day school the
panel provided a broad outline on how the issue of mental health affects the
working class under capitalism. This time round the panel will be investigating
how the social phenomenon of consumer...ism is affecting our mental health as
individuals, workers and in the family.

Happy Shopper

Ed Blewitt (Clinical Psychologist) will look how our understanding of happiness is closely related to consumerism. Ed’s talk on the ‘Happy shopper’ is taking a look at how the happiness industry developed in the 19th century in the form of the good life through to its modern guise of an ‘individual feeling’.
This shift in the social perspective is compatible with the capitalist notion of an atomistic individual separated from society where the search for happiness is the individual’s goal in life.

Manhattan for a handful of beads

Peter Rigg (Analytical Psychotherapist) He's titled his talk 'Manhattan for a
handful of beads’ in a systematic approach which argues and illustrates how
we’ve been sold consumerism in the form of cars, mobile phones, holidays,
etc., in exchange for true democracy. Peter will be drawing a parallel between
infantile functioning and consumer culture and between psychological maturity
and democracy, besides touching on the illusion of being a sovereign
consumer. In short, Peter will be putting consumerism on the couch!

The consumption of capitalism

Brian Johnson (Disability Counsellor [retired]) We’ve all heard the phrase,
‘Keeping up with Jones’ but rarely established how such phrases have
impacted on the social relationships within the family and wider society. Brian
will investigate the social drives that set consumerism in motion with a
thorough analysis on how consumerism affects all classes. His talk on ‘The
consumption of capitalism’ delves into how consumerism is having an effect on
our expectations and aspirations, lifestyles, perceptions of reality and much
more.

And more.............

Refreshments will be available during the talks. There will be a social in the
evening with some light musical entertainment by Peter Rigg along with food
and drink. All in all this half day school promises to be an event full of insight;
engaging and entertaining.