Let’s consider first of all how people’s values have changed.
What kind of things give status to people in your country?
Have things changed since your parents’ time?
Finally, let’s talk about the role of advertising.
Do you think advertising influences what people buy?
Transcript
Examiner: We’ve been talking about things we own. I’d like to discuss with you one or two more general questions relating to this topic. First, let’s consider values and the way they can change. In Switzerland, what kind of possessions do you think give status to people?
Candidate: The first thing which comes in my mind is the car. Yes, because lots of people like to have posh cars or expensive cars to show their status, their place in the society.
Examiner: Is that a new development?
Candidate: No, I think it isn’t.
Examiner: People have thought like that for quite a long time?
Candidate: Yes. Another thing is probably the clothing. It starts already when you are young. When the children go to school they want to have posh labels on their jumpers or good shoes.
Examiner: What do you think of this way of thinking, that I need to have a car or certain clothes to show my status?
Candidate: Probably it’s sometimes a replacement for something you don’t have, so if your wife has left you or your girlfriend, you just buy some new, I don’t know, new watches or new clothes to make you satisfied again.
Examiner: You don’t think of it as a healthy way of thinking?
Candidate: It’s probably not honest to yourself. You can understand what I mean?
Examiner: Yes. And do you think this will change? In the future, will cars and designer clothes be status symbols in the same way?
Candidate: I’m sure that clothes will be ... that the thing with the clothes will be the same. I’m not so sure about the cars because cars cause lots of environmental problems and probably in some years, a few years, this will change because it’s not reasonable to drive a car anymore.
Examiner: Can you tell me a little bit more about that?