WEEK 2 INDEXES

In Chapter three of TSEL, Schwalbe discusses the idea of indexes. Indexes are signs that point to, refer to, or represent something else. In our very consumer based society, people tend to walk wearing different indexes everyday on how they dress, how the behave, what they drive, the activities they do, and etc.

One major index that comes to my mind immediately are high end designer clothing brands. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, and Chanel are notorious to have high priced functional clothing items such as a bag or coat. Seeing a woman walk down the street in furs, five inch heels and a bag stamped obnoxiously with designer logos, would immediately have me interpret the way she dresses as an index pointing towards her status of wealth. Because I know high designer brand purses usually go for more than three bills, I can also presume other indexes on her character such as her sense of value for money and attraction to materialistic things.

In contrast an index that points to poverty is also found in our everyday presence. People in our society who don't have cell phones or their own car points toward their status of wealth as well. One can presume that today in our society having a cell phone is absolute stable necessity now. To see someone who doesn't have a cellphone leads to assumptions that they cannot afford it even though this is entirely plausible. Other indexes such taking public means of transportation or biking their way around could also point to poor wealth because they can't afford to buy their own car. However being sociological mindful one can also presume some people choose to not own a cell phone or car because of their own personal interests in lifestyle.