Consumption, Inequality, and Discontent in Consumer Society

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The looters were thought to feel disconnected from consumer society and it was believed that the feeling of being excluded from such society and the rise of inequality were the source of the riots. (Bauman, 2012) Campbell (1987) asserted that consumer society relies on the feeling of being excluded, as disappointment, which rarely matches with satisfaction, is what fuels consuming. Consumer society is therefore contradictory, it offers freedom in consumption to adopt identity and express status through consumer objects, whilst not everyone is granted this freedom of access to consumption. Regardless, this contradiction just further emphasises the role of consumption in a consumer society: consuming as a mean of status and wealth achievement,

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