Consumer culture has developed over the years for many different reasons such as the demise of the social class and embourgeoisement which are both key factors in capitalism and has therefore led to the argument that consumer society merely reflects the rise of capitalism which I plan to discuss within this assignment. The origins of consumer culture have been discussed by Grant McCracken (1998) who argues that there is minimal agreement in regards to the origins of consumer society. McCracken took on the viewpoint that it would not be beneficial to look at a specific point in time in which consumer culture arose but to primarily focus on patterns of changes within culture and how these pattern of changes led to the reformation of society. McCracken identifies three crucial changes in history which elaborate the development of modern consumer culture. During the sixteenth century and at a time of Elizabethan politics Queen Elizabeth I introduced the use of objects to her highly ceremonial court. The use of objects within her court meant that without her actually directly communicating with her subjects she could use the objects to communicate her authority and power to others. The second would have been the massive increase in the involvement within the marketplace during the eighteenth century in Europe. This signified a change in consumer culture because it meant that people from different social backgrounds could all get involved in the marketplace due to the high influence of the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution caused the marketplace to expand and therefore created a huge space for consumer choice. This also meant that members from the middle and lower class began to recognise the social significance ... ... middle of paper ... ...furt School. However McCracken and McKendrick show how historical examples relate to the rise of the consumer society. Works Cited Arato, A & Gephardt, E. (1982) The essential Frankfurt school reader, London: Continuum Publishing Brewer, J. Mckendrick, N. Plumb, J. (1982) The Birth of a consumer society, London: Harper Collins Benjamin, W. & Doherty, B & Jennings.W.M & Levin.Y. T .(2008) The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media : Harvard Univeristy Press Marx, K (1849). Wage Labour and Capital. Germany: Neue Rheinische Zeitung. Accessed at: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/wage-labour/index.htm accessed on 27/03/2011 McCracken, G. (1989) Culture and Consumption: New Approaches to the Symbolic Character of Consumer Goods and Activities, Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press
The chosen article is Two Cheers for Consumerism by James Twitchell. In this article he talks about consumerism, commercialism, and materialism. He argues the stand point of consumers and the role they live by every day. In other hands the critics, Academy, gives the consumers and overview description to their consumers.
Holt, D.B. “Does Cultural Capital Structure American Consumption?” In Schor, J.B. and Holt, D.B. (eds.). (2000). The Consumer Society Reader. (pp. 212-251). New York:The New Press.
There is an undoubtedly enormous influence on the world by consumerism. Consumerism and capitalism shape the nation that we live in today. Everyone knows this because they see advertisements all day long on television, on the radio, on billboards and through hundreds of other mediums. Unfortunately, what the world is not exposed to is what goes on behind the marketing and the ultimate final sale. There is a dark side to capitalism created not only by shady merchants, but the worldwide multi-national companies as well. What both of these excerpts portray is the idea that there is more to the products we buy than we are told, or unfortunately, that we bother to ask about. Through the use of interviewing, traveling, and criticism, these authors do a fine job in analyzing the relationships between branding and marketing, and more importantly, between our modern day consumption habits and hidden production processes.
In today’s culture, consumerism is what defines it. Americans perplex the difference between wants and needs. Retailers constan...
The Market Revolution took place between 1800-1840. It was described as a time when new forms of transportation connected different parts of the country resulting in an expansion of the marketplace. Although becoming connected mainly defined this time period, it also represented a great amount of people becoming disconnected. People began to disconnect themselves religiously, socially, and individually. It seemed that during this time period, people became more independent from the “norm.”
America’s current standard of living is going to cause our demise. Consumerism is a problem throughout Americans culture since mass production began in the late nineteenth century. The obsession with consumerism has led to mindless wastes of resources, a diseased society and economic instability. Rick Wolff, a professor of economics at University of Massachusetts, states “economics of capitalism spread consumerism—now uncontrolled, ecologically harmful, and fiscally disastrous—throughout the United States”. Wolff’s viewpoint on consumerism aligns with mine. Believing that an economy based on promoting endless consumption is volatile and unsustainable. Consumerism can be analyzed and seen to be embedded by corporations and politicians.
Benjamin, Walter. "The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility." The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2010. 1051-1071
The massive amount of consumerism and materalistic ideology came from the decade of the 1980s and proved to be the time of wanting to have luxrious items throughout the daily routine of being an American citizen. The American culture of massive consumerism of the 1980s was influenced by the elements of the American Dream, the iconic pop stars and events, the deep recession troubling the lives of many, and the nationalistic pride that was shown through the actions of recreations and sports. Not only was the 1980s influenced by the culture of consumerism, but it impacted the future generations to only want to become a bigger and better version of the 1980s.
Jameson, Fredric. "Postmodernism and Consumer Society". The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticis. 2001. Reprint. New York: Norton & Company, 2010. 1846-1860. Print.
During the Progressive Era, America experienced a shift from the production of capital goods, such as railroad equipment or steel, to consumer goods. As a way of subliminally enforcing the belief that mass consumption was a freedom, many companies began to name their products with the word “liberty” or “…used an image of the Statue of Liberty” (Foner 686). This devious method of advertising made consumers associate products with freedom, which sparked the belief that consumerism was associated with their rights and freedoms as an American citizen. Because of this, there was also a shift in political activism, urging the United States to indulge in the world of consumerism. Much like voting, the ability to take part in mass consumerism was beginning
Income had spread around more evenly and the market received many new consumers, a culture of consumerism was created. Culture and consumerism were a constant exchange, each bouncing off of one another. A part of the culture was conspicuous consumption, people spending their money on items that would showcase their wealth and social class. Being a consumer also exposed you to the culture, buying a television meant seeing the pop culture that had taken over the mass media.
Many people become victims of consumerism, often aspiring to unrealistic heights or being unable to sustain the financial implications of passive consumerism. The difference between essential consumerism and euphoric consumerism is a very fine line that can be easily crossed over if control is not maintained.
Sassatelli, R. (2007). Consumer Culture: History, Theory and Politics, London: Sage, Page 30, Page 126, Page 132, Page 133
Tucker, R. C. (1978). In “Wage Labor and Capital” in The Marx-Engels Reader. New York, NY:
James, Fredric. 1988. "Postmodernism and Consumer Society." In Studies in Culture: An Introductory Reader, ed. Ann Gray and Jim McGuigan. London: Arnold, 1997, pp. 192-205.