Citizendia
Your Ad Here

"Consumerist" redirects here. For the Consumerist blog, see Consumerist (blog). Consumerist is a consumer affairs Blog run by Editor Ben Popken, along with Senior Editor Meghann Marco Associate Editor Chris Walters and Weekend

Consumerism is the equating of personal happiness with the purchasing of material possessions and consumption. Happiness is an Emotion associated with feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to Bliss and intense Joy. In economics consumption is the primary motivating force in the wealth or utility maximizing paradigm
The term is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Karl Marx and Thorstein Veblen. Thorstein Bunde Veblen (born Tosten Bunde Veblen July 30, 1857 &ndash August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American sociologist

Veblen's subject of examination, the newly emergent middle class arising at the turn of the twentieth century, comes to full fruition by the end of the twentieth century through the process of globalization. Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones [1]

In economics, consumerism refers to economic policies placing emphasis on consumption. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. In an abstract sense, it is the belief that the free choice of consumers should dictate the economic structure of a society (cf. Producerism, especially in the British sense of the term). Producerism, sometimes referred to as "producer radicalism" refers to a syncretic ideology of populist

Contents

History

Consumerism has strong links with the Western world, but actually is multi-cultural and non-geographical. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings People purchasing goods and consuming materials in excess of their basic needs is as old as the first civilizations (see Ancient Egypt, Babylon and Ancient Rome, for example). A Civilization is a society in which large numbers of people share a variety of common elements Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Since consumerism began, various individuals and groups have consciously sought an alternative lifestyle through simple living. Simple living (or voluntary simplicity) is a lifestyle individuals choose to minimize the 'more-is-better' pursuit of Wealth and consumption.

The older term and concept of "conspicuous consumption" originated at the turn of the 20th century in the writings of sociologist and economist, Thorstein Veblen. Thorstein Bunde Veblen (born Tosten Bunde Veblen July 30, 1857 &ndash August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American sociologist The term describes an apparently irrational and confounding form of economic behaviour. Veblen's scathing proposal that this unnecessary consumption is a form of status display is made in darkly humorous observations like the following:

"It is true of dress in even a higher degree than of most other items of consumption, that people will undergo a very considerable degree of privation in the comforts or the necessaries of life in order to afford what is considered a decent amount of wasteful consumption; so that it is by no means an uncommon occurrence, in an inclement climate, for people to go ill clad in order to appear well dressed. " (The Theory of the Leisure Class, 1899). The Theory of the Leisure Class is a book first published in 1899 by the American Economist Thorstein Veblen while he was a professor at the

The term "conspicuous consumption" spread to describe consumerism in the United States in the 1960s, but was soon linked to debates about media theory, culture jamming, and its corollary productivism. Conspicuous consumption is a term used to describe the lavish spending on goods and services acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying Income or Wealth. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 In Psychology, Communication theory and Sociology, media influence or media effects refers to the theories about the ways the Mass media A precise definition of culture jamming is elusive It has been called a Resistance movement to Cultural hegemony, whereas some say the defining theme of culture jamming Productivism is the belief that measurable economic productivity and growth is the purpose of human organization (e

While consumerism is not a new phenomenon, it has become widespread over the course of the 20th century, and particularly in recent decades. The influence of neoliberal capitalism has made the citizens of capitalist countries extraordinarily wealthy compared to those living under other economic systems. Originally coined by its critics and opponents " neoliberalism " is a label referring to the recent reemergence of Economic liberalism or Classical liberalism

Usage

Webster's dictionary defines Consumerism as "the promotion of the consumer's interests" or alternately "the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable". Webster's Dictionary is the name given to a common type of English language dictionary in the United States. It is thus the opposite of anti-consumerism or of producerism. Anti-consumerism refers to the socio-political movement against Consumerism. Producerism, sometimes referred to as "producer radicalism" refers to a syncretic ideology of populist

Criticism

Main article: Anti-consumerism

In many critical contexts, consumerism is used to describe the tendency of people to identify strongly with products or services they consume, especially those with commercial brand names and obvious status-enhancing appeal, e. Anti-consumerism refers to the socio-political movement against Consumerism. A brand is a collection of Images and ideas representing an economic producer more specifically it refers to the descriptive verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a A status symbol is a visible external denotation of one's social position and indicator of status. g. an expensive automobile, expensive jewelry. Jewellery (also spelled jewelry, see spelling differences) is a personal Ornament, such as a necklace ring or bracelet made from Gemstones A culture that is permeated by consumerism can be referred to as a consumer culture. Impulse buyers are quite different from shopaholics, who cannot resist spending money. An impulse purchase or impulse buy is an unplanned or otherwise spontaneous purchase Oniomania is a medical term (from Greek onios = "for sale" mania = insanity coined by German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin for the compulsive

Opponents of consumerism argue many luxuries and unnecessary consumer products are social signals allowing people to identify like-minded individuals through the display of similar products. Some believe relationships with a product or brand name are substitutes for healthy human relationships lacking in societies and along with consumerism are part of the general process of social control and cultural hegemony in modern society. A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions Critics of consumerism are quick to point out that consumerist societies are more prone to damage the environment, contribute to climate change and use up resources at a higher rate than other societies. [1]

It is in the interest of product advertisers and marketers that the consumer's needs and desires never be completely or permanently fulfilled. It is smarter for the marketer to sell the consumer a flashy trinket that will wear out and break quickly. It is even better for the product to be part of a continuously changing fashion market, where items in a nearly-new and good condition must be replaced to stay current with the latest trend. In this way steady profits are assured, but consumers are not comfortable or satisfied for very long with what they have.

Modern Consumerism in the 21st century

Beginning in the 1990’s the most frequent reason given for attending college had changed to making a lot of money, outranking reasons such as becoming an authority in a field or helping others in difficulty. This statement directly correlates with the rise of materialism, specifically the technological aspect. At this time compact disc players, digital media, personal computers, and cellular phones, all began to integrate into the affluent American’s everyday lifestyle. A large change in American culture has subsequently occurred – “a shift away from values of community, spirituality, and integrity, and toward competition, materialism and disconnection. ” [2]

Companies and corporations have realized that rich consumers are the most attractive targets for marketing their products. The upper class' tastes, lifestyles, and preferences, trickle down to become the standard which all consumers seek to emulate. The not so well off consumers can “purchase something new that will speak of their place in the tradition of affluence” [3]. A consumer can have the instant gratification of purchasing a high-ticket item that will help improve their social status.

Emulation is also a core component of 21st century consumerism. As a general trend, regular consumers seek to emulate those who are above them on the social hierarchy. The poor strive to imitate the rich and the rich imitate celebrities and other icons. One needs to look no further than the celebrity endorsement of products to dissuade the notion that the American population makes its own decisions and models itself as a group of individualists.

Counter arguments

There has always been strong criticism of the anti-consumerist movement. Most of this comes from libertarian thought, but also from the Humanist Movement. Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the

Libertarian criticisms of the anti-consumerist movement are largely based on the perception that it leads to elitism. Elitism is the belief or attitude that those individuals who are considered members of the Elite &mdash a select group of people with outstanding personal abilities intellect Namely, libertarians believe that no person has the right to decide for others what goods are necessary for living and which aren't, or that luxuries are necessarily wasteful, and thus argue that anti-consumerism is a precursor to central planning or a totalitarian society. A planned economy or directed economy is an Economic system in which the Government or Workers' councils manages the Economy. Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private Twitchell, in his book Living It Up, sarcastically remarked that the logical outcome of the anti-consumerism movement would be a return to the sumptuary laws that existed in ancient Rome and during the Middle Ages, historical periods prior to the era of Karl Marx in the 19th century. Sumptuary laws (from Latin sumptuariae leges) are Laws which attempt to regulate habits of consumption Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC

See also

Further reading

Books

Video

Journals

External links

Other

  1. ^ Veblen, Thorstein (1899): The Theory of the Leisure Class: an economic study of institutions, Dover Publications, Mineola, N. Thorstein Bunde Veblen (born Tosten Bunde Veblen July 30, 1857 &ndash August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American sociologist The Theory of the Leisure Class is a book first published in 1899 by the American Economist Thorstein Veblen while he was a professor at the Y. , 1994, ISBN 0-486-28062-4. (also available: Project Gutenberg e-text)
  2. ^ Levine, Madeline. “Challenging the Culture of Affluence. ” Independent School. 67. 1 (2007): 28-36.
  3. ^ Miller, Eric. Attracting the Affluent. Naperville, Illinois: Financial Sourcebooks, 1991.

Dictionary

consumerism

-noun

  1. A policy of protecting and informing consumers through honesty in advertising and packaging, improved safety standards etc
  2. A materialistic attachment to possessions
  3. An economic theory that increased consumption is beneficial to a nation's economy in the long run.
© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
 Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic