Consumer Culture in terms of Social Status and Identity - Essay Example

Consumer Culture Qn. 1 Consumerism as a concept is broad in definition, ranging from the modern attachment to materialistic possessions or values, to the theory, which portrays progressively greater consumption of products as being economically beneficial to human survival and development. To some, they view it as the universal movement, which seeks to both inform and protect global consumers about the various products and services they derive and benefit from. This is in terms of enforcing regulations and standards, in the production of consumer goods and services i.e. product quality assurance, honest advertising and packaging, as well as enhanced safety standards. The global arena, as experienced in the contemporary arena, has undergone through various changes, as historically provided. History provides a review of the evolution of Man, which culminated in great advancement during the past two centuries in terms of different contexts. The 20th century was indeed the hallmark of human irony, where various contexts influenced and were in turn affected by human civilization. Thus despite the clashes of human ideology, which inadvertently resulted in two deadly global wars, and a 45-year long Cold war, the real winner of all this was an unlikely candidate. What do I mean by this? That while the United States became the eventual global leader, the century did not culminate in its political ideals’ dominance in global affairs rather it was the concept/ aspect of consumerism that won. Consumer culture, individualism, individual strive for success, and materialism became the dominant identity factor, which portrayed then, and still does, Man’s ultimate gains (Cross, 2002). While the political and economic spheres had been influential in humanity’s existence, as portrayed throughout history, it is the 20th century, which ultimately defined Man. In the super power itself, and increasingly across the globe, the visions of a political society of active citizenship and stable, shared values did not become enshrined in the human subconscious. Rather, the seemingly passive, yet dynamic society became ingrained in material consumption in the manner. Jhally (2006) portrays that this is what has come to define our current society, the geo-political, social and economic factors notwithstanding. To augment the aforementioned drive, has been the greatly influential aspect of globalization. Despite great expansion of government, the very basic ideal of political life being primary to social coexistence and human interaction, it has receded to the background; paving way for a consumer public. This is aptly defined, and subsequently developed through individual use and acquisition of the various consumer products. Accordingly, there are present, defining features of the contemporary consumer culture influential in its continued dominance. These include social identity and status, the society itself, social ethics and morality, science and technology, geo-politics, religio-cultural values, and product branding and advertising amongst others. Of importance to this discussion will be social identity and status, science and technology, and the geopolitics of the contemporary era (Jhally, 2006). In terms of social status and identity, consumerism espoused this notion to the fullest, entailing the belief that consumer goods do provide meaning to individual lives, as well as their role-play in society. This notion is influential in all manner of human existence, from the necessities of food, water, clothing and shelter, to luxuries, which abound in current contexts. American citizens, best representing the progressive attitude of contemporary society, embraced consumerism as an avenue of freedom and self-identity. Science and technology, arguably the most fundamental influence, enabled Man to progress, especially through the European Industrial Revolution. Industrial scale en masse production of products, enabled through influences such as Henry Ford’s assembly-line concept (Duhigg, 2012). The above, enabled en masse production of commodities, wide ranging in nature, and capturing human imagination in all manner of ways. This is what essentially influenced and was in turn impacted by prevailing social identity and status. Technology enabled inventions to succeed, further easing human life, with science enabling greater integration of consumer products into the market in addition to enhancing human health and wellbeing. Through mass production of goods and services, the cost-expenditure greatly reduced, enabling further en masse output of all kinds of commodities. Man was thus able to not only maintain basic survival, but also further improve his lifestyle in terms of luxury and material possession (Duhigg, 2012). In terms of social status and identity, consumer goods (strive for materialism), gave individuals the avenue towards establishing new forms of identity a breakaway from the past. This essentially did not necessitate the abandoning of family and kinship, as well as the common culture present. Rather, it became an avenue of defining, redefining, and subsequently easing social relationships and interaction. Material possession and personal success became defining factors of individuals and states within the international arena. This subsequently informed the manner in which social interactions were carried out defining concepts of not only the past and present, but also the future. Individualism was influenced by the longing of maximized physical satisfaction, augmented by an intense longing for excitement and pleasure (Serazio, 2013). These are what defined the new understanding of what entailed personal freedom. In terms of geo-political influences, the great industrial nations of the world, led suitably by the USA, are primarily founded on their industries and industrial output of commodities. This has been a key area of interest, especially concerning protecting their interests. Thus, the dominant ideal of Capitalism has been able to expand further, determined by free-market economies that influence the politics of not only the local, national and regional arena, but also globally. Instrumental to the global growth and reach of consumerism, has been its continuous change, refining and improvement, which have been core to its redefined meaning and place in society (Serazio, 2013). This has been through its ability and capacity of meeting the needs of not only individuals, but also wholesome markets for its variety of products (Thornton, 1996). Qn. 2 From all the aforementioned, it is vital for society to not only contemplate and debate on the place of consumerism in our society, but also engage in the reasons why this is so. In effect, I am in agreement with the notion that in the contemporary arena, it is indeed almost impossible, to escape from the prevailing consumer culture. Accordingly, I view this notion as being in the middle of both good and bad, as will be provided below. First, it is true that human co-existence and interaction has necessitated the en masse production of goods and services, which encompass the greater culture of consumption that prevails. Second is the fact that, while such consumerism may be inevitable, it has indeed enabled humanity to realize greater potential. It is true that in the contemporary arena, Man cannot be able to survive without the consumption of goods and services. This ranges from food production, to the textile industry, water and sanitation, housing and clothing, as well as other vital components of human life. The interconnected nature of the global society further compounds the situation, having enabled Man to live a relatively comfortable and healthy lifestyle (Thornton, 1996). This has been through production of all manner of goods, and services, which are essential to human survival, as well as ease of movement and work. The variety of products in the market, are essentially good, in terms of adding positive value to human interaction and co-existence i.e. transportation and logistical capacity, tele-communications, energy production and distribution, as well as agricultural and food sustenance. Above all is the fact that this aspect of consumption is not only critical towards enabling humanity having a relatively good life, but it is also the foundation of the billions of individuals present in the global society. This is influenced by the fact that various global economies, from the biggest, to the relatively small enterprises, are fundamentally founded on the need for exchange or barter, which currently is undertaken in the form of monetary terms. That is to say that various nation-states are influenced by the kind of economic enterprises present, which may be small, thereby pertaining to localized economies; or large-scale, feeding entire global economies as evident with American consumerism (Turow & Matthew, 2009). Therefore, without the presence of such consumer trends, many economies would be affected in turn affecting whole populations’ way of life and sustenance. This would invariably affect not only the prevailing geo-politics, but also socio-economic sustenance (Turow & Matthew, 2009). Such impacts would lead to great human strife, as whole societies would become affected and hence become rendered dysfunctional. On the converse, the same important consumer culture has resulted in a whole range of negative influences, impacts and effects. This is evident from the continued pollution and environmental degradation, which continues to occur because of contemporary industrialization. The mining of mineral and resources continues to affect whole societies, through negative influences of prevailing eco-systems (Littler, 2012). The result is that not only is environmental degradation present, but also negative effects on human society; in terms of health and wellbeing, as well as individual and group identity, the prevailing geo-political and socio-economic contexts, in addition to ethics, morality and socio-cultural values and tradition. From this, I deduce that it is impossible to live without the present-day consumer culture, but is also of the ideal that there is need for a greater understanding, aimed at enhancing positive consumerism. This is achievable through different avenues, policy measures and standardization, which would ensure gradual change to the positive production of goods and services. Individually, impacts and influences are inevitable, given the prevailing nature of human interaction and socialization (Littler, 2012). In conclusion, as stated above, Consumerism ranges from the modern attachment to materialistic possessions or values, to the theory, which portrays progressively greater consumption of products as being economically beneficial to human survival and development. Political, social and economic factors influence consumerism. The existing consumer culture cannot be out rightly done away with. Rather, the best way forward would be the gradual evolution of such culture, into more positive and environmentally friendly aspects. Such would be inclusive of consideration for not only the environment, but also human existence and overall sustenance. It is vital for society to not only contemplate and debate on the place of consumerism in our society, but also engage in the reasons why this is so because consumerism exists and affects people directly. References Cross, G.S. (2002). An All-Consuming Century: Why Commercialism Won in Modern America (Ed.). New York: Columbia University Press. Duhigg, C. (February 16, 2012). How Companies Learn Your Secrets. The New York Times, retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/19/magazine/shopping-habits.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Jhally, S. (2006). The Spectacle of Accumulation: Essays in Culture, Media and Politics. Peter Lang. Littler, J. (2012). Good Housekeeping: Green Products and Consumer Activism. In Sarah Banet-Weiser and Roopali Mukherjee, (eds.) Commodity Activism. New York, NY: NYU Press. Serazio, M. (2013). Your Ad Here: The Cool Sell of Guerrilla Marketing. New York, NY: NYU Press. Thornton, S. (1996). Club Cultures: Music, Media, and Sub-cultural Capital. Wesleyan University Press. Turow, J. & Matthew, M. (2009). The Advertising and Consumer Culture Reader, (Eds). New York and London: Routledge. Read More