Consumers Activities and Consumption - Assignment Example

Major Ways in Which the Activities of Consumption and the Practices of Consumer Society Have Been Theorized Introduction Researchers of consumer’s activities and consumption have broadly explored the socio-cultural development and practices by which consumption activities, and practices of consumer society have become a medium for marketplace presumption. Notably, there is a clear agreement between theorists of modernity consumption and those of post-modernity consumer society concerning the centrality of consumption to contemporary capitalism and modern culture. The purpose of this summary is to show some elementary concepts and theories concerning consumption and the practices of consumer society derived from journal entry. Discussion Anthony Giddens has theorized consumption as concurrent basis and therapeutic response to the predicament of identities, originating from the pluralisation of societies, their values as well as knowledge within post-traditional social universe1. Other post-modernists consumption researchers, like Baudrillard have theorized consumption and the practices of consumer society as the semiotic system whereby signs are consumed and not just the products2. For instance, societies are recognized by the institution and expansion of exchange networks by which individuals acquire essential goods plus services. This is evident in the messages in which firms conveys, such as the Scotland Food & Drink Ltd vision which states that in order to make Scotland globally acknowledged as a place of quality food and drink, they bring together their clients to discuss the organization successes, its problems and ideas. Hence, the firm harness the combined resources of its entire supply chain and the consumer s within the general public so as to celebrate their products3. According to Don Slater, the consumer culture is an engine for redirecting any reflection of critical consciousness towards product desires, whereby the trouncing of consciousness is characterized by manipulation as well as persuasion4. Furthermore, the consumption and consumer society is theorized as an opulent and materially satisfying consciousness that has replaced the real society with desires which are more purposeful to capitalism. This is footed on the fact that consumption makes individuals capacity to be viewed through the eyes of others, especially when individual lifestyles depictions clash with others within the marketplace or the media landscape. That is why Giddens and Featherstone argue that people under consumption society are capable of preference in almost every facet of life such that whatever they wear or even own seems to be an expression of a given identity 5. Activities of consumption and the practices of consumer society have also been theorized in a way such that consumption has been transformed from consuming to subsist to existing to consume. That is why consumption determines how things get produced, and as a result, production has turned out to be a source of artificial stresses like global injustice on other humans as well as the natural environment. Hence, organizations have realized that their consumers have become conscious of any injustices being done to other people involved in the production and the environment. Consequently, they seek to show that they promote ethical consumption. For instance, the Fair-trade Certified chocolate insists that when clients buy their chocolate, they are taking part in assisting to build an improved and brighter future for the farmers, their personnel and the families. The message passed across is that Fairtrade makes sure that all stakeholders involved in the production process receive additional funds to build up their communities, and to invest in their daily necessities, such as education plus healthcare6. Therefore, when it comes to on a daily basis purchase decisions effortless choices such as selecting Fairtrade chocolate for the sake of workers rights in developing nations, or sustaining ethical clothing line which are made devoid of using exploited labor, can really matter. For example, ethical Clothing Australia certification together with labelling system assists consumers to make well-versed decisions when it comes to ethical shopping7. Notably, the ethical consumption theorists put a new relationship involving the consumer and the outside world via social plus environmental burdens. That’s why, it is inevitable to reflect on the social reality which consumers undergo when evaluating consumption and the practices of consumer society. The theory is that the right thing to carry out is to take action so as to maximize the good and moral uprightness since it is elemental for the welfare of ethical consumers rather than consequences or rules of consumption8. Conclusion The most common way by which activities of consumption and the practices of consumer society have been theorized is through morality, whereby ethical consumption is expressed as an avenue of expressing moral commitments. For instance, through the pressing for best practice towards corporate sustainability or ensuring that legal obligations together with standards are fulfilled all through the supply chain. However, the way in which most of the activities of consumption and the practices of consumer society have been theorized mostly views consumption as unethical, and as such threatens to isolate ordinary citizens instead of recruit them. Therefore, commodity consumption should be theorized as a way of social reproduction whereby it acts as a prospective resource for shifting consumption practices plus patterns. Bibliography Scotland Food & Drink Ltd. "Our Vision Mission and Strategy." 2010. http://www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org/about-us/our-vision-mission-and-strategy.aspx (accessed March 21, 2012). Giddens, Anthony. Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Stanford University Press, 1991. Jayne, Mark. Cities and Consumption. London: Routledge, 2006. Slater, Don. The sociology of consumption and lifestyle’, in the Sage Handbook of Sociology. Edited by Craig Calhoune, Chirs Rojek and Bryan Turner. SAGE, 2005. The Ethical Clothing Australia. "ethical clothing australia." 2011. http://www.ethicalclothingaustralia.org.au/home/home (accessed March 22, 2012). The Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand. "Choose Fairtrade this Easter!" 2009. http://www.fairtrade.com.au/get-involved/campaigns/make-fairtrade-choice-easter (accessed March 21, 2012). Warde, Alan. "Consumption and Theories of Practice." Journal of Consumer Culture (Sage Publications) 5, no. 2 (2005): 131–153. Read More