Materialism in Amy Rosenbergs Work - Article Example

From research notes,  Rosenberg points to the danger of a materialist consumer society,  an exact parallel to what the Essay says.   
(a) “Frances is an unabashed materialist, a high-end version of the mildly-obsessed masses in our capitalist society. The pressure to buy and acquire, after all, surrounds all but the most isolated American.” This confirms the Essay’s thoughts about the vulnerability of people in a consumer society. The more psychologically fragile suffer most, and the affront is directed not only at adults but the young as well.   (b) “A materialistic lifestyle is associated with an inadequate sense of security, competence, relatedness, and autonomy.”  The Essay also hints at the psychological roots of vulnerability to materialistic consumerism. Frances displays these emotional needs and typifies people in a free enterprise capitalistic society. More basic needs like living standards and education suffer thereby. (c) “We can’t underestimate the influence of corporations that go to great lengths to convert these products to the promise of emotional fulfillment.” The Essay also makes mention of how corporations use advertising to glamorize products. Consumers thereby lose their sense of priorities in human needs, causing poverty instead of wealth.  They even fail to see the true worth in people, seeing only their possessions. Read More