Consumer Culture - Assignment Example

Emergence of the perpetuation of “consumer culture” Introduction The steam engine had marked the evolution of the Industrial Age during the 19th century. It had been a turning point in the industrial history. Perhaps even more so is the revolutionary innovation of the assembly line for mass production introduced by Henry Ford. While Ford introduced this concept to benefit the automobile industry, its application has become widespread in almost all types of industry today. The significance of mass production of this type is felt more today than when it had been first introduced due to its influence on almost all aspects of the human life in the Machine Age. Mass production has become a repercussion of capitalism. Pro-capitalists argue it benefits to humankind by facilitating ease of use, cheaply available and within reach consumer products. On the other hand, anti-capitalists are of the view that capitalism has many downsides. It robs the average person of his/her individuality, of culture and tradition. This can be understood from a review of the following advertisements which demonstrate that capitalism has a great influence on the individual perception and expression. Discussion The innovation of line production by Ford during the 20th century has transformed not only the American population but also the world over. It has created a consumer society which is dependent on mass produced commodities. Stuart Ewen in his book Captain of Consciousness, theorizes that line production has been a way of mass producing consumers (24). Since goods are produced in huge quantitative, they need consumers to consume them. For this reason, mass production had become a device innovated by the capitalists, to artificially create demand by reducing price, increasing accessibility and creating a culture of consumerism. Over the years the ethics and moral behind this strategy have deteriorated to a great extent, that mass production has become synonymous with immoral and unethical business practices. These perceptions are warranted. Take the following advertisement by Wonderbra for example which blatantly declares the mindlessness of consumers of today. Figure 1: Wonderbra advertisement In the above advertisement, the message communicated indicates that those who buy Wonderbras need not have the brain or the inclination to be intelligent (to read The Economist, a business magazine). These are individuals who have no aspiration to be in the business arena. This is a product for the "average mindless" individual. Moreover, the message denotes the perception that only an elite group of individuals are intelligent enough to read or understand The Economists contents. Hence, in a capitalist society, individuals are gradually robbed of their intellectual capacity as the elite or capitalists have made their decision for them (consumers). They are the ones who determine the religion, creed, caste, and the individual status in society. Thus in a capitalist society, those with financial power are the powerful who influence others. They are the ones who are with the “brains” while the rest are brainless (meaning the consumers). There is a clear demarcation between the consumer and the capitalist in the capitalist society. The individual is significant to the extent of contributing to the performance of the assembly operation, and in consuming the produced goods. A labor therefore is merely a unit in the factory with no rights to the benefits reaped by the producer; the consumer a mere money bank who has the function of dispensing the money; and both do not have any mental capacity to make a decision or have a say in the society (Ewen 26). Not only does capitalism reduces the individual to a consumer, a unit in the line of the production but also robs him/her of the mind, will and choice. The degradation of the individual to a mere consumption machine can clearly be perceived in the following advertisement by Kentucky Fried Chicken. The campaign is designed to illustrate that the taste / product of KFC speaks for itself. Yet the final advertisement speaks volume of the perception of the company about its consumers. In a society where food is mass produced, finding a distinctive taste is a challenge. For this reason the food and beverage industry in the United States has focused on capitalizing on this niche, and created a culture of franchises or chain of restaurants. KFC with its multitude franchises across the world which serve as production centers takes great pride in its taste. The confidence with which KFC has in its products, in the following advertisement speaks for itself. Todays consumers do not have any say in taste choice or preference. Instead, they are the listeners. They are forced to listen and make unconscious choices as the producers want them to. Hence, a consumer looking at the following advertisement will have little knowledge about the product unless he/she goes out to buy it. Whether he/she likes it or not, is a debatable question. The standardized taste of KFC maintained by stringent franchise regulations is guaranteed wield acknowledgement, if not appreciation of "good taste" as perceived by KFC, regardless of the location. Figure 2: Kentucky Fried Chicken, India Capitalism therefore is not a liberal phenomenon. Instead, it is a dependence discourse. According to Adorno and Horkheimer (4), it is organized and standardized to serve the consumers needs at the top priority because they can be manipulated and retro-activated. The capitalist system serves the power in the society which has a hold over the economy. Whether these are technologists, industrialists, artists or machinists, they have the strength to influence the culture industry. To move the society, one needs to move the function of the economy: the consumer culture. Culture is adaptable and is the result of individual perception. But in a capitalist society where mass culture is greatly influenced by mass communication, individual perception is mere replication of what they perceive from the mass media. Thus, mass media plays a critical role in influencing the consumer culture, and driving it towards capitalism. This is perhaps why, one observe the development of mass production coincide with the development of mass media. Since the perception of individuals can be influenced by manipulation, mass culture is controlled and is under the monopoly of the capitalist. This can be observed by the following advertisement of the famous alcohol company Absolut. The advertisement follows the theme that in the Absolut world, anything is possible. What one perceives does not necessarily mean what it seems. In the following illustration, the advertisement shows a map of the US with Mexicos border across the US states. The message is though perceptibly indicate it is possible that Mexico may over take the US borders, but in reality, it is the US which has overpowered the Mexican authority. Clearly, the underlying message is that might is right, and by the power of capitalism the US has been able to overshadow its neighboring country. Moreover, one can also understand from the advertisement that the US being a representative of capitalism is a powerful nation that monopolizes the world and other cultures. With the might of the consumer culture it has been able to over take individual cultures of the world. In this case Mexico. Because the consumers are being monopolized by the mass culture of consumerism, they follow the ideology which is presented to them through mass media. This is why the producers deliberately emphasize on culture industrialization. Figure 3: Absolut Conclusion From the above discussion one understand that mass production which initially started to facilitate industrialists has become a transformation agent for todays society. It is the source for change in culture, individual perception and action. Due to mass production, a mass culture has formulated whereby individuals are forced to buy and adapt to a culture of consumption. Consumerism is widespread because capitalists who control mass production, wants it to. They (capitalists) cultivate and deliberately communicate the message that mass produced goods and services is for the benefit of the individuals. They dominate the society to the extent of excluding the consumers from choice, preference or taste. Indeed from the above discussion and analysis of the advertisements, one understand that the consumer is deaf, dumb and blind to the faults of the capitalists,and are happy to dwell in this world. For this reason, capitalists continue to control and manipulate the world today by emphasizing on consumerism culture, and using it to influence the level of consumption in society not only in the US but also the world over. According to Adorno and Horkheimer (6) "The man with leisure has to accept what the culture manufacturers offer him." The individual no longer has the choice to relate or even make the decision as to what they enjoy or what they want to express. Instead they are under the control of the producers. Rationalization remains elusive in the consumers’ world as they are robbed of their distinctive individuality, freedom and choice. References Adorno, Theodor W. and Horkheimer, Max. "The Culture Industry: Enlighten as Mass Deception" from Schor, Juliet & Holt, Douglas (eds), The Consumer Society Reader. New Your: New Press, 2000. Asolut Advertisement [Online from]: www.karendecoster.com/blog/archives/002866.html Ewen, Stuart. Captains of Consciousness. New York: Basic Books, 2001 KFC Advertisement [Online from]: www.adsoftheworld.com/media/print/kfc_waiter_2 Wonderbra Advertisement [Online from]: http://www.frederiksamuel.com/blog/SINGLE_AD_PAGE.php?ad=wonderbra_economist.jpg Read More