Consumption Has Replaced Class as a Source of Identity - Literature review Example

Consumption has Replaced Class as a Source of Identity xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Name xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Course xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lecturer xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Date \ Introduction Identity describes how groups or individuals see and define themselves. Indeed, identity is formed through the process of socialization and from the influence of institutions such as education system, mass media and family. It is obvious that the concept of identity is crucial because it is only through the identity of individuals and knowing the identities of others that make human beings similar or different. It is with no doubt that how individuals view themselves do influence other people. Woodward (2004) asserts that lack of an identity would simply lead to an individual lacking different tools for relating or identifying with the society. Therefore, one cannot dispute that identity helps an individual to fit in a society. It is important to note that identity involves personal response and choice together with the attitude of others. It has been observed that individuals have multiple identities which change over time. There are various sources of identity; gender, consumption, social class, disability and age. Consumption as a source of identity Consumption is a significant part of identity especially in the affluent society. It is seen to have a profound effect on the relationship and interaction of families, groups and peers. According to Ransomen (2005) consumption has tree basic elements; consumerism that includes commodities and shopping; consuming that refer to activities such as wearing, talking and viewing; leisure that may refer to consumption of commodities and services. The elements do occur together and may also include political policies, fashion, social groups and rituals. Woodward (2000) asserts that consumption goes beyond the fulfillment of physical requirements. It does involve choice and availability of resources creates the limitation. The theory of conspicuous of consumption is prominent among the sociologists. One of the features of this theory is that individuals tend to use more in socially visible goods rather than goods that they tend to use privately. It argues that people tend to make decision on things that maximize their social status. Essentially, consumption is valued for what other people make value of it rather than the functions or benefits to an individual. Consumption is seen to be a deliberate and clear route in the formation of personal identity (Hunt 2003). Indeed, consumption has ceased to be a narrowly functional or purely material, that is, satisfaction of main bodily needs. At present, consumption is both material and symbolic it does express an individual’s place in the world and his or her main identity. Hunt (2003) asserts that consumption directly affect identity as a result of the kind of activity it is. The acts of consumption offer the terminus for strings of actions which precede them. In the consumer society, consumption is described as dividends to which the previous efforts had been directed. Indeed, such moments of satisfaction are significant for identity as part of the experience bring a strong a sense of who we are. Consumption does affect identity as the activities of consumption are seen to be concrete rather than abstract. The activities provide satisfaction and therefore, positively do reinforce the right identity that an individual wish to express or do. The sense of satisfaction intrudes to individual’s behavior since it motivates them to continue with specific activities or discourage them from carrying on with consuming/acting in a given way. Consumption offers new ways of developing an individual identity in given parameters thus providing different types of identity options. Consumption has replaced class as a source of identity At present consumption as a source of identity has continued to replace class as the common source of identity. Beder (2000) maintains that the processes of consumption identity and differences in lifestyle have indeed become more significant than class in constructing identities and in giving explanations on social attitude and behavior. This may be attributed to the fact that individualization, according to sociologist, led to increase in unemployment and insecurity in the work place. As a result there was a move from work place and class identities to individuals viewing live as unstable individual journey. It is then obvious that in place of class and work place identities people started to construct their images around lifestyles and consumption (Hunt 2003). Indeed, consumption has profoundly replaced class as a source of identity. Some communities have continued to use consumption to transform and express their collective identity in order to acquire social membership, that is, they able to claim that they are equal and full members in the society. According to psychological theories of identity, collective identity does refer to self definition as a group with the society. As such, there is a collective self that represent the basic self concept from important group membership. For instance in Western countries, blacks do bear a stigmatized social identity on their body. Therefore, it is very significant for them to show visible signal of high status, so as to counteract racism and reduce the view that black are not interesting, that is, they are unlikely to be beneficial through networking. Indeed, the need to hint worthiness through conspicuous consumption is a powerful tool in declaring their identity. Essentially, the social identity perspectives approach does stress the power of social narratives that mainly focuses on how blacks utilize consumption so as to gain social membership. Consumption has continued to replace class as a source of identity among the young people. As such, consumption is related to development. Miles (2000) asserts that adolescence is a crucial period in the development of identity. Dolby & Rizvi (2008) argues that one of the main features of adolescent experience is inner turmoil and that consumption does offer the young people with ways of dealing with the turmoil. Sociologists argue that the young generation has become a focus of the media attention on the basis of what they mainly consume. For instance music and clothes mark an individual belonging to a certain group. Miles (2000) maintains that identity will always increase in contexts where consumption is part of a group relationship. According to Dolby & Rizvi (2008) young people indeed, have to work to portray that they fit in a particular group especially an older age group in order to gain particular status in the community. Various theories have been put in place to explain the identity of young people consumption. According to the ego identity theory, there is fear in losing identity among the young people and this is overcompensated by identifying with particular cliques and creating clannishness. Indeed, this does fit in with the evidence of how music, style and clothes are used. The theory does explain how identity is developed and instead of adopting the pre-existing identities; consumption does permit the use of objects to project meanings that others are expected to read. The Self categorization theory elaborates the development of national identity. Therefore, it can be a useful tool to assist to understand consumption and young people. The theory maintains that in order to develop a social identity, individuals need to categorize themselves as members of a particular group. The theory could be used to account for the procedure of young people rebel the norms of parents in order to affiliate them with a particular lifestyle. Essentially, it gives an explanation as to how identity rises. However, it is important to note that the rising of identities is a universal process and it is different between individuals and groups. In the positioning theory, it is argued that identities are formed as a result of interaction. According to Rtzer (2011) individuals are not fixed and therefore, are in dynamic society where interaction results to people settling in different positions which are treated as assumptions. It is significant to understand the construction of different identity through consumption as individual position themselves using this mechanism. It is obvious among the young people that consumption identities are created when they interact with different people. The theory maintains that there is a tendency of young people of creating themselves as authentic individuals but still contrast themselves to different individuals in the same group. There is as increased construction of identities through consumption as compared to class-based identity. Status is one of ways that has continued to boost consumption as a source of identity. Indeed, According to Ritzer (2011) status is seen to be maintained through consumption. For instance, among the students, it is observed that students are more concerned about their status relative to their group as they have little or no political or economic power. It is obvious that their status systems are quite different from the teachers and parents as a result of this. It is evident among these peer group that the status is mainly emphasized by dress and a young individual has to confirm to certain dressing code in order to fit in a particular identity group. Therefore, young people lead each other from their branded possessions. The fact that consumption is seen to be a source of class difference and style identities emphasizes the increasing effect of consumption on identity. According to Ritzer (2011) there is evidence of divisions occurring as a result of race, class and gender in the identities that have been created through consumption and style. Inn gender, there is solid evidence that there is creation of differences gender identities that has resulted as a result of differences in consumption. In the religious set up, there is an increase use of consumption norms as a source identity. It is evident that each religion has established a distinct set of consumption customs that have become blueprints for the followers. This has been evidence in the mode of dressing. For instance, Muslim women do wear headscarves in order to cover their hair. In addition, there are distinctive styles of grooming and clothing, necklaces bearing crosses, some households’ decorations and ornaments that mark specific religious holidays. Unlike class based identity which is based on incentives or preferences of individuals, the consumption of these religious items do invite an analysis based on expression, commitment and identity (Co"gel & Lanse 2004). According to Waters (2001) consumption permits people who are at the bottom of a social hierarchy to have a feeling that they do have access to good living. It is important to note that individuals who are strange to each other, accord each other status in accordance to appearance, through consumption. This is more common in the cities where individuals are strangers. Consumption becomes an indicator of achievement. Essentially, consumption has become a major source of identity in the present times. Indeed, people have continued to express their identity through consumption. Previously, class-based identity was a major way of individuals identifying themselves. However, with the increased insecurity in employment, it resulted to people to become insecure and individualistic. This eventually led to individual identifying themselves with what they had. Various groups have continued to identify themselves with what they consume, that is, what they use. The blacks in the Western countries have adapted various ways to compensate for racial effects. Young people have formed peer group in accordance to the mode of dressing and music, for instance. Religious groups have also maintained their identities through consumptions norms. Indeed, one cannot deny but agree to the fact that class as a basic source of identity has been eroded by consumerist and individualistic culture. The sociologists have also continued to argue that consumption is replacing class as the main factor structuring social identities and division. It is important to note that, indeed, consumption will increasingly continue be a key source of identity in the current word as indicated to some extent by globalization References Beder, S 2000, Selling the work ethic: from puritan pulpit to corporate PR. Melbourne: Scribe Co"gel, M & Lanse, M 2004, “Rationality, Integrity, and Religious Behavior,” Journal of Socio- economics forthcoming, 1-23 Dobly, N & Rizvi, F 2008, Youth Moves-Identities and education on global perspectives. New York: Routledge. Hunt, A 2003, The pearl. New York: Thomas Nelson, Inc Miles, S 2000, Youth Lifestyles in a Changing World, , Maidenhead: Open University Press. Ransome, P 2005, Work, consumption and culture. New York : Wiley & Sons, Inc Ritzer, G 2011, The concise encyclopedia of sociology. New York: Wiley & Sons, Inc Waters, M 2001, Globalization. New York: Routledge Woodward, K 2004. Questioning identity: gender, class, and ethnicity. Maidenhead: Open University Press Woodward, K.2000, Questioning identity. New York: Routledge Read More