Category: Consumerism

What Is Consumerism Essay

“What consumerism is, at its worst is getting people to buy things that don’t improve their lives.” -Jeff Bezos. Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts without regard to the problems that it may cause to the environment and our daily lives. Although consumerism offers benefits to corporations, consumers, and the economy, current production methods must improve to protect our natural resources and lifestyles, and to solve the higher debt level problems.

Consumerism gives a lot of advantages to the economy, corporations, and consumers. “Consumer spending accounts for roughly 70 percent of U.S. economic growth — that amount has increased considerably, from 59.5 percent of the economy in 1969 to 68.1 percent of GDP in the third quarter of 2019, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis” (Cohan). Consumerism helps to drive the economic engine of a consumerist society in that it creates jobs for workers and wealth for business owners. The continuous consumption of goods provides many people and industries with jobs and benefits for their businesses. Also, it helps the consumer by providing him with the best service, products, and maybe lower prices. It can help the business owner too, selling more products means getting more money. As well, business owners can raise the price since they feel that consumer confidence is high.

Despite the benefits inherent in consumerism, many production methods are extremely harmful to natural sources and our lifestyles. ‘Rising consumption has helped meet basic needs and create jobs,’ Christopher Flavin, president of World Watch Institute said in a statement to the press. “But as we enter a new century, this unprecedented consumer appetite is undermining the natural systems we all depend on.’ (Mayell). Consumerism is depleting the natural resources of the respective country. The cycle of consumerism ends with throwing the whole waste back into the ecosphere: waste gases into the sky, pollutants into water, and waste chemicals and toxins into the soil. This cycle will lead to global warming, which will eventually result in health problems. The natural habitat is being destroyed to create more goods and build more developments which then affect the weather.

As consumerism affects the environment and natural resources, this is going immediately to lead to an effect on our mental health and happiness. Everyone knows that we live in a world of consumerism. But few people recognize the full meaning of the damage it causes or the effects on each of us. We all know the environmental damage of consuming resources at the current rate. “Throughout the world, 60% more resources are consumed every year than the sustainable rate, driving the pollution and climate change that are documented in ever more distressing detail. Evidence about the effects of consumerism on mental health and wellbeing is also rising, and it makes similarly painful reading.” (Mayell). When it comes to consumerism, it’s unquestionable to society. Buying stuff we like, obviously, an an important role in our lives, but there are a lot of well-being studies that state that when we link our happiness with money and buying stuff this decreases life satisfaction, happiness, and energy, and increases depression, anxiety, and antisocial behavior. It is time to rethink our spending behaviors, rediscover thoughts in our buying, and remind ourselves that happiness is not lined with products in a store.

Despite all these problems caused by consumerism, it also affects the debt problems across the United States and the world. Consumer debt was approaching $ 14 trillion after the second quarter of 2019, according to the New York Federal Reserve. Certainly, consumers’ ability to finance new purchases can help the economy altogether, but this effect has its limits. When credit cardholders suffer too much debt, they end up having less spending ability, which can hurt the economy. Credit card users who carry a balance must also pay interest charges, which can ultimately reduce their ability to make new purchases. Debt can be dangerous for us too. 

Essay on Positive and Negative Effects of Consumerism

“We live in an era of consumerism and it’s all about desire-based consumerism and it has nothing to do with things we need” (Aloe Blacc). Sadly but that’s true, nowadays people spend their money on things that they don’t need. Consumerism is not a problem when people consume what they need based on their budget, consumerism becomes a problem when people consume more than what they need. Positive consumerism is when people buy food or basic needs in contrast negative consumerism is when people spend their money because of trends, or because people want to fit into certain social circles.

Good consumerism is when people buy the daily basic needs. It’s normal to consume, food products, cleaning products, health care products, and education. It is necessary to buy food to be alive and healthy. Buying basic needs is more like an obligation and a responsibility. Consumerism should not be a problem if people spend less than their income.

On the other hand, bad consumerism is when people spend their money on trends such as sneakers, and clothing. People think that they have to wear certain brands to fit into society, but I think that by doing that people are losing their real personality. For example, Douglas Rushkoff wrote that a boy couldn’t figure up what shoe to buy just because he was worried about what people would label him (Which One of These Sneakers Is Me?). That’s bad because people don’t have to be labeled for what they wear but for how they are. It’s sad how people spend a lot of money on famous brands just because they think that wearing famous brands makes them look better.

Consuming more than what you need can be dangerous consumerism because it can lead people to credit card debt. When people are persuaded to buy certain things for example, if a young man or woman is obsessed with Jordan sneakers or Michael Kors clothing or with Gucci they can keep buying and buying things even if they don’t have money for it so they decide to use their credit cards. It is just like people are addicted to buying things just because they like it or because other people have that article. American consumers are carrying a whopping $1.003 trillion in credit card debt. Broken down by the number of households in the country, the average amount for each household is $5,700, which includes households that aren’t carrying credit cards (Irby). Consumerism can be dissatisfying when people can’t pay for what they want.

In conclusion, consumerism can be positive and negative it depends on what and how people consume. Positive consumerism is when people consume what they need. Negative consumerism is when people are in credit card debt when consumerism becomes addictive, and when people think that they have to wear certain brands to fit in society. Hopefully, people can consume positively and stay away from negative consumerism by buying what they need and what they want.

Works Cited

1. Irby, Latoya. The Balance. 4 March 2019. 3 April 2019.
2. Neva Goodwin, Julie A. Nelson, Frank Ackerman, and Thomas Weisskopf. ‘Consumption and the Consumer Society.’ Social and Environmental Issues in Economics (2008): 1-26. document.
3. Rushkoff, Douglas. ‘Which One of These Sneakers Is Me?’ Goshgarian, Gary. The Contemporary Reader. Pearson Education, 2013. 91-95.

Essay about How Does Excessive Consumerism Impact on People

Despite consumerism having a large effect on society, the majority of people do not truly understand the impact it has on our lives. The book Affluenza, written by John de Graff, David Wann, and Thomas Nayor, focuses on the shift in American society caused by an increase in consumerism. Similarly, the article “The Consumer Culture” written by David Masei, points out how a vast amount of purchases is not essential, but are based on wants rather than needs. To avoid overconsumption, customers need to be more aware of their purchases as it can be harmful to several factors. Although there may be benefits to consumerism with more goods and services and creating more employment opportunities, it can also be harmful as it targets adolescents through advertising, affects the environment and resources, and can be toxic to physical and emotional health.

Consumerism is a phenomenon that rapidly increasing and is now part of every aspect of our lives today. According to Affluenza, “We now spend 71 percent of our $15 trillion economy on consumer goods”(de Graff et al. 15). Our society is constantly geared toward consumption making most Americans today materialistic. Oftentimes, shoppers go to the mall with a specific product to buy, yet they end up impulse buying products they do not need. “For a lot of people an SUV is a status symbol,” says car salesman Mike Sullivan. “So they’re willing to pay the thirty-to forty-odd thousand dollars to drive one of these vehicles”(de Graff et al. 20). With an increase in consumption, 70 percent of people use malls weekly than houses of worship. More Americans today have invested in security gates rising to 10 percent. As a result, the growth of consumption has changed our society dramatically.

If it weren’t for consumerism, our economy would fall as consumer spending drives the economy. In the article, “Is Greed Good?” Stephen Schiff says, If money is over, what would be the thing that will save you in the bad times as well as good” (Kirby p. 14)? This allows for many people to have employment and the option to have a variety of goods. “The people who make all of these goods use the money they’re paid to do things like buy a house, send their kids to school, and build their churches,” states Martian Regalia (Masei 13). It is a standard way of living as it promotes competition between companies which gives customers the choice to buy specific products, therefore having businesses lead to success. Having competition between companies can also lead to innovations which can help develop a variety of services. Similarly, the average worker’s wages have grown by around 3 percent.in recent years.

Consumerism is dominating our world as it increases rapidly, ultimately controlling our lives into thinking it is necessary to buy more products. Society is now a growing consumption market. “In 1986, America still had more high schools than shopping centers. Less than twenty years later, in 2005, we had more than twice as many shopping centers (46,438) as high schools (22,180)” (de Graff et al. 15). The idea of seeing products leads to the desire to buy products. Nowadays, Americans are becoming obsessed with materialistic items which results in neglecting little things in life, including spending quality time with their families and in their communities. In the article “The Consumer Culture,” Diana Furchtgott-Roth states, “If someone buys something, they must think that it is necessary or they would not do it.”(Masei p. 37). Americans have the mindset that having material possessions can improve social well-being. Many believe that are not as well-off as those around them, which encourages them to feel the need to make purchases to live up to that standard. America today is obsessed with buying unnecessary products which can be influenced by advertising.

Advertisers can persuade customers to buy products that are not relative to their needs. It can be harmful to children as they are incapable of understanding the difference between commercials from programming. Kathryn C. Montgomery, president of the Center for Media Education, states “Kids are very susceptible to advertising, and advertisers know it.”(Masei p.16). This causes children to ask their parents for items that families simply cannot afford. Advertisements influence our lives daily. With that in mind, it puts a strain on parents who constantly say ‘no’ to their children from wanting a product. Kids need to be educated about the impact of commercialism as they could grow up to become hyper-consumers. In the US, average 12-year-olds spend about 48 hours a week exposed to commercial messages. A total of 70% of parents claimed that advertising to kids is bad for their “values and world view,” according to a recent poll commissioned by the Center for the New American Dream. (Masei p. 46). Adolescents are susceptible to messages in television advertisements. Limiting or banning commercials aimed at children can make sure they are not exposed to consumerism at such a young age. Advertisers spend more than $200 billion per year to get consumers to buy their products (Masei p. 3).

Having an increase in consumption can be hazardous to our environment. Resource stocks fall as waste and pollution accumulate. Flood control, fisheries, and water purification have become less effective and require artificial substitutes. “In 2012, the hottest year on record, damages in the United States from natural disasters like floods on the East Coast, forest fires in the Rockies, and deep drought in Texas came to about $139 billion” (de Graff et al. 77). Oil production is now declining in 54 of the world’s 65 oil producing countries as fertilizer is now on a steadily upward trend. Since 1990, China’s consumption of fertilizer increased 800 percent which can soon be chaotic for farmers. Since the drought, world grain production has fallen behind demand in 2007. This caused exporters to keep prices of domestic food down. Continuing to consume at an increasing rate causes over-extraction of resources. Increased consumption can also create waste and pollution for our planet. Lack of resources can be destructive and lead to further health issues.

Overconsumption is a contributing factor to stress. To afford consumer goods, Americans worked longer hours to receive higher incomes. Parents have found it difficult to manage family responsibilities. According to a PEW survey, mothers who worked the fewest hours felt the happiest. (de Graff et al. 37). Jobs today pay less than they used to, making Americans work more than they did a generation ago. Since the pace of work has increased, this puts stress on individuals making them feel overworked and burned out by their jobs. A 2013 Harris Interactive Poll found that 83 percent of American workers say they are stressed out on the job (de Graff et al. 38). Having more pressure of being overworked can lead to depression. Instead of taking care of mental health, Americans tend to focus more on what they can bring home giving individuals less time to recuperate.

In conclusion, consumerism impacts individuals in both positive and negative ways. Although there may be benefits to consumerism with more goods and services and creating more employment opportunities, it can also be harmful as it targets adolescents through advertising, affects the environment and resources, and can be toxic to physical and emotional health. We are constantly exposed as Americans can either be influenced by consumer culture or be against being materialistic. Society needs to focus more on enjoying what you already have and to enjoy less.

Ethical Consumerism Essay

Mcgregor (2006a) argues that the patterns of consumers are immoral and consumer behavior is unethical due to the negative impact on the next generations and the environment. The very definition of consumption means to consume, waste, squander, or destroy, and is synonymous with environmental destruction, the squandering of natural resources, and human exploitation. However, since the start of the 21st century, individuals have become gradually more interested in ethical, ecological, and social issues. From the consumer point of view, these preoccupations are embedded in the notion of “responsible consumption”. Over-consumption as a result of the media influence is continuously increasing, hurting the environment and society. Simultaneously, individuals become more aware of their purchasing decisions and the impact of their consumption patterns. Ethical consumerism is a practice through ‘positive buying’ where ethical products are favored. Ethical consumerism is growing (Berry and McEachern 2011), however, the complexity of ethical consumerism and gaps in prior studies result in consumers’ actual purchase behaviors regarding ethical products being limited.

The decision to consume or decline a certain good or service expresses the agent’s concern to abide by a certain moral standard (Cho & Krasser, 2011). consumer ethics seeks to describe, understand, and praise or criticize consumers for their behavior as ethical or non-ethical. Consumer ethical behavior can be expressed in one of the following forms:

• Positive buying: favoring ethical products and businesses that operate on beliefs based primarily on benefits for the greater good rather than self-interest.

There are 2 dimensions of positive buying :

• • Some forms of ethical buying benefit the natural environment, examples being environmentally friendly products, animal well being
  • While others benefit people, examples being products free from child labor and fairly traded goods
  • Moral Boycotts buying: boycotting unethical organizations that have negative

Describing an eEthicalConsumer

Webster’s Online Dictionary Describes an “ethical” consumer as an individual who is likely to “conform to acceptable standards of social or professional behavior”. Ethical consumers traditionally are concerned with “the people” element of consumerism (Strong, 1996), following Harrison et al. (2005) note that such types of consumers 2care whether a corporation promotes employees from minority ethnicities, plan their consumption to avoid harm to other animals, worry about product transportation distances and probably a plethora of other concerns”. According to Harper and Makatouni (2002, p289) being an ethical consumer means “buying products which are not harmful to the environment and society. This can be as simple as buying free range eggs or as complex as boycotting goods produced by child labor”

Sociodemographics of ethical consumer

There are a lot of studies researching the effects of socio-demographic factors, however, studies are not conclusive (e.g. Swaidan et al., 2006). For example, Muncy and Vitell (1992) have found that the individuals with the strongest ethical concerns appear to be older individuals with lower levels of both education and income. Several studies have argued that females are more concerned with ethical issues than males. Rawwas (1996) has also argued that females tend to be more ethical than males when evaluating questionable consumer practices. For example, most females have previously bought Fair Trade products (see e.g. BLEND and VAN RAVENSMAAY 1999; LOUREIRO and LOTADE 2005; TALLONTIRE et al. 2001). In a similar vein, Lu and Lu (2010) revealed that females tend to be somewhat more ethical than males. In contrast, Swaidan et al (2006) argued that gender is not a significant determinant of any questionable consumer behavior. ROBERTS (1996), CARRIGAN and ATTALA (2001), and TALLONTIRE et al. (2001, p. 5ff.) describe the ethical consumer as a person of 30 years and older, educated above average, and well-informed with relatively high income. Whereas more recently, De Pelsmacker (2005)] and Langen (2013) found demographic factors to be unrelated to consumers’ ethical purchasing behavior. This is one of the reasons why several authors stress that rather than socio-demographic variables, psychological variables such as values, attitudes, beliefs, and norms as well as altruistic behavior influence consumers’ choice in the direction of ethical concerns (see e.g. CHATZIDAKIS et al. 2007; FRAJ and MARTINEZ 2007; GRANKVIST et al. 2007; LUSK et al.

History of Ethical Consumerism ( shift from business to consumer )

The focus on the social responsibility of corporations has a relatively long history. Purposeful research on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concept originated more than 60 years ago in the United States. The social responsibility of (private) consumers has, by contrast, received less attention from business ethicists and other scholars, even though arguments in favor of that subject have a similarly long history: Hartley Withers, the editor of The Economist at the beginning of the twentieth century, already spoke out in favor of ‘‘the consumer’s responsibility’’ almost a century ago (Withers 1920). As Steve Tammelleo and Louis Lombardi have recently observed: Unfortunately, discussions of ethics in economic activities have focused almost entirely on the responsibilities of businesses … Those on the other side of the transaction are often viewed primarily as beings acted on (Tammelleo and Lombardi 2014) However, there slowly seems to be an increasing awareness of consumer ethics in general and consumer social responsibility (ConSR) in particular.2 It is important to note that early work on ConSR has focused almost exclusively on aspects of environmental or ecological sustainability and policy implications (e.g., Antil 1984; Fisk 1973). These are unquestionably important perspectives, but we can also observe that the power of consumers to sanction, positively influence, and eventually change morally questionable practices seems to be larger than ever before (see also Schmidt 2016, p. 19). This concerns more of the social and economic aspects rather than just the environmental dimension of sustainability.

Defining the ethical consumer: green consumer and ethical consumer

Multiple authors (Smith, 190; Strong, 1996, Shaw & Shiu, 2002; Uusitalo & okssannen, 2004) considered the ethical consumer as an evolution of the green consumer. The green consumer has been researched mainly from 1the 970’s. The green (Balderjahn, 1988, Peattie  1998), environmentally conscious (Kinnear et al. 1974), or ecologically concerned ( Neilssen & Scheepers, 1992) consumers are defined as individuals that demonstrate an interest in the environment both by their general attitude to environmental protection and conservation as well as their pre disposing  ofpurchasing bbehavior Kinnear et al., 1974; Kardash (1974 and Rolston and Di Bernetto (1994) describe the latter (predisposing purchasing bbehavior in a simpler way as the discrimination in ffavorof an environmentally superior product Hendarwan (2002, p16) defines green consumerism as that which involves “beliefs and values aimed at supporting greater good that motivates consumers’ purchases’. Elkington and Hailes (1989) eelaboratethat a green consumer avoids products that might “endanger the health of the consumers or others; cause significant damage to the environment during manufacture, use or disposal; consume a disproportionate amount of energy; cause unnecessary waste; use materials derived from threatening species or environments; involve unnecessary use or cruelty to animals or adversely effect other countries”.

Cherrier (2007) questions the concept of ethicalconsumerss as “rational choosers”, emphasizing that they perceive ethical consumers as people “who coalesce their multiple identities into the united and desired ethical identity by choosing when and how to participate in ethical practices” (2007:323). She claims that ethical consumption experience goes far beyond the marketplace and this experience is more social than individual. Therefore, she argues that the consumer‟’s degree of ethical involvement depends not only on self-identity but also on their relations with others and overall social context. In this research, I partly agree with Cherrier‟ ‘s perspective and will consider her point on ethical consumption as being more of a social practice, than individual practice and its impact on one‟s identity. At the dawn of the 21st century, citizens have become increasingly interested in ethical, social, and ecological issues. From the consumer standpoint, these preoccupations are reflected in the notion of “responsible consumption . From the consumer standpoint, these preoccupations are reflected in the notion of “responsible consumption.

The distinction between green consumer and ethical consumer is important because ethical concern encompasses a broader range of issues and therefore a more complex decision-making process for consumers (Shaw and Shiu,2002)

The role of information in ethical consumerism

It is rather easy to assert that to be capable of engaging in ethical consumerism, consumers need to be well-informed, meaning they need to possess all the information that is relevant to their consumption decisions. According to Hannah Berry and Morven McEachern (2005), such information involves ‘background data’ (i.e., for example, information about the general problems of climate change) as well as specific ‘product data’ (e.g., details about the country of origin, the supply chain, the materials processed, labels, and certifications) (Berry and McEachern 2005, p. 70). First, due to information asymmetries in markets, consumers do not possess complete information regarding a product or service and the consequences of using this particular product or service concerning others or the environment. Evolution of information and communication technology, and especially the Internet as a platform for stakeholders to exchange information, information is available much quicker, more transparent, and in a much wider spectrum, thus, indirectly contributing to the reduction of information asymmetry. The difficulty with information overload is to find relevant information. Consequently, and concerning Berry and McEachern (2005), it can be stated that ‘‘there is not a lack of information on ethical issues, but that its quality and complexity may be of concern in some areas’’ (Berry and McEachern In this respect, several authors, including Kristina Nolte (2005) and Lilian Weng (2014), argue concerning Simon’s (1971) seminal paper that the attention of individuals could be regarded as a scarce resource (see also Weng et al. 2012, on a related note). In Simon’s (1971) words “In an information-rich world, the wealth of information means a dearth of something else: a scarcity deceptions and greenwashing consumers might develop a fundamental distrust concerning the credibility of corporate information and their CSR efforts in general Bernett et al (2005)assumes that if the consumers have the requisite knowledge the product that is produced to the detriment of distant others ( whether humans or non-humans) would be replaced by a product which is produced more ethically. The consumer’s failure to choose what is ethical is presumably stymied by a knowledge gap.

Consumerism Sociology Essay

Consumer culture can be defined as where social status, values, and activities are centered on the consumption of goods and services, basically in a consumer culture a large part of what you do, what you value, and how you are defined revolves around your consumption of stuff. The need to consume is implemented into our brains from a very young age, therefore this becomes socially acceptable to consume because it is seen to be social to follow the rules of society, e.g we buy our water from the supermarket instead of drinking water from the tap (Grimsley,1970). This essay will specifically argue that society is highly driven by consumerism because in everyday life people are bombarded with advertisements that encourage people to consume the latest object and people do this to be able to gain a certain status, there is a variety of issues as why society is driven by consumerism but that is the main reason people want to have the newest objects to be able to show off and say they have them when in reality they don’t need to have the object. This essay is split into four parts. The first part will examine how consumption is displayed in everyday life and where it stemmed from, it will also look into Veblen’s theory of wealth, status, display, and emulation and the fact that within society it is seen to be crucial to be doing better than someone else the need to own something better than someone else. The second part will focus on the work of Max Weber how he argued that it was religion that powered social change, and how Karl Marx explains commodity fetishism. The third part is Marx’s theory of class conflict, Marx argues that the bourgeoisie oppresses the proletariat in every way possible. It then goes on to talk about the London riots in 2011 how the need to consume created these riots and what extent people would go to. The final part of the essay will look at globalization and how the process of cultural globalization happens through the distribution of media coverage. Zygmunt Bauman’s view on postmodernism and liquid modernity is also explained in the final paragraph he argues that we are stuck in a work where the poor experience instability in life while the rich experience it in a better way.

The consumption of goods and services is so greatly embedded into our everyday lifestyle, that it is rarely questioned as it is seen to be so normal so why would anyone question it, not only have the environmental consequences and social consequences gotten lost along the way, but also the very notion that consumption is a choice and that our basic needs are met. Consumption in a symbolic meaning is not necessary and is a choice itself (Thomson, 2016). The sociology of consumption is about a lot more than the actual purchase or act it includes a variety of emotions, behaviors, identities, values, and thoughts. This is seen to be portrayed throughout how we use goods and services. When attempting to define the relationship of ‘consumption’ and ‘consumerism’ it is deemed to be done with great difficulty. Consumerism is not coterminous with consumption. Campbell (1995) argues that consumption is defined as ‘the selection, purchase, use, maintenance, repair, and disposal of any product or service. Within sociology historically the theory of consumption has incorporated what is described as ‘macro-structural’ issues, in recent times it has been more concerned with ‘macro-cultural’ issues. The significance of consumption stems from a structural point of view in terms of the experience of whole classes or even societies. More recently sociologists have moved away from perceiving that consumption as little more than a by-product of production as part of a move towards understanding the various cultural aspects of consumption Steven Miles, (1998).

Thorstein Veblen, (1899) theory of leisure class is one of the most significant classical contributions to a sociological understanding of consumption. Veblen (1899) Veblen examines the demand and consumption of the upper classes of society in terms that are not the traditional economic terms, and he does this without the use of data. He begins by looking at how the leisure class came into existence. Veblen begins with a primitive society in which there are no class distinctions or forms of ownership. When the institution of ownership begins, with women seized by victors, then class distinction begins. This barbarian society has different characteristics than the primitive society does, and this is where the basis of the leisure class is found. To examine consumption Veblen looks at the leisure habits of the leisure class within their lifestyle, he examines not only their characteristics but also their activities, manner of dress, religions, and pursuit of activities of higher learning. He views the activities and spending habits of this leisure class in terms of conspicuous and vicarious consumption and waste. Both were related to the display and not to functionality or usefulness. They avoid employment that may be productive since this is not seen as an honorable activity within society. (Steven Miles, 1998). Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption argues that individuals within society emulate the patterns of consumption of individuals of a higher hierarchy than them. Veblen used four words to describe consumption which are, wealth, status, display, and emulation. For example, wealth is excessive consumption, status is purchasing the finest things in life, the display is then showing it off and emulation is copying something for example a person throws a birthday party and then another person in the society wants to do it bigger and better than the last one to show they have a bigger status than the other person. There are a variety of contemporary examples of Veblen’s theory such as how easy it is to attain items within society no matter your status or class, for example being able to use credit cards nowadays and how easy they are to get which shows a false portrayal of a wealthy status and also finance on expensive cars to try and give off the impression as though the individual has a lot of money when in fact they are in a lot of debt just to say they own the car (Chen, 2018).

Max Weber published his highly influential work The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism in 1904. The focus of Weber’s study was that religion was the engine of social change. Weber argued that the values of the Protestant religion led to the emergence of capitalism in Western Europe around the 17th century. Weber theorized that the different value systems had very different effects, the values of Protestantism encouraged the ways of acting which then resulted in capitalism emerging over decades (Karl Thompson,2017). Weber didn’t believe that people within society are what shape our society, Weber argued that societies enforce certain different types of motive action for example the religion of Calvinism encouraged people to save money, which eventually led to capitalism. Weber believes that there are four types of social actions, ideal types are used as a tool to look at real cases and compare them to the ideal types to see where they fall.

The first social action is traditional social action which is actions controlled by traditions, which means “the way something has always been done”. The second social action is affective social action which are actions deemed by someone’s affections and emotional state and someone who does not think about the consequences of their actions. The third social action is value rational social action which are actions that are determined by a conscious belief within a type of behavior, for example, religion. The fourth social action is instrumental rational social action which are actions that are used to create a certain goal by doing something to create a result. A critique of Weber would be that he focused too much on society shaping the individual, symbolic interactionism argues that individuals have more freedom to shape their identities. Karl Thompson,(2017).

According Karl Marx (1867), Marx borrows this concept to make sense of what he terms ‘commodity fetishism.’ As Marx explains, the commodity remains simple as long as it is tied to its use-value. People within a capitalist society treat commodities as though they just appear in an object, not the effort a laborer may have put into the object to produce the result. Marx saw the worker’s relationship to the means of production and the commodity as a key influence on that person’s life, the actual reception and consumption of that commodity has become substantially a lot more influential. Marx argues that all aspects of social life become subject to the laws of the marketplace. An example of commodity fetishism could be the brand Nike, the company is very big on advertising and promoting the company by using celebrities to promote the brand. An example of a celebrity promoting Nike would be the 2014 advertisement starring famous football player Cristiano Renaldo showing off Nike clothing. These adverts draw in consumers as well as increase commodity fetishism. (Jackie Wilkcom,2014).

Marx’s theory of class conflict is included within the capitalist society, the division of the two classes, each class has a bond of mutual interests and a degree of property ownership, often supported by the state. The bourgeoisie represents the members of society who hold the majority of the wealth and means. The proletariat includes those considered working class or poor. Due to the rise of capitalism, Marx argued that the Bourgeoisie was a minority within the population and they would use their influence to oppress the proletariat which was the majority class. Marx argued that laborers have very little control over the economic system because they don’t own factories or materials, their work becomes devalued over time. This then creates an imbalance between business owners and workers, which then leads to social conflicts. Marx argued that these problems would eventually be fixed through a social economic revolution (Fulcher & Scott, 2011).

In Bauman’s theory of the failed consumer, if the definition of normality in a producer society was to be the worker then the definition of abnormality was to be the unemployed, then you become the none person, the outsider. To be a failed worker didn’t mean it was the end of the road for the individual, the economic cycle and periodic wars meant that society had some reason to invest in you. The need to keep you fit and healthy to then be ready for work or war if it occurred. Furthermore, the failed workers were a class, they lived in the same communities and had a sense of shared class solidarity. In today’s modern-day life, the failed consumer faces a much more hostile, humiliating life. Society does not need the failed consumers they can’t spend so they have no value now or in the future (Kalleberg & Biggs, 2015). A failed consumer nowadays is known as having a miserable existence because their daily life experience is subjected to being trapped, to be told that designer goods are the hallmarks of success, but then to be told you can’t have them. The failed consumer then has to realize not being able to escape the fact of never being allowed into that cycle. They are permanent window shoppers who can look but can never touch or own. The London riots in 2011 gave the failed consumers a chance to escape the trappings of being stuck and not being able to consume, it gave them the chance to take stuff that defined them. It was the chance to have the items for free and just for a moment be like everyone else. Bauman wrote on the pages of the Social Europe Journal after the looting and burning “ These are not hunger or bread riots. These are riots of defective and disqualified consumers”. In a consumer society, the site of the process was the shops, which symbolize where economic and cultural power lies and will be the target of the failed consumers. The sciences of the riots resembled the well-known game Grand Theft Auto. The aftermath of the London riots created a brief fundamental debate about politics and exposed the differences between the left and right-wing. The right-wing argues that “the British welfare state has created an underclass. The looting is not an indication of economic despair”. They went on “Their problem is not that they have been given too little, but they have deserved nothing”. The issue, the problem was purely that of personal moral responsibility. The left-wing argued that it was fundamentally about poverty and equality (Lawson,2016).

Globalization has created the ability to purchase life-changing goods for consumers, it has provided many different consumption alternatives at reasonable prices. Globalization has created many changes within societies and cultures across the whole world (Kumar & Kalai Raji, n.d.). The process of cultural globalization happens through the distribution and consumption of the media, consumer goods, and the Western consumer lifestyle. It is also fuelled by social media and media coverage of the world elite and their lifestyles, the movement of people from the global north around the world via business and leisure travel, and the expectations of these travelers that host societies will provide amenities and experiences that reflect their cultural norms. (Nicki Lisa Cole, 2017). It is very easy in this day and age to go to any major city in the world and share in a similar ‘consumption experience’. People from countries such as Asia and South America are reaching the point of enjoying high-consumption lifestyles within the West, an example of this could be car ownership and tourism which are both on the rise globally. In the same aspect is the growth of similar styles of shopping malls, and leisure parks which provide homogeneous cultural experiences within different regions across the world. Ulrich Beck (1992) argued that there is a distinct feature of globalization which is the development of a global risk consciousness, which stems from the shared global problems that threaten people in multiple countries, an example that could be used is the threat of terrorism and the rise of organized crime which is predominantly through international drug trafficking. (Karl Thompson, 2017)

Postmodernism is a broad movement that occurred in the 20th century, the ideas associated with it can be seen in response to the various social changes occurring with the shift from modernity to postmodernity. Zygmunt Bauman accepts that the modern project that came from the European enlightenment of rationally shaping society no longer makes sense. Bauman has increasingly moved away from the term ‘postmodernism’ which he argued that had become corrupt by too much diverse usage and now describes this day and age as ‘liquid modernity’, reflecting the fact no matter how many times stability and order have been tried to be put into the world and has created uncertainty while doing so. Bauman argues that it is capitalism that has produced the postmodernist world we live in and that predominantly it is the poor that experience instability in life while the rich experience it in a better way, Bauman argued that if we want a better world to live in it is up to us as individuals to figure out a way of being more in control of what kind of world we live in rather than just accepting our fate as consumers. (Zygmunt Bauman,2013).

In conclusion, it is fair to say that consumerism and happiness show a clear link, it is clear to say that happiness is a relative term for different people. Nowadays it is seen to be that owning nice new shiny objects has become part of such everyday life. Throughout this essay, the extent of consumerism has been discussed through different theories such as Veblen’s theory of leisure class in 1899, Max Weber’s work of The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism in 1904, Karl Marx theory of class conflict, Bauman’s theory of the failed consumer, Beck’s theory of globalization 1992, and Bauman’s theory of liquid modernity. The need to consume in everyday life has grown massively due to how the media or social media portray the need to consume and how important it is to own a variety of luxuries to gain a certain status.

Reference list

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Essay about Techno Consumerism

We live in a ‘throwaway society,’ which is a term used to characterize a society driven by materialism. What strategies can be used to address the problem of our ‘throwaway society’?

The throw-away society is a generalized description of a human social concept strongly influenced by consumerism, whereby the society tends to use items once only, from disposable packaging, and consumer products are not designed for reuse or lifetime use.

Politicians in less economically developed countries are under pressure to establish and maintain a stable and expanding economy for the country to increase its wealth sustainably, according to the political elements and issues of throwaway society. To do this, citizens and tourists must purchase goods for money to flow into the system; consequently, these politicians must support consumerism to complete their work successfully. Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley, co-leaders of the Green Party, signed the Manchester Declaration, which calls for customers to have the ‘right to repair.’ Other politicians who have signed the declaration include Labour MP Fleur Anderson, Conservative MP Robert Goodwill, and former Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable. As customers, we should have the right to goods that are built to last and designed to be repairable if something breaks. There is no technical reason why this should not be the case; it is businesses aiming to maximize profits to increase sales that are exploiting people and destroying the environment. Political leaders such as Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley are utilizing their political influence at the municipal, national, and European levels to push for a circular economy and the right to repair. The development of products that will fail or become less desirable over time is known as planned obsolescence, and it encourages consumers to throw away their old products and replace them with new ones. It encourages consumers to buy more and saves businesses money by reducing the need to invest in higher-quality products. Technology or car firms producing new products each year with only minimal changes are examples of planned obsolescence. Consumers or the environment do not profit from planned obsolescence. It simply improves the profitability of corporations and businesses.

Consumerism is the idea that increasing the consumption of goods and services purchased in the market is always a desirable goal and that a person’s well-being and happiness depend fundamentally on obtaining consumer goods and material possessions. Consumerism helps economic growth by persuading people to buy more products they think they want through various forms of advertising, which affects the majority of people, resulting in more money being spent, which means more money is put back into circulation, resulting in economic growth for both the country and the business. However, the way our economy consumes resources is not sustainable. A ‘linear’ approach – where materials are extracted, made into a product, used, and discarded – wastes valuable resources and damages the environment. Furthermore, increasing levels of consumption in developing countries will put further pressure on the prices of materials and, as a result, company and consumer costs. It makes environmental and economic sense to take a ‘circular’ approach to reusing resources and maximizing their value over time, and there are potentially billions of pounds in benefits for businesses across the economy by becoming more efficient.

Consumerism has the greatest impact on society because it is to people within it that products are advertised; in fact, people are the real product being persuaded for their money. Due to various reasons such as fast food, clothing, holidays, vehicles, and technology, the money output of society has increased since the implementation of consumerism. However, with more money being put back into the country, the more money there is for technological research resulting in a higher demand for new technology being implemented into everyday life.

The environmental factor of consumerism is that as technology advances, the physical environment will change. For example, new construction methods will be developed, resulting in new building structures. Then there’s the social environment, which will alter as people become more habituated to consumerism in the future years and will continue to do so until a social intervention.

How ‘The Great Gatsby’ Criticize Consumerism and the American Dream Essay

Introduction

Fitzgerald explicitly explores the desolation and despair of the hedonistic Jazz Age in the tragedy The Great Gatsby through society’s plunge into moral decay. The widespread corruption of the essential foundations of the American Dream, usurped by excessive materialism and consumerism, is at the heart of the novel as success becomes synonymous with immorality. The Great Gatsby details the catastrophic downfall of the once social and generous gentleman – Jay Gatsby, due to his inability to control his monstrous excess to attain his perverted version of the American Dream. Through exploring how the American dream is unachievable by some people like Nick Carraway, the separation of the people in the valley of ashes from the American dream, and Gatsby’s relentless pursuit to reinvent the past, Fitzgerald explicitly accentuates those who are obsessed with hedonism are destined to die alone and unfulfilled, desolate and despondent.

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The Valley of Ashes symbolizes a demoralized hopelessness and the death of dreams covered in the waste of capitalism. It is a poverty-stricken area where people like George Wilson work hard but never get ahead enough to pursue their dreams. Their dreams have been quashed by the bleak reality of their situation and lay dormant under the ash and grime that covers everything in their midst. This is revealed through the use of a metaphor where Nick Carraway claims: “Move dimly and already crumbling through the powdery air”. Their situation is made worse by the wealthy people who pass through ignore them and treat them with disrespect. The demoralized society is further portrayed through the surrounding setting of the Valley where Nick Carraway claims the valley as a: ‘farm where ashes grow like wheat into ridges and hills and grotesque gardens where ashes take the forms of houses and chimneys and rising smoke.’ The use of a polysyndeton symbolizes that the American Dream is shattered in the Valley of Ashes. It also reveals that such a desolate place does not exist by mistake. Rather, it was created by the wealthy populations surrounding it and those who pursue materialistic goals. Furthermore, the aspiration of the American Dream is furthered exemplified in chapter 2 when Myrtle decides to choose the most expensive taxi. Through the use of visual imagery, Nick claims: ‘Upstairs, in the solemn echoing drive she let four taxicabs drive away before she selected a new one.’ Myrtle’s desire to flee her ‘stultified and anemic’ husband exemplifies the seduction of the American Dream. However, Nick mocks her failure as a society hostess with the adverb of her moving “haughtily” inside the apartment. There is a tragic consequence to her murder by Daisy, and her destroyed body is described in the graphic, visceral image of “her life violently extinguished…her left breast swinging loose like a flap” highlighting that she could not escape the wretchedness of The Valley of Ashes despite her energetic determination and inherent vivacity. Through examining the desolation of the Valley of Ashes, it is clear Fitzgerald is implying the inaccessibility of the corrupted American Dream to individuals like George Wilson.

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The American dream which is obtainable by some but not all, is a fallacy in terms of leading a morally upright existence where there is a sense of opportunity for prosperity and success. This is perceived through the unscrupulous and decadent behavior of those attending Gatsby’s extravagant parties, which became a weekend playhouse for the lost generation. The desolation and disparity can be foreshadowed in chapter 1 through the usage of a motif where Nick Carraway claims: ‘There was music from my neighbor’s house…The Party had begun.’ The party symbolizes the conspicuous consumerism and the decadence of the affluent people in the 1920s. The extravagant parties in The Great Gatsby represent superficiality, due to Gatsby’s extensive efforts to impress his guests. However, Gatsby’s ostentatious display has not bought him the status he desires but has instead made him an outsider. Hundreds come to his lavishly catered parties to enjoy manifesting in ‘no thin five-piece (orchestra) but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos and low and high drums’, Fitzgerald’s polysyndeton reinforcing the sheer excess of the 1920s. These same hoards, which include opportunistic European aristocrats and corrupt politicians, also see Gatsby’s guests conduct ‘themselves according to the rules of behavior associated with amusement parks’ connotating Gatsby’s lack of social elevation through the desolation and disparity that he experiences. However, the fallacious nature of Gatsby’s party is further revealed through the arrival of the party’s food catering where ‘every Monday these same oranges and lemons left his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves.’ The oranges act as a metaphor for moral emptiness and spiritual destitution, implying that they are all carefree and careless. It temporarily covers the void with their hedonistic pursuits, but it eventually becomes empty and hollow. The futility of the American Dream is further analyzed through the use of a tragic simile of Gatsby “running down like an overwound clock”. The interplay of the motif of confusion and destruction represented by clocks and cars emphasizes that Gatsby’s despair is borne from his subversion of the intrinsic ideals of the American Dream, ultimately negating any potential he may have had for greatness. Thus, the empty promises of prosperity are foreshadowed by America’s spiritual impoverishment, reducing the society to the graveyard of desolation and disparity.

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Fitzgerald effectively utilizes the tragedy of Jay Gatsby and the emptiness of Daisy Buchanan to illustrate the idea that the pursuit of the American Dream is a Sisyphean task where individuals are tethered to their past and history. Narrator Nick portrays Gatsby as a deeply flawed, dishonest, and vulgar individual, whose extraordinary optimism and power are unable to transform his dreams into reality. Drawing from the rampant influence of materialism and economic prosperity of the Jazz Era, Fitzgerald embeds the recurring motif of a “green light”, with its green color symbolizing money, wealth, and the ultimate American Dream. The high modality in “anything can happen now… even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder” initiates an optimistic perspective of the American Dream where individuals from any background can build a fortune for themselves, including Gatsby who climbed the socioeconomic hierarchy. However, Nick Carraway praises Gatsby as “a son of God,” using the biblical allusion to celebrate Gatsby’s power to recreate his own identity from poverty to fortune through his relentless pursuit of wealth. Furthermore, Fitzgerald dispels the promise of the American Dream by posing its “green light” as “minute and far away,” metaphorically positioning it beyond Gatsby’s reach to highlight the futility of his moral sacrifices and the unattainable reality of the American ideal. The Novel further disillusions the audience from the opulent vision of the American Dream by exposing the amorality of the wealthy. Through casting Tom and Daisy, the synecdoche of “old money”, as “careless people ” who “smash up things… and let other people clean up the mess they had made”, reveals that a materialistic lifestyle can render one as cynical, sardonic and morally empty. Gatsby’s failure to breach this divide is fully realized in the novel’s climax when Tom sardonically denies that: ‘I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to your wife.’ The extended metaphor reveals Tom’s affirmation that Gatsby will never be able to be a part of their old moneyed world and that Gatsby will never be able to reach the ‘cheerful red-and-white Georgian Colonial mansion, overlooking the bay.’ Through exploring Gatsby’s relationship with Daisy, Fitzgerald asserts that the illusion of the American Dream cannot be achieved by all due to the insurmountable divide between classes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, The Great Gatsby explicitly reveals the desolate and despondent American Dream through the society’s plunge into moral decay. By exploring Gatsby’s tragic ending, the most significant statement Fitzgerald addresses is the devastation caused by pursuing what cannot be a reality. However, The Great Gatsby reminds the readers that rather than reaching for materialism, an individual should focus on more important things such as relationships, that will bring true happiness.