Consumerism

Forums: Philosophy, Philosophy Of Politics
Email this Topic • Print this Page

For me, and for some, and for others, Consumerism strains on both resources and social aptitude. I will clarify this most weird of ideas:

Consumerism means that both resources and skills are desired - we need skilled workers to fulfill the potential of resources; so there is a great demand for people to work hard towards achieving their potential. I find a fault in people neglecting family and friends due to being embroiled in the (so called) 'Rat Race' (a journey to individual fiscal satisfaction and 'consumerables satiation').

Is there any thought on "family values" or social aptitude with regards to Consumerism as a dominant ideology?

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,607 • Replies: 22

No top replies

@Doobah47,

The consumer society your talking about, especially in the U.S., is not a natural development of ambition or capitalism. It is product of keynesianism, socialism, fiat currency etc. For decades the prevailing doctrine of governments, which have usurped the power to manage economies, is that permanent prosperity can be achieved, and temporary recessions always avoided, by constant stimulation of demand: i.e. consumption. The inflationairy world economic system cannot survive without constant expansion: i.e. perpetually increasing consumption.

1 Reply

@BrightNoon,

NOT the economy in this context. I doubt that money has anything to do with social aptitude without the demands of class hierarchy.

1 Reply

@Doobah47,

Popular attitudes are mostly reactive. Most peopl do not sit down and philosphize about the virtues of the consumer society or the ultimate meaning of ambition in a free society. Rather, they are acting in response to their environment. If a strong government provides endless encouragement to consumption, the people will in short order become consumers. To take just one very concrete example, the monetary system is by design constantly inflationairy, discouraging savers in order to stimulate demand for goods. If you are a person living under this system, you have every reason to spend most of your paycheck, because if you save it, you rapidly lose alot of purcasing power. Most people might not understand this dynamic, but they see the pathetic rates of interest offered by their local banks and know that its a bad deal, so they spend. Ergo, consumer society.

0 Replies

@Doobah47,

The Theory of the Leisure Class - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 Reply

@Mr Fight the Power,

Nice to see somebody got there first.

0 Replies

@Doobah47,

Doobah47 wrote:

... I find a fault in people neglecting family and friends due to being embroiled in the (so called) 'Rat Race' (a journey to individual fiscal satisfaction and 'consumerables satiation').

Is there any thought on "family values" or social aptitude with regards to Consumerism as a dominant ideology?

I don't think so, not directly.

But this sentiment you're talking about does place a high value on the family; yet it seems to do so through making money (kind of a "Love your Family by providing Cash!"-mindset).

As far as the 'neglect'-aspect is concerned: While we frenzy about in the rat race "... working jobs we hate to buy [crap] we don't need", and in so doing fail to nurture or maintain our relationships, this is one of the core concepts in an awesome book I read not too long ago (the review is here). It's an important phenomena; and very pertinent to our current lifestyle.

BrightNoon wrote:

Popular attitudes are mostly reactive. Most peopl do not sit down and philosphize about the virtues of the consumer society or the ultimate meaning of ambition in a free society. Rather, they are acting in response to their environment. If a strong government provides endless encouragement to consumption, the people will in short order become consumers. To take just one very concrete example, the monetary system is by design constantly inflationairy, discouraging savers in order to stimulate demand for goods. If you are a person living under this system, you have every reason to spend most of your paycheck, because if you save it, you rapidly lose alot of purcasing power. Most people might not understand this dynamic, but they see the pathetic rates of interest offered by their local banks and know that its a bad deal, so they spend. Ergo, consumer society.

Well said.

Buy Buy Buy! An entire set of interacting economic systems whose momentum is constant, ravenous consumption. Ugh

I saw a History Channel special the other day on the Assembly Line and how it, by producing much more - much more quickly, has played such a key role in industrialization (and through the increase in production rates; mass consumption).

I can't help but wonder how long we can keep this up. I'll readily own up to the fact that overall standard of living increases are had through mass production. But... wow

Thanks

1 Reply

@Khethil,

Dostoevsky wrote:

"... the causes of human actions are usually immeasurably more complex and varied than our subsequent examinations of them." - Dostoevsky

Social aptitude, when measured via financially based associations (trade/social class) tends to be inhibited by the ability or inability to provide a [/I]platform of objects (such as raw material/food/information), as opposed to if it were solely based on inter-personal attraction (physical or otherwise).

What does people think of that? Any thoughts?

1 Reply

@Doobah47,

Consumerism isn't a byproduct of capitalism, or Keynesian economics or any of that: consumerism is a byproduct of people having a certain amount of disposable income and social conditions which promote the use of said income in a way we call "consumerist".

We have more money than we need, and our society promotes spending that excess on stuff we do not need. Now, the social conditions promoting excess spending on needless stuff is the result of our economic model, specifically the corporate model; this is due to the nature and pervasiveness of corporate advertising.

0 Replies

@Doobah47,

I think consumerism is more the byproduct of the assembly line, but was pushed into mass society by the end of World War II. With the assembly line things can be replicated with ease, and after the war, the massive build up of manufacturing capabilities in the country either had to slow or shift focus. Also, the role of the television and advertising cannot be discounted in the rise of the mass consumer culture.

Disposable income comes into play, but in past eras, people with disposable income spent it on monuments, churches, schools, fine arts, or invested it back into the homestead than on tangible consumer goods.

1 Reply

@Theaetetus,

The assembly line certainly helps to facilitate mass consumerism. But consider: consumerism is not entirely modern; the old Versailles lifestyle seems to have had, at least for some involved, consumerist tendencies. For mass consumerism, yeah, the assembly line is crucial.
Consumerism was a part of mass society, especially in the US, prior to WW2, though the aftermath of the war increased the consumerist tendencies of Americans and certainly contributed to the spread of consumerism worldwide. At least that's how I understand the history.

It's important that you mention advertising: this is one of the social conditions I had in mind. And advertising, the extent and nature thereof (employing psychology to push consumerism), is a byproduct of the corporate model. How many times have corporations invented a demand for products?

You are also right, I think, about disposable income. That's one reason why I have... disagreements with consumer culture.

0 Replies

@Doobah47,

Consumerism is one of my favorite historical studies. With wonderful figures like Edward Bernays, and the whole industry he created by mixing his uncle Sigmund Freud's work with psychoanalysis and marketing, the mass consumer culture became a reality. How did eggs and bacon become an All-American breakfast? Edward Bernays telling doctors that it was so. With that theoretical basis, modern consumerism was born.

I do agree though that there was a minority population that was obsessed with the consumer culture before it reached the masses, but until the aftermath of WWII it was far from a mass movement. World War II pretty much took out all imperial powers leaving the U.S. to dominate in trade and influence.

0 Replies

@Doobah47,

Doobah47 wrote:

For me, and for some, and for others, Consumerism strains on both resources and social aptitude. I will clarify this most weird of ideas:

Consumerism means that both resources and skills are desired - we need skilled workers to fulfill the potential of resources; so there is a great demand for people to work hard towards achieving their potential. I find a fault in people neglecting family and friends due to being embroiled in the (so called) 'Rat Race' (a journey to individual fiscal satisfaction and 'consumerables satiation').

Is there any thought on "family values" or social aptitude with regards to Consumerism as a dominant ideology?

I like where your taking this. It seems hard these days in America to trigger mass reflection. The comforts are becoming more insatiable in my opinion. Yet at the same time, More Service is needed for this. Excluding the current economic shifting, where is the structure for this changing system?

I think consumerism is only as bad and good as the structure it adheres to. That structure seems to be heading to heavy government regulation and influence. Although i think the case is actually reversed. Money is control. The large corporations no doubt have influence on not only the direction of the economy but government as well. So as of lately, I think our economy is in a tug of war between the people who administer the game of consumerism and the growing amount of people who fear those corporate administrators.

What I see is, if you want to change the system of consumerism, to better suit social needs and structures of the people, we need to demand more transparency from both our government and corporations. Although thats only half of the solution, I think that would lead to rational objectives for all classes in our economy. What also scares me is the wealth divide our "consumerism" is creating, meaning the two controls I mentioned.

Umm....... I'm not sure exactly sure if I can blame the thinning of social and family structures on the idea of consumerism. i would love to because I dont even like the idea of money or currency, but it seems our country has lost motivation in political support of democracy because of it. So its either politics or social movements that will help. Something tells me this new love for government and our current president is only indulgence and yet another blanket on top of the the people.

All I can conclude is dont hate the game, hate the players.:meeting:.... as of lately.

Question for anyone who can answer. Is it true we only make up 5% of the worlds population and use 25% of its resources? And our biggest export is weapons?

1 Reply

@Doobah47,

Joe:

I think you are failing to see the basic underlying premises of what consumerism is based upon. The battle is between the haves and the have-nots. Lately, the current situation is giving more power to the latter group. I am confused as to what you are speaking to. The idea that modern society is only advanced as the least fortunate or the idea that the powerful dominate, but their focus is off.

By the way, begging a question is a very poor way to formulate a question.

Sorry, but I am confused as to where your thinking is at or headed.

1 Reply

@Theaetetus,

Theaetetus wrote:

Joe:

I think you are failing to see the basic underlying premises of what consumerism is based upon. The battle is between the haves and the have-nots. Lately, the current situation is giving more power to the latter group. I am confused as to what you are speaking to. The idea that modern society is only advanced as the least fortunate or the idea that the powerful dominate, but their focus is off.

If your saying that we are failing to produce a strong consumer society because we have lost work ethics and ambition, i agree, but I feel there is alot more to it.

Is that what your saying? if not sorry.

Quote:

By the way, begging a question is a very poor way to formulate a question.

I didnt ask those questions to make a point. I really dont know the answer to them, and was wondering of anyone could help me with them or lead me to resources that could. They were in no relation to the topic of consumerism in my thinking. Should have stated that.

1 Reply

@Joe,

Consumerism is only as bad and good as the structure it adheres to. Interesting thesis, Joe, but I do not see the logic.

Consumerism equates happiness with acquiring material things. It suggests that a shopping spree at the mall is the highest sort of happiness. If we reject such a claim, we have to also reject consumerism as healthy, regardless of the "structure" to which it adheres.

1 Reply

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

Consumerism is only as bad and good as the structure it adheres to. Interesting thesis, Joe, but I do not see the logic.

Consumerism equates happiness with acquiring material things. It suggests that a shopping spree at the mall is the highest sort of happiness. If we reject such a claim, we have to also reject consumerism as healthy, regardless of the "structure" to which it adheres.

That is what Consumerism is defined as. What I find interesting is What if Companies Donated the old products that were hardly selling to poverty stricken areas and communities around the world. Since consumerism is supposed to equate happiness, then where in that definition does it demand only to a certain point so as to keep selling products. It doesn't, we dictate how it continues with price inflation and deflation, advertising, etc....
If everyone payed it forward when they decided to throw out there old stuff, maybe consumerism would represent something entirely different.

I guess what I'm saying is Consumerism can only equate for so much and I wanna know the different possibilities of it.

1 Reply

@Joe,

"Paying forward" contradicts consumerism. Consumerism equates material consumption/possession with happiness. If there is more to happiness that material consumption/possession, consumerism is necessarily a faulty theory of happiness - no matter how we apply the theory. Is it possible to reorganize society in such a way that makes consumerism less harmful? Sure, but there is no way to get around the deficiencies of consumerism regardless of the society.

1 Reply

@Didymos Thomas,

Didymos Thomas wrote:

"Paying forward" contradicts consumerism. Consumerism equates material consumption/possession with happiness. If there is more to happiness that material consumption/possession, consumerism is necessarily a faulty theory of happiness - no matter how we apply the theory. Is it possible to reorganize society in such a way that makes consumerism less harmful? Sure, but there is no way to get around the deficiencies of consumerism regardless of the society.

I agree it embodies a false idea that consumerism happiness is "important". But I'm trying to separate what society does with consumerism. You said:

Quote:

"Paying forward" contradicts consumerism.

I think that is incorrect. Having the two doesn't mean they have to be compared or pit against each other. They represent two opposite ideas, but I dont want to say either one is right or wrong toward happiness. Instead How can the two be related into something workable.

Consumerism does not dictate what a person does with his possessions when he acquires them. It may have influence as an idea, but in no way is a definite. It can be on and off, if someone wishes.

I wonder what the ripple effects are when someone buys a product, is unsatisfied the next day, gives that product away, and continues his enjoyment in the cycle of consumerism. Where is the false happiness in that. There are of course things such as obsessions and addictions that are factored in. But what are those statistics?

Instead of calling the system flawed, I'm more interested in how you would structure it to make it less of a crutch for happiness.

1 Reply

@Joe,

Joe wrote:

Instead of calling the system flawed, I'm more interested in how you would structure it to make it less of a crutch for happiness.

Eliminate advertising. The only reason why most people quest in the seas of consumerism is because commercials tell them what they need to be happy. It works on a subconscious level. Edward Bernays knew what he was doing when he mixed psychoanalysis and marketing to form the whole industry of public relations. He was feeding on the fears and insecurities of individuals--the bedrock of the mass consumer culture.

1 Reply

Consumerism

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know