Essays on Consumer Economy

Modern consumerism is typically about the evolution of consumption behaviors in the society. Campbell (1987), devised the notion and sort reliably critical evidence to suggest that modern consumerism is based on a theoretical framework he describes a “Romantic consumerism”. Romantic consumerism according to Campbell revolves around the existing love relationship between a consumer and a product. While this sounds impractical, Campbell expounds on explaining that when the consumer develops a strong bond of attachment to the product, there is bound to be a close relationship just beyond loyalty to the product.
In his works, Campbell dates back to the Continue reading...

Introduction

“Into the wild” (1996) by Jon Krakauer and “Lead us into temptation: the triumph of American materialism” (1999) by James B Twitchell are two books with similar themes – the only difference being that one is an antithesis of the other. Before beginning on the journey of the exploring these themes and understanding what each of the author sought to achieve in writing the respective books, let us take a brief look into the story of each of these aforementioned books.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

“Into the Wild”, though seemingly a fiction, is essentially a non-fiction book, which was written as an extension of Continue reading...

A consumerist culture can be defined as one where the society is defined by consumerism. In economic terms a consumerist culture is one in which there are policies that place much emphasis on goods and the buying and selling of it. There are also people who claim that a consumerist culture is all about free choices where the consumers and producers can determine the economic course of a country. Consumerism, Consumerist culture and consumer society are all topics that have been under much scrutiny these days and about which there are heated debates around the world. Opponents of a Continue reading...

Introduction

In a formal definition, political consumerism can be said to be the choice of products and producers with the goal of changing politically or ethically objectionable market or institutional practices. These choices are informed by the attitudes as well as values regarding issues of fairness, justice, political or ethical assessment of favorable as well as unfavorable business and government practice, and non-economic issues that concern personal as well as family well being. Political consumerism is concerned with capturing various creative ways in which the citizens, political activists and consumers in general use the marketplace as an arena of consumer Continue reading...

Mid Term Integration Paper
Mid Term Integration Paper

Question 1

The book of Robbins (2011) explored the most successful culture – capitalism. The author presented historical, anthropological, and economic framework of capitalism origins thus explaining problems caused by globalization. Robbins (2011) succeeded to attract attention to global problems caused by expansion of capitalism and explained why capitalism generated resistance.
Robbins (2011) stated that embryo of capitalism as a distinctive culture emerged five to six centuries ago in Western Europe. Core concepts of capitalism culture are rooted in the statement that commodity consumption is the source of well-being. Further, this idea was developed Continue reading...

Consumerism is the bane of the modern society. We buy faster cars, bigger televisions, and sleeker phones and aspire for even more technological new editions. It seems like a constant chase proving ourselves smarter by these kinds of shopping sprees. In our day to day lives there is disconnect between what we need and what we crave. We are driven by brand names – Audi or Mercedes car, Iphone for cell phone, Nike or Adidas for shoes etc. In social circles there are discussions on the brands we use. Adults and children alike are influenced by advertisements which portray life Continue reading...

It is no secret that America is the most wasteful nation in the world, according to EPA an American discards approximately 7 pounds of trash a day which translates to 236 million tons of garbage a year, this is a shocking statistic. The throw away culture is characterized by; overconsumption, excessive wastage, no recycling and of course huge mountains of garbage. Just what is the cause and evidence of this culture of waste? Many commentators point to manufacturers who use the ‘planned obsolescence’ strategy, the ever growing culture of consumerism and the obsession with convenience which have led to Continue reading...

Introduction

Art and design discipline is struggling to bring together the role of design as a catalyst in a consumer driven economy and its position in planning and implementing lifestyle-sustaining businesses. Designers have a potential to produce products and offer services for social good. However, a gap exists between this potential and callous consumerism. , asserts that consumerist communities devote nearly all of their time, energy, and resources to ‘consuming’, which according to the business men and women is seen as something good.
(Cross 2001, pp. 49-55) defined cconsumerism as a personal belief that one’s wellbeing and pleasure depends significantly Continue reading...

Affiliated School;

Food and consumption and what I'm particularly interested in is how our thinking of and about consumption is affected by, and affects economics.
Consumption forms the foundation of economics because it leads to demand of goods and services. Production of goods is based on the taste and preference of the consumer; giving the client what he wishes to have the most. Consumers are known to be subjective when it comes to what they consume (Lusk, 2011). In this case change in consumption patterns should lead to change in the goods and services produced. Firms should be flexible enough to Continue reading...

Consumerism is the bane of the modern society. We buy faster cars, bigger televisions, and sleeker phones and aspire for even more technological new editions. It seems like a constant chase proving ourselves smarter by these kinds of shopping sprees. In our day to day lives there is disconnect between what we need and what we crave. We are driven by brand names – Audi or Mercedes car, Iphone for cell phone, Nike or Adidas for shoes etc. In social circles there are discussions on the brands we use. Adults and children alike are influenced by advertisements which portray life Continue reading...

According to Guy Debord, a spectacle is the main representation of our social life. It constitutes advertising, entertainment, etc. present in mass media, for the purposes of watching and listening to it. Because it is just a representation, meaning that the spectacle repeats itself many times and people get as much exposure to it as possible, the spectacle unavoidably becomes the reality. However, the spectacle naturally consists of many separate images that, in fact, are a worldview. Step by step, the worldview becomes, first, materialized and later - objective.
I chose an excerpt from Society of the Spectacle due Continue reading...

Affiliated Institution

Abstract
This study defines consumerism and the reasons for its growing trend globally. The objectives of the research are to establish the implications of growing consumerism on the economy and global business trends. This research focuses on the reasons why the poor are not necessarily the problem facing the economy, but rather the increasing consumption by the wealthy. They are encouraged by the government to want more and thus putting the environment at risk. The study then focuses on the issues arising due to this increased consumerism. Techniques used to gather information involve secondary sources involving interviews with various Continue reading...

Like the old adage says, money does not buy happiness, nor does materialism or consumerism. Consumerism/materialism is not only a personal problem, but an environmental one. In our contemporary society, we have countless shopping malls/centers where individuals use extra time spending their cash than ever before, explaining why the number of Americans filing for bankruptcy is ever increasing. The co-authors of Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic discuss in detail the concept of consumerism or materialism, taking an opposing stance on the subject of consumerism. This book is split into 30 chapters, categorized into 3 sections, placing consumerism in the Continue reading...

Introduction

First of all, your thesis statement is specific since it precisely indicates what the plan is about. It is direct to the point and this is fundamental because it gives you an opportunity to successfully verify your argument. Additionally, it is argumentative in nature. On the introduction part, I think you could have introduced the book, its authors and generally summarize what it discusses into details Moreover; you could have summarized about the concept of materialism/consumerism as it is discussed in the book.
I like the way you have presented the first effect of materialism. Your introduction of this Continue reading...

Introduction

Following the standard medical practice where the symptoms are tested, the diagnosis is in essence made, and then the physician tries to get information concerning causes of a certain malady. Part 2 of Affluenza: The- All Consuming Epidemic explores the root causes of Affluenza. This part contains six chapters, but the last chapter that is; chapter 20 does not discuss these causes but starts to talk about the treatments. Deepening their diagnosis, authors in these six chapters explore the roots of Affluenza.
For that reason, this paper focuses on chapters 15-23 where it discusses various historical causes of Affluenza Continue reading...

Consumerism has been one of the fastest growing cultures in America. Many Americans have found them purchasing for goods and services that are not necessary and which they can live without. Despite the knowledge of the idea that people do not need these goods and items, many Americans have found it difficult to separate themselves from the culture of consumerism. Many people for example continue to purchasing clothing yet their closets are full of clothes that still have price tags on them. This paper seeks to look at American values and behaviors using consumerism as the key focus.
First Continue reading...

Effects of Consumerism

Consumerism in Healthcare
Reform critics referred to consumerism as a disruptive force to effective and efficient healthcare delivery. Several issues are still left unaddressed in the healthcare sector such as full optimization of healthcare delivery, payment mechanisms, consumers acting as the reformers, and supply versus the shift in demand. These issues are driven by forces such as pervasiveness of technology, rise of transparency, globalization, and medical tourism, social media and inconvenient care models that in effect insinuate consumerism in the healthcare sector.

Care Received

Consumerism affects the quality of care received in terms of limiting the options available for the patients. Continue reading...

Consumerism in the western economies is a common phenomenon, but even developing economies are resorting to it. Consumerism is the consumption of goods and services at a higher rate. In healthcare, consumerism is neither a program nor a product, it is an introduction to new care delivery methods, which promote and facilitate bigger patient responsibility through the intelligent use of information technology (Magee, 2009). Experts have noticed that, due to reduced reimbursement on medical care, physicians allocate little time to each patient in order to maximize the number of patients they can attend to in a day. Patients have Continue reading...

Today, take time to think. What is it that you most want to have in this world, at this very moment? The movie The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard and Amitai Etzioni’s literary work Spent published on The New Republic talk about the very things that would first pop into our heads when asked this question – things. Both narratives depict very similar themes mainly expressing society’s attitudes towards material goods. It is strange to think that out of the many possible aspects of our lives, material possession would define and center most of it
In her Continue reading...

This essay will consider the way in which American consumerism defines us as an individual and a society. As such, the paper will using the key readings from the specified text address the issues of how and why we use the purchase of goods and services to help define ourselves as individuals.

The general thesis statement to be examined in this paper is the contention that the acquisition and consumption of goods and services is used by the American public not only to fulfil basic physiological needs to also to help define a person either as an individual or Continue reading...

Williams’ article, “Buying into the Green Movement,” discusses the alleged belief that purchasing environmentally green products will save the planet from disaster. While his argument is valid, his generalisation about the thoughts of the general public seem unreliable.

Williams’ main argument is that members of the public are, quite literally, buying into the idea of green consumerism. He points out that many people believe that they can combat the world’s environmental problems simply by purchasing green products instead of their usual ones. He goes on to explain that such purchases will make little or no difference to the Continue reading...

In James Twitchell's essay "Two Cheers for Materialism," he explores the diverse and often troubling relationship between success and materialism. In today's society, he argues, personal and emotional satisfaction, as well as societal satisfaction, comes from the accumulation of wealth and material goods. While many people seem to criticize this perspective as shallow and absent of emotional and character growth, Twitchell has a defense for materialism as an important and positive aspect of American culture. Consumerism and materialism are comforting and freeing for Americans, says Twitchell, as it offers us the direct incentive to make our own way in Continue reading...

There is often a trade-off for our society between consumption and the environment. The faster the economy grows the more resources it needs for further development and hence the more stress it puts on the environment. Consumerism in the contemporary society is often blamed for continuous pressure to produce and for the wasteful use of resources for manufacturing unnecessary material goods. However, there are always numerous sides of the issue to consider and it is impossible to find a unique solution to the dilemma between consumption and environment.

The article “The Consumer Culture. Are Americans becoming materialistic?” gives a Continue reading...

In Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, a dystopian future is described that is meant to directly comment on our own consumerist culture. The World State keeps the citizens of the world under control by enforcing social classes and brainwashing them to value consumption above all else. In today's society, our need for material goods, and our deeply held beliefs about the 'haves' and 'have-nots' match Huxley's world, but our world allows resistance to those ideas.

The World State is dependent heavily upon a world in which consumerism is king - products are revered, and Henry Ford's principle of the Continue reading...

ON ADULTS AND CHILDREN IN THE US

The Effects of Materialism & Consumerism on Adults & Children in the US

It is a common instance each year that different brand labels launch a brand new or updated product just in time for a special occasion. Whether it may be in time for the change of seasons or just for the holidays, there is something new. In some countries, particularly developed countries, can follow the trend and buy whenever there is a release. For other countries, they would only buy something new once they have the money to buy them. Why are companies bent on releasing new items almost Continue reading...

Primary source document: http://goo.gl/836rZ

In the history of the USA, during the 1920’s the relationship between the people and the material goods, also called consumer culture underwent developmental changes that modified the economy. This is a period when there emerged a consumer culture. Having followed a period of major economic changes, in and towards the end of the late 19th century, the period of 1920’s had no new developments or inventions that had not been made in the previous economic era. Thus, the emergence of a consumer culture in these years is Continue reading...

Introduction

A consumerism culture is one where the economical environment is defined by the patterns of purchases and spending culture of the consumers. In America, it began after the Second World War, and reached its highest levels in the early 2000s (Ali, 2009). This culture encourages the acquisition of commodities as a means to achieving happiness instead of the ideals of family religion or art. Proponents of a consumer culture argue that when people are able to meet their needs and wants, they are more productive; this helps to drive the American economy and that of other Continue reading...

The way of life of a modern society is quite interesting, and far removed from the ways people lived in previous eras. In the industrial age, mass production has created a market where, provided you live in the right place, you can get virtually anything you want. In fact, the focus of a consumerist society is to gather as many things as possible; the determination of status in this type of world is based on how much you have, and how much those things cost. This is more true in America than it is in any other country, given Continue reading...

CAN THE PROBLEM OF OVERCONSUMPTION BE RESOLVED BY GREEN CONSUMERISM?

Green consumerism is noticeable all over the world today. Drawing from the numerous activities in the now vibrant green industry, it is evident that this process is great (Eriksson, 2004, p. 11). However, it is further true that this process is not the final solution. The greatest fear derived from this process regards the fact that the Green Campaign undertakings vibrant in the media currently and in products might be a simple fad. With reference to the Marxist capitalism theory, the effects of the same highly campaigned process might be seen here (Mansvelt, 2010, p. 6). After all, the Continue reading...

In the early twentieth century, the curiosity of a child, Frank Epperson, marked the commencement of a popular icy dessert course known as the Popsicle. This is a sugary treat that occurs in a variability of savours. It started with experimentation on a chilly night. Numerous years later, it was promoted. Since that time, it has become a staple in domestic freezers all over the world. Frank Epperson, In 1905, then 11-years-old, discovered a mixture that would function as the constituents for the ultimate Popsicle. He variegated soda water powder into water and left the concoction outside overnight. Frank Continue reading...

Consumerism can be said to be an economic and social order which promotes the buying of services and goods in intensively ever-greater quantity. Taking an economic perspective, it refers to the economic policies that hugely emphasises on consumption trends. In a conceptual sense, it can be the deliberation that consumers free choice should greatly adjust the choice of what’s produced and also how. It is undeniable that the economic-structure organization of our society is subconsciously propelled by an urge for domination, survival, and also expansion.
The society that we have is faced with a myriad of challenges in Continue reading...

Introduction

In fact, money does not purchase happiness. Neither does materialism nor consumerism. New research indicates that consumerism or materialism is not only a personal problem but also an environmental problem. In our contemporary society we have countless shopping malls/centers where individuals use extra time spending their cash than ever before. This explains why the number of Americans filing for the bankruptcy is ever increasing. The co-authors in “Affluenza: The All Consuming Epidemic” have discussed into details the concept of consumerism or materialism. Generally, this is an anti-consumerist book that contains 30 chapters and it is divided into 3 sections, Continue reading...

In today’s consumerist culture, having the most things equates to social and cultural success – many people measure their self-worth and happiness by what they have instead of who they are (Cowen, 2009). At first, we seek to own things as a result of necessity – we primarily seek the things that we require in order to survive and thrive. Once those basic needs are met, however, we look toward amenities, and our major criteria for what we want to get is what the others around us have. When someone has something very expensive, and is clearly enjoying it, it Continue reading...

Bridging the Gap: Feminism, Fashion

And Consumption

Abstract
This review analyses the relation between feminism, fashion and consumption as discussed by Angela McRobbie in her article ‘Bridging the Gap: Feminism, Fashion and Consumption’. The paper will evaluate the arguments that the author presents, focusing on women and consumption as well as the feminization of the fashion industry. McRobbie treats the issue of consumption as a problem that is not getting the degree of attention it deserves. The evidences she provides to prove her point will be noted. She also focuses on the predominance of women employees in the production of fashion products across the Continue reading...

Introduction/Thesis

The idea of ‘everyday’ is intriguing because no two people see this as a common phenomenon; they see it differently. It can be a time anytime of the day, be it morning, afternoon, evening, or even night, or it could be routines or habitual activities that are repeated by individuals. Whatever the act, the ‘everyday’ phenomenon is hard to define as everyone perceives this differently. When perceived from an artistic point of view, the concept of ‘everyday’ finds a whole new meaning; it harbors on alienation, interaction, space and place, as well as materiality and dirt. Artists Francis Alys Continue reading...

Abstract

Culture and personality are two ideologies that compliment and supplement each other. So several times, society has never failed to use culture in the process of convincing and influencing people to believe in the same beliefs as it have. This paper sought to justify the effect of each towards one another and to establish that several of these effects can be geared towards the positive or the negative side.
Keywords:Culture, personality, globalization

Consumer: Culprit to the Disintegration of Culture

The image the public have about a particular gender is dictated by the society. In other words, in a male-dominated culture male will always have the upper-hand Continue reading...

Introduction

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) located in Sydney, Australia. The museum is dedicated to the exhibition, collection and interpretation of contemporary art pieces from Australia and other continents. The museum was the brainchild of John Power, an Australian expatriate. John’s intention was to educate and inform the Australian public on contemporary visual forms of art (MCA 2013, 1).
The Museum of Contemporary Art was officially opened in November 1991 (MCA 2013, 1). The exhibitions are housed in the former Maritime Service Board building at Circular Quay at the periphery of the Sydney Harbor. The state government decided Continue reading...

Introduction

The need of food has evolved into a love of food over time. Ancient history states on several occasions that people strived hard to get access to adequate food enough for the entire family, however with the passage of time the way food is acquired, how it is cooked and how much is consumed have all changed. A very famous quote “you are what you eat” is often used commonly to restrain people from eating unhealthy and too much but the roots of this quote suggest that the way our body and mind develop have strong impact Continue reading...

INTRODUCTION

In the film The Joneses, David Duchovny and Demi Moore play the heads of a household who move in to a very nice Stepford-y suburb. They bring with them their aesthetically perfect and perfectly pleasant children, as well as their house full of nice Ethan Allen furniture and amenities. They ingratiate themselves firmly with their neighbors and the rest of the community, but they have a secret – they are not a family at all, but a team of marketers sent to impersonate the perfect family. They are the quintessential Joneses - that perfect group of people Continue reading...

Introduction

History pages allow knowing a person from the past. However, there are different ways in which historians treat a subject from the past or a person who influenced the past, present or has the ability to influence the future. Such a person was Betty Friedan and this essay explores how she was perceived by two historians, respectively Daniel Horowitz and Stephanie Coontz, analyzing their account of her personal and activist life.

Body

First, there will be analyzed the work of Daniel Horowitz (“Rethinking Betty Friedan and The Feminine Mystique: Labor Union, Radicalism and Feminism in Cold War America”, published in Continue reading...