Intro – What a consumer society is, shift from industrial, class ect. Paragraph
1 – Largest division Money – ability to consume. Bauman + Veblen
Consuming a way of showing wealth and success. Able to be a consumer. Buy products for what they mean not just their purpose. Paragraph 2 – In-crowd vs outsiders
Consumer goods aimed at certain market, can alienate those who don’t fall into this market eg old, disabled. Paragraph 3 – Employed and unemployed division. Creates fight for jobs which enables the to consume. Unemployed don’t have disposable income so cannot buy into consumer society. Baumen seduced + repressed. Paragraph 4 – Bauman seduced and repressed also applies to disabled/ less socially mobile. People unable to fully partake in consumer society. Isolation… Conclusion – Winners and losers. Consumer society will always be divided. Distinguishes money from poor…..
TMA02
Write an essay that outlines the view that a consumer society is a divided society. Today many social scientists describe society as a consumer society. A consumer society is one in which society is defined by how and what people purchase. People are now more defined by the commodity goods that they own. Although this is different from the industrial society of the late 19th early 20th century, there are parallels in that both theses societies create differences within them, and have the ability to exclude social groups. In the past what people did as a job was the most important thing that defined a person, as we have moved into a more consumer society more emphasis has been placed on what a person does in their spare time as well as the clothes they wear and the things they buy.
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Possibly to the most significant divide which a consumer society creates is that of money, those who have it and those who don’t. The definition of a consumer society is about consuming and to do that you need money to spend on goods. Some social scientists believe that consuming and the way that we consume is a way of showing success and wealth. Veblen was a sociologist writing in the late 19th, early 20th century. In his book ‘The theory of the leisure class’ he talks about how in an industrial society people would demonstrate wealth by buying nice, expensive things such as big houses nice furniture. This was their way of showing that they had money and showing rising status within society. While Veblen was writing at a time when society was defined as an industrial society his points are relevant for a consumer society. In order for people to be consumers and buy into the consumer society they have to have disposable income to spend on goods that are not deemed as essential. This requires money. Those people who cannot afford the extra luxuries in a consumer society may feel excluded from it. This is the divide that money creates in a consumer society.
Another divide which a consumer society creates is between what is deemed the ‘in-crowd’ and the outsiders who are not a part of it. The in-crowd are a group which most consumables are aimed it whether is because of their age, social status, bodies or pastimes. Products are aimed at people who can afford them, would want to wear/use them and people who consume in a positive way. Some people may be unable to consume in this positive way, because they do not fit into the in-crowd. This can lead to alienation for this group of outsiders who cannot take part in the consumer society. Bauman (1988)said how society has now shifted from industrial to consumer and more people are able to be consumers than just the aristocrats and professionals in industrial society. He said that in society there are 2 groups. The seduced, those members of a society that have access to the consumer society as they have a steady income and can buy consumer goods, therefore marketing and promotions are aimed at these groups so they consume and buy. The other group are the repressed, those who are not able to participate because of low income, disability or unemployment.
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This group’s money is spent on the essentials such as heating, food and clothing and less on luxuries. These groups tend to be socially isolated and therefore less targeted by the consumer society. An example of this would be a teenager at school with no internet access or a mobile phone, this would be seen as strange despite the fact that the internet and mobile phones are not essential and the fact that the teenager didn’t have them could be a reason for them being ostracized from their peers. The clear division between the in-crowd and outsiders can be seen and the sole reason for it is the fact that we have a consumer society in which we are defined by what we own. Sometimes essential things can be turned into luxuries by buying certain brands which make a statement. For example buying organic vegetables is more expensive but people do it either for political or health reasons rather than buying simply normal supermarket veg. This means that some things are brought for the statement they make as well as their function to the consumer.
There is also another group which is divided from mainstream society because of our consumer society, they are people who oppose the consumerism. A consumerist society is a capitalist society, and there are those who oppose the capitalist mentality of business for profit and unequal wealth. These who oppose the consumer society are segregated from society as they hold opposing views and ideologies.
One difference created by a consumer society is that between the old and young. In a consumer society there are products to be consumed and many of those products are aimed at a younger market, be that will be out spending money on the latest fashions and in pubs and clubs. This can lead to the older generation to feel more excluded. However there are some business owners and executives that have targeted the other consumers, seeing that there is a market for them aswell.
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Another way in which a consumer society creates division is between the employed and unemployed. A consumer society dictates that we consume by buying goods which are not deemed essential eg mobile phones, yet we feel we need them. The main way to have money for these things is to have employment that allows them to purchase things. This creates a division between those who have jobs and the disposable income to consume and those who don’t. It also creates more competition for jobs so as to participate in the consumer society. This division can be related to Baumen and his theory on the seduced and repressed in society.
Baumen talks about the seduced and the repressed in his views of consumer society and one difference created by consumer society is the difference between the able-bodied and disabled. Like the differences between the in-crowd and the outsiders, the less-able and disabled people who are unable to consume they way others are end up being alienated and isolated from consumer society as they are not fully integrated in it. This is another difference created by a consumer society.
In conclusion, the very nature of a consumer society dictates that there will be differences between groups within society. In order to sustain a consumer society people have to consume and some people will not be able to do that. Although we have moved away from the divisions of industrial society where aristocrats and factory owners were the consumers and it would seem a more integrated society, so much emphasis is placed on consuming and the goods we consume that there are numerous differences.
References –
Making Social Lives, Stephanie Taylor, Steve Hinchcliffe, John Clarke and Simon Bromley. The Open University (2009)
