Consumer Cultures - Reading Response (Week 9)

In this reading, Berger provides a complete picture of consumer culture. He explains about the two extremes of consumer cultures and quotes different people's thoughts on consumer culture.

He touches upon varies ideologies of consumer culture, starting from defining consumer culture, discussing about the origin of it, Psychological imperatives in consumer culture, Marxist or the capitalist approaches, Advertising of these consumer cultures.

Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages purchase of goods and services even in greater amounts.Berger describes how the common 'lifestyles' are associated with brands and products and also the changing attitudes and behavior of people towards the product. 

Consumer cultures are divided into two extremes. The one's who live in a subsistence economy where the consumption of material goods are not important and the other extreme is where goods place an important role in day to day activities. Consumer culture is the one where 'private' needs and desires are considered more important than the spending on the public ones.

Mike Featherstone talks about 3 components of consumer culture, they are,

• Vast expansion of capitalist commodity that leads to the vast accumulation of material goods
• Sociological views on the satisfaction and the status. 
• Emotional pleasure of consumption by satisfying the dreams and desires.

John Calvin mentions about the origin of the consumer culture and its religious background. He attacks asceticism in his writing. He talks about the divine beneficence, where he says that God wanted us to enjoy life and has provided with unlimited supply of goods.

In the psychological understandings of the consumer culture, Joan Riviere says Psychological impulses lead to desire for possessions which generate consumer culture. She makes the point that people constantly are psychologically moved to buy a good, even though they have to pay debts as buying makes them believe to break the class barrier. As it is constantly changing people are used to buy the products. Advertising is an important one in increasing people's desires and wants which would thus lead to mass consumption. Riviere defines the wants and desires as greed.

In the Marxist capitalist approach, Karl Marx mentions that its not the consciousness that determine society but it is the society that determine the consciousness. He explains how if we don't buy things then we are secluded and feel that society rejects us. To engage with the society consumer culture seems to be important as it acts as a barrier for alienation. 

So overall, this reading explains how we need to consume endlessly, so that we are recognized as a part of this society. This gives a clear overview on the consumer cultures.

(Berger, Arthur Asa (2010) The Objects of Affection: Semiotics and Consumer)