8/6/2021 0 Comments American ConsumerismAmerican consumerism has always had a special place in popular culture. In fact, consumer culture is much more the norm than the exception in the US. One could even say that American consumerism is (and has always been) the default way of doing things in the US. However, American consumerism is a relatively new concept, and as such it is still rather vague and complex. In any event, it can be said that American consumer culture, at least in the last several decades, has become increasingly intertwined with the growth of the American middle class. Read more here about the American consumerism. What has taken hold of American modernity and what have modern Americans consumed? Well, the answer is simple. Consumerism is simply the belief that a rising expenditure on goods is socially desirable. In the late twentieth century, American consumer culture was galvanized by two major events. The first was the establishment of the Department of Defense. America's involvement in World War II altered the way that many people lived their lives. American soldiers were now engaged in battle, and their leisure time was spent doing things related to war - eating, drinking, gambling, dating, and buying. In a sense, American consumerism became synonymous with sacrifice. The second event that catalyzed American modernity was the coming into being of the post-World War II Baby Boomer generation. In most cases, baby boomers are referred to as Generation X, because they grew up during the age of massive societal changes. These changes included the biggest expansion of capitalism in history, the widespread racial integration of Americans, and the largest expansion of democratic institutions in the history of the planet. All these changes made an impact on the thinking of American citizens. Not only did the Baby Boomers understand that markets don't work by themselves, but they also thought that politics should be dealt with differently. These two events set the stage for the hyper-intervention of government in American life, and that is one of the most significant implications of American consumerism. The present day American obsession with conspicuous consumption is not a new phenomenon. The phenomena of conspicuous consumption - the need to have things make a statement about who you are and what you are - first emerged during the colonial era in America. However, because the Baby Boom generation is changing the patterns of American society permanently, the basic precepts of American consumerism are forever changing. Today, American consumers consciously distinguish between what they want and what they need, and they are willing to spend massive amounts of money on the goods that satisfy those needs. The phenomenon of consumerism has been with us for almost a century. But the twentieth century will probably be remembered, in the popular imagination, for the outburst of conspicuous consumption that characterized it. As American consumerism reaches its zenith, the age of sticker shock will come to an end; the era of "stuff" will be over. Check out this related post to get more enlightened on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerism.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |