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.
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8/6/2021 0 Comments The Cult of Celebrity In a broader sense, American consumerism can be defined as the process by which goods and services are produced in large quantities at minimal expense and then marketed to the consuming public. For example, most items bought in a traditional marketplace like a department store or a shopping mall are sold because of their low price and the feeling of satisfaction that one gets when he or she buys such a good. But American consumerism goes way beyond this. Might be you are wondering: do I have enough stuff for now? Many products are produced cheaply in the United States, but marketed aggressively to the consuming public as American-made products. Products such as "jeans" or "shirts" are examples of this. American consumerism is also reflected in the manner in which most consumers rely on advertising-supported products for the necessities of life. Most of the food that we consume is highly advertised through television, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, and other forms of mass communication. In a broader sense, American consumerism extends to the products that are produced and the way in which the producers promote their products. For example, thrift stores, which are a significant force in the development of new products, often advertise their products in ways that resemble conventional advertisements. This strategy helps to increase consumer awareness of a brand while also encouraging purchases. In fact, one of the most important characteristics of American consumerism is its embrace of individualism. In a country where it is usual for families to have two incomes, one income supported the family and the other income paid for necessities, most individuals tend to look at consumer goods as a way of enhancing their income. Thrift stores, which are some of the most successful retailers in the country, illustrate this point in an even more telling way. Most of the items that are sold at thrift stores are actually brand name items that have been marked down to almost below the cost of production. This allows individuals to buy these products for pennies on the dollar - a clear indication of how well-researched, cost-effective, and individualistic American products are. The impact of American consumerism goes far beyond the reduction of cost, however. The success of American brands means that their products become "trashy" quickly, often just after they hit store shelves. This trashy status of American goods lends them a distinct flavor, ensuring that consumers will keep buying them. Read more now about American consumerism on this page. In order to understand the depth and breadth of American consumerism, it is important to get a clear picture of how that culture works. The hallmark of American consumerism is conspicuous consumption. Virtually every item of clothing, food, and household goods is bought with the goal of showing off the purchase to as many people as possible. In turn, this form of conspicuous consumption is manifested in many different ways - the purchase of numerous small but useful objects, for example; the regularity with which clothes are cleaned, the fact that most purchases are consummated on the spot rather than stored for days or weeks before being worn; the fact that American families have remarkably large collections of television sets, and so on. American consumers are notorious for displaying an incredible desire to have things that are perfect and very new in their possession. All of these manifestations of the culture of American consumerism are rooted, at least in part, in the mentality of the wealthy classes in the US. For the members of this economic elite, the idea of a "American way of life" requires the immediate possession of a wide array of new or used possessions. The conspicuous consumption displayed by members of the upper class ensures that their brand of consumerism gains a widespread and loyal following among the masses, who are then treated to an endless parade of new and never-before-seen goods. To some observers, the phenomenon of American consumerism can be described as nothing short of a cult of celebrity: for every product that is sold in the US, there is a star or a former star who is selling a product of the same name. Check out this related post to get more enlightened on the topic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity_culture. American consumerism is simply the belief that all goods should be purchased from a local manufacturer or distributor within the state, depending on the supposition that this manufacturer will provide the best quality at the least possible cost. Some of these beliefs are true and others are false. As a culture, we have built an enormous value system based upon our nationalistic pride in our nation's success and freedom. Many of these nationalistic impulses can be found in our tax policy that favors a strong economy where taxes are low and products easily accessible to all citizens. In the current climate this means that many products that have been made at home by ordinary citizens are paying more in taxes than do those which are imported from abroad. See how you can make fun of consumerism on this website. This contemporary trend in modern American consumerism must be analyzed closely in order to determine its root causes. The most common belief in our society is that mass production usually results in lower prices for consumer goods and higher profit margins for manufacturers. While it is true that there are benefits to modern American consumerism in terms of increased sales and profits, the opposite is also true. It has been argued that the widespread use of mechanized and automated methods of production has resulted in the substitution of machines for human workers which has decreased the opportunities available to average workers. This decrease in employment opportunities has significantly affected the purchasing power of the American consumer. As a result, this type of modern consumerism has been accompanied by numerous reports on the economic state of the American economy, most of which are strikingly negative. Mass production methods of production have also resulted in a shift of the consumer market share from goods such as clothing and electronics to goods such as financial services, health care, and entertainment. These services have been viewed by previous generations as luxury items that only the affluent could afford. As a result, mass produced consumer goods such as televisions, computers, and other technological goods have been priced far above the costs of production which has effectively reduced the affordability of these goods for the average consumer. The result has been a dramatic reduction in the purchasing power of American citizens, particularly those who live on fixed incomes such as the average family. The reduction in purchasing power has also translated into a dramatic reduction in the amount of goods and services available for purchase by the average American citizen. In order to address this issue in the 21st century American consumer has turned to conspicuous consumption. For instance, the typical American family no longer needs a two car family sedan, as they can easily obtain a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle. Likewise, families no longer need to purchase a large number of branded designer clothing items as they can easily purchase products produced by companies that specialize in producing affordable, low-cost clothing. All of these changes have resulted in the diminution of the American consumer's dependency on conspicuous consumption as a means of increasing their income. If you are asking yourself this question, do I have enough stuff for now? find out more here. Unlike the development of mass production, the changes that occurred in the consumption of American goods and services began in the late stages of the 18th century. At that time, the buying power of American citizens was largely determined by the existence of a black market for manufactured goods. While the sale of legal tender was the primary mechanism through which goods and services were purchased by Americans, the existence of a black market allowed for a significant degree of variation in prices between different goods and services offered by different merchants. If an item was expensive to produce in the illicit black market, it would become affordable to consumers when purchasing in the legal tender market. Thus, the purchase of large scale produced articles became extremely difficult while simultaneously reducing the purchasing power of American citizens. In the years following the Panic of 18th Century, an anti-consumerism movement arose which focused upon the creation of a more "American" standard of living. By creating a more "American" standard of living, the anti-consumerservatives hoped to reduce the influence of the "American Dream" within the American economy. They succeeded in this task somewhat successfully as the creation of numerous new industries related to manufacturing helped to mitigate the effects of the Panic and the resulting decline in consumer spending. However, efforts to reverse the growing reduction in consumer spending in the decades following the Panic failed as a result of the increased wealth of American citizens, which negated the anti-conservationist viewpoint of the early Americanisers. Knowledge is power and so you would like to top up what you have learned in this article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_Culture. |
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