Consumerism: an Historical Perspective »
Posted By berkeley 6 months, 1 week ago in Political NewsSharon Beder explores the history of consumer societies from the 1920s when over-production of goods exceeded demand. Instead of stabilising the economy, reducing working hours, and sharing work around, which would have brought more leisure time for all, industrialists decided to expand markets by promoting consumerism to the working classes. The social decision to produce unlimited quantities of goods rather than leisure, nurtured wastefulness, obsolescence, and inefficiency and created the foundation for our modern consumer culture. People were trained to be both workers and consumers in a culture of work and spend.
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berkeley
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berkeley6 months, 1 week ago
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memorial day is the closest we come to talking about death, but it's usually somebody else's. to talk about our own death is considered bizarre. but if we can get by that one, it leads to asking about why we live, what we are doing here. most of us are consuming.
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this is a long article by propeller standards, but well worth your time, either now or later. -
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canadianrancher576 months, 1 week ago
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Interesting article, but it sort of makes me really feel like I'm living in a different world than most are today. I sort of got a kick out of the part about "culture of character" vs "culture of personality", I guess I'm still stuck in the world of the culture of character since I believe in being practical in my decisions on spending regarding personal or even business investments.
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I think that there are three types of people in the working world, there are those who work for the sole purpose of surviving at a very modest level, then there are those who work for the purpose of obtaining wealth and any of the perks that go with that, this includes a very large part of the population of the industrialized world and includes both labor and management and even those who don't work but invest in business. The third group of people are those like Henry Ford whos idea was not so much to make money as to provide transportation to the ordinary person but In the end even that idea may have been lost because of the greed factor that is in everyone.
When you ask about why we live, to me it is just to do what I do so that I can have some security in life and also to enjoy what I do, may people say that this is what has made me what they call a workaholic, but I consider it a combination of work and recreation so I disagree with the workaholic. The security I talk of is knowing that if something goes wrong I have the money to survive, or if my kids need help I can be there to help, to me this is far more important than the new car, or a new house, or fancy clothes or jewelery.
Life is a journey where one must make decisions based on logical thinking and disipline and if more people both as labor and management and producers and consumers,had used a bit of thought we might not be in the mess we are today.
Sorry for the long comment, but this article sort of put my brain in gear, have to go now to enjoy some work-recreation. -
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AnteUp6 months, 1 week ago
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FTA:
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Increasing production and consumption guaranteed the ongoing centrality of work.
.........and centralized the power in corporate hands.
This is pretty scholarly, berkeley, particularly for someone like me who favors flying by the seat of their pants. Give me
a gold star - I read the whole thing! Plus, I confess to
being a total dunce when it comes to almost all things
economic - I wish it were otherwise.
The idea of "radicalism" seemed to terrify the powers that be.
Market research and disposable goods as the 21st century way
to keep the masses DOWN. I guess we could give them a gold star
- it worked like a charm. They have acheived near perfection
at marketing consumerism.-
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berkeley6 months, 1 week ago
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there's a BBC 4 hour show called
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century of the self.
youtube has it, if you can keep track of where you are...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3LSyck0YTE
it isn't perfect, but it also is easily worth watching, or reading the transcript.
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AnteUp6 months, 1 week ago
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From the President of the National Association of Manufacturers:
Edgerton, observed: “I am for everything that will make work happier but against everything that will further subordinate its importance…. the emphasis should be put on work – more work and better work, instead of upon leisure.”
"I am for everything that will make work happier" - Really?
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From the 1920s corporations began advertising to the working classes in an effort to break down these old habits of thrift and encourage new consumerist desires. At the same time they sought to counter anti-corporate feelings generated by the conditions of work in their factories.
....anti-corporate feelings generated by the conditions of work in their factories??
Must have just been those "radical" workers that weren't HAPPY
with their working conditions - eh? Demand they work more
hours..........they've obviously had too much leisure! LOL
Thanks for the heads up, berkeley - timely food for thought! -
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canadianrancher576 months, 1 week ago
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Consumerism has not only lured in the consumer to spend every single penny they but also people who try and provide services as well. We have just had a week that has seen the closing of alot of GM dealerships up here and those same people who sold the idea of always owning a new car also sold the idea to dealers of expanding and having the most modern of buildings and equipment, now these buildings will be shut down and people will be losing jobs and all the while those who are at the top of this company will still be smiling all the way to the bank.
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AnteUp6 months, 1 week ago
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One of the Bush themes that burned me up was his near-deification of the "Ownership Society" and, IMO the worst, "Entrepreneurship".
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He NEVER extolled the virtues of providing something of worth.
To be a successful entrepreneur - you just need to market
something and make money. It does not have to be a necessary
product - it doesn't have to be a commodity that is good for
people. The ONLY thing that matters is that it provide a
profit - no matter what it is.
Shallow, Yes. Entrepreneurial, you bet! Ka-ching! Ka-ching!! -
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hyperbola6 months ago
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Me too. I looked at this:
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"""Most businessmen believed shorter hours meant less production, which would limit the growth of America’s business enterprise. They argued they could not afford shorter work weeks, that they would become uncompetitive and go bankrupt. They also feared that given extra free time, people would spend it in unsociable ways, turning to crime, vice, corruption and degeneracy and perhaps even radicalism. “The common people had to be kept at their desks and machines, lest they rise up against their betters.”"""
and thought about how it has been replaced with "military patriotism". Perhaps consumerism has already passed by.
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