- "Consumerism is a social and economic order in which the goals of many individuals include the acquisition of goods and services beyond those that are necessary for survival or for traditional displays of status."
The social and cultural phenomenon of defining oneself and others primarily in terms of consumption patterns and preferences, often seen as a contributing factor to environmental and economic problems.
The history and origins of consumerism: Understanding the economic and cultural underpinnings of consumerism and how it developed over time.
Consumer culture and identity: How consumerism relates to notions of personal identity and how people use consumer goods to construct and express their identities.
Advertising and marketing: The role of advertising and marketing in shaping consumer desires, and the strategies and techniques used to influence consumer behavior.
Material culture: The study of the objects and artifacts of everyday life, and their significance in consumer culture.
Consumer activism and resistance: The various ways consumers have challenged and critiqued consumer culture and the impact of these movements on society.
Globalization and consumer culture: The ways in which consumerism is shaped by global economic forces and how it impacts different regions of the world.
Environmental impacts of consumerism: The influence of consumer behavior on the environment, including issues such as waste, pollution, and resource depletion.
Ethics and consumerism: The moral and ethical implications of consumer culture, including questions around consumption, exploitation, and inequality.
Subcultures and consumerism: The relationship between consumerism and subcultures, including how different groups use consumer goods to construct unique identities and engage in practices of resistance.
The future of consumerism: Critical perspectives on the potential direction of consumer culture and the prospects for sustainable and equitable alternatives.
Brand Culture: This type of consumerism places a high emphasis on branding and brand loyalty. Consumers identify with and purchase products based on brand name recognition rather than the inherent quality of the product.
Hipster Consumerism: This is a subculture of consumerism that prizes a kind of "authenticity" or "coolness" that is often associated with independent or avant-garde music, art, design, and fashion.
Ethical Consumerism: Ethical Consumerism refers to a form of consumption that prioritizes ethical and socially responsible production practices. Consumers might choose to boycott products made with exploitative labor practices, for example.
Youth Consumerism: Youth Consumerism describes trends in consumption that are driven by young people. This includes music, fashion, technology, and other products aimed at the youth market.
Countercultural Consumerism: This type of consumerism is typical of counterculture movement, or what used to be edgy, anti-mainstream social movements. It involves the use of consumption as a political act (e.g., choosing specific brands or products based on their cultural significance or political message).
New Age Consumerism: This type of consumerism is closely linked to the New Age movement, and the products it offers such as crystals or other "spiritual" remedies.
Whimsical Consumerism: Whimsical consumption is a form of consumer culture in which people buy goods for the sake of indulgence or pleasure, often for frivolous reasons.
Luxury Consumerism: Luxury consumerism is an overarching type of consumption that revolves around high-end, expensive goods, and often serves as a status symbol.
Patriotic Consumerism: Patriotic consumer culture is based on the idea that consumers should consciously express patriotism through their purchases, often featuring American symbols or American-made products.
Nostalgic Consumerism: Nostalgic consumption is a rising trend that values the past and recreational items associated with earlier times. Retro clothing or vintage home furnishings are examples of nostalgic consumer culture.
- "Consumerism has historically existed in many societies, with modern consumerism originating in Western Europe before the Industrial Revolution and becoming widespread around 1900."
- "In 1899, a book on consumerism published by Thorstein Veblen, called The Theory of the Leisure Class, examined the widespread values and economic institutions emerging along with the widespread 'leisure time' at the beginning of the 20th century."
- "Veblen 'views the activities and spending habits of this leisure class in terms of conspicuous and vicarious consumption and waste. Both relate to the display of status and not to functionality or usefulness.'"
- "Experts often assert that consumerism has physical limits, such as growth imperative and overconsumption, which have larger impacts on the environment, including direct effects like overexploitation of natural resources or large amounts of waste from disposable goods, and larger effects like climate change."
- "Consumerism has physical limits, such as growth imperative and overconsumption, which have larger impacts on the environment, including direct effects like overexploitation of natural resources."
- "Consumerism has physical limits, such as growth imperative and overconsumption, which have larger impacts on the environment, including direct effects like [...] large amounts of waste from disposable goods."
- "Consumerism has physical limits, such as growth imperative and overconsumption, which have larger impacts on the environment, including [...] larger effects like climate change."
- "Consumerism has been widely criticized by both individuals who choose other ways of participating in the economy [...] and experts evaluating the effects of modern capitalism on the world."
- "Experts often assert that consumerism has physical limits, such as growth imperative and overconsumption, which have larger impacts on the environment."
- "Similarly, some research and criticism focuses on the sociological effects of consumerism, such as reinforcement of class barriers and creation of inequalities."
- "Veblen 'views the activities and spending habits of this leisure class in terms of conspicuous and vicarious consumption and waste."
- "In an abstract sense, it is the consideration that the free choice of consumers should strongly orient the choice by manufacturers of what is produced and how, and therefore orient the economic organization of a society."
- "Consumerism has historically existed in many societies, with modern consumerism originating in Western Europe before the Industrial Revolution and becoming widespread around 1900."
- "In 1899, a book on consumerism published by Thorstein Veblen, called The Theory of the Leisure Class, examined the widespread values and economic institutions emerging along with the widespread 'leisure time' at the beginning of the 20th century."
- "Consumerism is a social and economic order in which the goals of many individuals include the acquisition of goods and services beyond those that are necessary for survival or for traditional displays of status."
- "Similarly, some research and criticism focuses on the sociological effects of consumerism, such as reinforcement of class barriers and creation of inequalities."
- "In an abstract sense, it is the consideration that the free choice of consumers should strongly orient the choice by manufacturers of what is produced and how."
- "Veblen 'views the activities and spending habits of this leisure class in terms of conspicuous and vicarious consumption and waste."
- "Consumerism has been widely criticized by both individuals who choose other ways of participating in the economy [...] and experts evaluating the effects of modern capitalism on the world."