What is consumer society?

Question 1

What is Gary Cross’ argument on why consumer society emerged?

Answer 1

• consumerism won the 20th century: goods give meaning to individuals and their roles in society –> became common belief
• Suggests that consumption and peoples beliefs about it replaced politics in the public sphere
• mass production freed people from traditional society and identities, explore new ways of living
• Older forms of solidarity were dismantled to some degree as people were able to identify around lifestyle, consumer taste
• Consumers prevented conflicts that were based on traditional identities

Question 2

What were the consequences of the emergence of consumer society according to Gary Cross?

Answer 2

came at a cost:
- preoccupation with private sphere instead of public
- reliance on market instead of state

Question 3

What 4 elements constitute a consumer society according to Cross?

Answer 3

1. quantitative growth in consumption in the 20th
2. consumption becomes more important to identity + group membership
3. Involves promises of growing affluence + raised standards of living
4. Commodification of life forces us to consume more in our lives

Question 4

What is Schor’s “new consumerism”?

Answer 4

• Starting in the 70s media started connecting/projecting the lifestyles of rich people down the hierarchy
• People’s sense of who they should relate to changed > upscalling
• Women entering the workforce created dual income households
• People with higher income feel more comparatively poor due to them comparing themselves to richer people.
  –> people feel pressured to consume in a way that’s negative for their well-being