Podcast
Questions and Answers
Thorstein Veblen's notion of 'conspicuous ______' highlights the social status associated with consumption.
Thorstein Veblen's notion of 'conspicuous ______' highlights the social status associated with consumption.
consumption
Contemporary studies stress how consumers creatively rework the products they buy, generating new ______ in the process.
Contemporary studies stress how consumers creatively rework the products they buy, generating new ______ in the process.
meanings
Danny Miller suggests that consumption is often based on acts of love and ______ towards family and friends.
Danny Miller suggests that consumption is often based on acts of love and ______ towards family and friends.
devotion
Consumption has become a major focus of interest for ______ and other social scientists over the last couple of decades.
Consumption has become a major focus of interest for ______ and other social scientists over the last couple of decades.
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Gift-buying is focused around rituals such as Christmas and ______.
Gift-buying is focused around rituals such as Christmas and ______.
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Modern market societies are said to be characterized by a '______ culture' organized around the logic of individual choice.
Modern market societies are said to be characterized by a '______ culture' organized around the logic of individual choice.
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Studying consumption enables us to better comprehend the importance of ______ in shaping economic processes.
Studying consumption enables us to better comprehend the importance of ______ in shaping economic processes.
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Active and creative consumption has often been studied using ______ methods, including detailed fieldwork.
Active and creative consumption has often been studied using ______ methods, including detailed fieldwork.
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A number of influential social critics, including Karl Marx and Herbert Marcuse, have viewed consumption as signaling the triumph of ______ exchange and industrial society.
A number of influential social critics, including Karl Marx and Herbert Marcuse, have viewed consumption as signaling the triumph of ______ exchange and industrial society.
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In capitalist societies, needs and wants are artificially created, inducing people to consume far more than they actually ______.
In capitalist societies, needs and wants are artificially created, inducing people to consume far more than they actually ______.
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A number of studies have focused on the role of ______ in stimulating demand for products.
A number of studies have focused on the role of ______ in stimulating demand for products.
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This approach tends to cast the consumer in a passive role as a 'cultural ______' manipulated and controlled by corporations.
This approach tends to cast the consumer in a passive role as a 'cultural ______' manipulated and controlled by corporations.
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A second view emphasizes the active role of consumers in ______ things for their own ends.
A second view emphasizes the active role of consumers in ______ things for their own ends.
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Study Notes
Consumption as a Social and Cultural Phenomenon
- Consumption is a key area of interest, previously overlooked in favor of production.
- Consumption is central to social and cultural reproduction, encompassing daily necessities like food, clothing, and shelter.
- Modern societies exhibit a consumer culture, driven by individual choices within markets.
- Consumption demonstrates the intersection of culture and economics.
Critical Perspectives on Consumption
- Some critics view consumption as a triumph of market forces, colonizing culture and creating artificial needs.
- Advertising is seen as a key driver of induced demand.
- This perspective often portrays consumers as passive victims of corporate manipulation.
- Postmodernism echoes this notion, highlighting the consumer's powerlessness amidst diverse marketplace trends.
The Active Consumer
- Consumers actively interpret and utilize goods for their own purposes.
- Earlier studies focused on consumption as a means of achieving social status, such as conspicuous consumption and cultural capital.
- Contemporary studies highlight consumer creativity in assigning meaning to products.
- Active consumption is distinct from the often-monotonous nature of work.
Consumption and Social Relations
- Consumption, contrary to passive interpretations, is deeply entwined with social relationships like family and friendships.
- Acts of love and devotion through gift-giving are central to consumption.
- Ethnographic research is essential for understanding how individuals imbue consumption with meaning.
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Description
Explore the multidimensional aspects of consumption, focusing on its role in social and cultural reproduction. This quiz covers critical perspectives, including the influence of advertising and the dynamics between consumer power and corporate manipulation. Examine how modern societies shape consumer culture and individual choices within markets.
