consumption
In class we read and studied chapter III named “el misterioso mundo de las motivaciones” of the book “por una ética de consumo” written by Adela Cortina.
The society of consumption is the people who live inside of a culture where they provide to supply their necessities by buying some products like food, clothes, water, houses etc… sometimes the consumption is unlimited so it’s out of control and in the society it is very frequent and it is produced by different causes like the “afán” de emulación (resemble to) the equality, the “afán” de novedad where new things are always better. Thinking in the status is the most important and if I have Money or many products I’ll be better than others or I’ll be happier.
The author explains about “teoría de la clase ociosa” that is the ideal of these kind of people who think that the ideal of life is the ocio where you don’t have to produce or do anything, because working is for slaves and that is related to “society of consumption” because the consumption makes people have that ideal of life of living without efforts and in a comfortable house doing nothing.
There are a lot of groups of reference and there are groups who show us by their clothes or objects, who they are, for example: tennis, jeans, caps a motorcycle and music Identify a group of young people and an adult could be an intruder if he goes to their meeting places and wear their clothes.
And other group is the contracultura who are people who don’t consume as much as the others so they are opposite to the narcissism and have solidarity with the people who can’t buy these articles or products. They are simple people that don’t use suits or fashion clothes. They use Jeans, cowboys and don’t know what a necktie is. Other group can be the executives with elegant clothes, and cars who travel and have a life style of power.
Some other concepts related to consumption are:
Afán de novedad: people think the new products are better than old ones. They want the newness because they are tired of the same and they wish to have new things and better to feel fine and increase them self-esteem.
Capacidad de crear nuevos deseos: the marketing offers to us some products. If the people have a reasonable sense to buying, the consumption would have a limited but if the people have an emptier concept of happiness and think that to have more products will do better them life is a capacity of make new wishes. For example: I’m not happy if I don’t have car or a computer because my neighbors have that is a concept that the consumption have and that isn’t true.
The motivation of consumption is also caused by the afán de igualdad, people want the equality, the emulation, security because the people can feel more security if have expensive articles provide to “compensate” an emptiness like it is the racism. The equality is for example all people in the university have a style of jeans if I don’t have this I’m different and I don’t feel good if I’m not like they are. That’s a mistake concept.
