Anti-consumerism
Related social movements
Anarchist movement Anti-globalisation movement Environmental movement Situationism Postmodernism
Ideas and theory
Society of the Spectacle Culture jamming Corporate crime Media bias Alternative culture Affluenza Simple living Cultural Creatives Commodity fetishism Cultural hegemony Conspicuous consumption Ethical consumerism
Popular works
No Logo The Corporation The Theory of the Leisure Class
People and organizations
AdBusters Ralph Nader Green party Noam Chomsky Ron English Naomi Klein Thorstein Veblen Guy Debord Michael Moore Michel Foucault The Yes Men Reverend Billy
Related subjects
Advertising Capitalism Left wing politics Sweatshops
Relevant lists
List of Anti-consumerists List of social movements
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Anti-consumerism is the rejection of consumerism. It is similar but not identical to anti-corporate activism. Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of the market economy on the individual. "Consumer" has come to be a derogatory term within selling companies and debt-management consultants. It implies the mindless purchasingand disposing of any product delivered through the market. Concern over the treatment of consumers has spawned much activism, as well as the incorporation of consumer education into school curricula. Anti-consumerist activism often has parallels with environmental activism and anti-globalization, and sometimes animal-rights activism, in their condemnation of the practices of modern organizations such as the McDonald's Corporation (see McLibel). There is also significant overlap between anti-consumerism and anti-globalization. Social movements are broader political associations focussed on specific issues. ... Anarchism is the name of a political philosophy or a group of doctrines and attitudes that are centered on rejection of any form of compulsory government (such as the state)[1] and support its elimination. ... Anti-globalization (anti-globalisation) is a political stance of opposition to the perceived negative aspects of globalization. ... The historic Blue Marble photograph, which helped bring environmentalism to the public eye. ... The Situationist International (SI), an international political and artistic movement, originated in the Italian village of Cosio dArroscia on 28 July 1957 with the fusion of several extremely small artistic tendencies: the Lettrist International, the International movement for an imaginist Bauhaus, and the London Psychogeographical Association. ... Andy Warhols iconic Marilyn Monroe // Postmodernism is an idea that has been extremely controversial and difficult to define among scholars, intellectuals, and historians, as it connotes to many the hotly debated idea that the modern historical period has passed. ... The Society of the Spectacle is a 1967 book by Guy Debord, which developed concepts relating to modern culture and commodity fetishism. ... Culture jamming is the act of transforming existing mass media to produce negative commentary about itself, using the original mediums communication method. ... In criminology, corporate crime refers to crimes either committed by a corporation, i. ... Media bias is a term used to describe a real or perceived bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media, in the selection of which events will be reported and how they are covered. ... Alternative culture is a catch-all phrase used predominately by the media and the marketing industry to refer to a variety of separate sub-cultures – (which are either loosely related or near-totally unrelated) – and are perceived by the general public as being outside or on the edge of so... Affluenza is a term used by critics of consumerism. ... Simple living (similar but not identical to voluntary simplicity or voluntary poverty) is a lifestyle individuals may pursue for a variety of motivations, such as spirituality, health, or ecology. ... Cultural Creatives is a term coined by sociologist Paul H. Ray and psychologist Sherry Ruth Anderson to describe a large segment in Western society that has recently developed beyond the standard paradigm of Modernists versus Traditionalists or Conservatists. ... In Marxist theory, commodity fetishism is an inauthentic state of social relations, said to arise in complex capitalist market systems, where social relationships are confused with their medium, the commodity. ... Cultural hegemony is the concept that a diverse culture can be ruled or dominated by one group or class, that everyday practices and shared beliefs provide the foundation for complex systems of domination. ... Conspicuous consumption is a term introduced by the American economist Thorstein Veblen, in The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). ... Ethical consumerism (or Consumarchy) is buying things that are made ethically (This means A set of principles of right conduct. ... Front cover of No Logo. ... The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film and book critical of the modern-day corporation and its behaviour towards society. ... The Theory of the Leisure Class is a book, first published in 1899, by the American economist Thorstein Veblen while he was a professor at the University of Chicago. ... Adbusters is a political magazine, founded by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz that is published in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by the Media Foundation. ... Ralph Nader Ralph Nader (born February 27, 1934) is an American attorney and political activist. ... This article is about the green parties around the world. ... Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is the Institute Professor Emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ... Welcome to the Monkey House cover painted by Ron English Ron English is a contemporary pop artist who explores popular brand imagery and advertising. ... Naomi Klein (born May 5, 1970 [1]) is a Canadian journalist, author and activist. ... Norwegian-American economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen Thorstein Bunde Veblen (July 30, 1857 – August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American economist and sociologist. ... Guy Debord (December 28, 1931 – November 30, 1994) was a writer, film maker, hypergraphist and founding member of the groups Lettrist International and Situationist International (SI). ... Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American political-activist, a film director, author, social commentator, and political humorist. ... Michel Foucault (IPA pronunciation: ; English-speakers pronunciation varies) (October 15, 1926 – June 25, 1984) was a French philosopher. ... The Yes Men are a group of criminals who practice what they call identity correction. They pretend to be powerful people and spokespersons for prominent organizations, accepting invitations received on their websites to appear at symposiums and TV shows. ... The Church of Stop Shopping is an activist performance group based in New York City, led by Reverend Billy, the stage name of Bill Talen. ... Billboards and street advertising in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, (2005) Advertising is drawing public attention to goods and services by promoting businesses, and is performed through a variety of media. ... Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately owned, and capital is invested in the production, distribution, and other trade of goods and services for profit in a market. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... A sweatshop is a factory, where people work for a very small wage, producing products such as clothes, toys, shoes, and other consumer goods. ... An Anti-consumerist is one who opposes consumerism. ... This is a partial list of social movements. ... Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. ... Anti-corporate activists (see activism) believe that the rise of large business corporations is posing a threat to the legitimate authority of nation states and the public sphere. ... Sales, or the activity of selling, forms an integral part of commercial activity. ... A company is, in general, any group of persons, which are known as its members, united to pursue a common interest. ... Consumer education is education people pursue for the sake of entering the consumer goods market with a more sophisticated understanding of that market, and the products, suppliers and tactics to be found there. ... In education, a curriculum (plural curricula) is the set of courses and their contents offered by an institution such as a school or university. ... The McLibel case is the nickname for an English court action filed by McDonalds Corporation against unemployed environmental activists Helen Steel and David Morris. ...

In recent years, there have been an increasing number of books (Naomi Klein's 2000 No Logo being the best example) and films (The Corporation, Surplus) which have (to a certain extent) 'sold' an anti-corporate ideology to the public. Front cover of No Logo. ... The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film and book critical of the modern-day corporation and its behaviour towards society. ... Surplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers is a 2003 Swedish documentary about consumerism and anti-consumerism, directed by Erik Gandini and Johan Söderberg. ...

Opposition to economic materialism primarily comes from two sources: religion and social activism. Religions oppose materialism, some stating that it interferes with connection with the divine, or that it leads to an immoral lifestyle. Some social activists have linked forms of materialism with wars, crimes, and general social malaise. Basically, the concern is that materialism is unable to offer a proper raison d'être for human existence. Materialism refers to how a person or group chooses to spend their resources, particularly money and time. ... Social activists are people who act as the conscience and voice of many individuals within a society. ... In philosophy, materialism is that form of physicalism which holds that the only thing that can truly be said to exist is matter; that fundamentally, all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. ... Divinity has a number of related uses in the field of religious belief and study. ... Morality is a complex of principles based on cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts and beliefs, by which an individual determines whether his or her actions are right or wrong. ... The United States detonated an atomic bomb over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. ... Hindu idealism is a precursor of western idealism and the philosophical opposite of materialism. ...

Background

Anti-consumerism is often associated with criticisms of consumption starting with Karl Marx and Thorstein Veblen, but according to Veblen's 'Theory of the Leisure Class' consumerism can be traced back to the first human civilizations. Consumerism can also mean economic policies associated with Keynesian economics, and, in an abstract sense, refer to the belief that the free choice of consumers should dictate the economic structure of a society (cf. producerism, especially in the British sense of the term). Comedian Bill Hicks and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini were strongly opposed to consumerism. The Theory of the Leisure Class is a book, first published in 1899, by the American economist Thorstein Veblen while he was a professor at the University of Chicago. ... Keynesian economics (pronounced ), also called Keynesianism, or Keynesian Theory, is an economic theory based on the ideas of 20th century British economist John Keynes. ... Grange poster depicting the independent, industrious farmer as the keystone figure in society. ... William Melvin Hicks better known as Bill Hicks (December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994), was a controversial American stand-up comedian, satirist, and social critic. ... Pier Paolo Pasolini (March 5, 1922 - November 2, 1975) was an Italian poet, intellectual, film director, and writer. ...

Politics and society

Anti-corporate activists believe that the rise of large business corporations is posing a threat to the legitimate authority of nation states and the public sphere. It is felt that these corporations, are invading people's privacy, manipulating politics and governments, and creating false needs in consumers. The sort of evidence that supports this belief includes invasive advertising (adware, spam, telemarketing, etc.), massive corporate campaign contributions in democratic elections, interference in the policies of sovereign nation states (see, for example, Ken Saro-Wiwa), and endless global news stories about corporate corruption (Martha Stewart and Enron, for example). Anti-consumerism protesters would point out that corporations' responsibility is to answer only to shareholders, giving human rights and other issues almost no consideration. In practice, the management of a limited company do have primary responsibility to their shareholders, since any philanthropic activities that do not directly serve the business could be deemed to be a breach of trust. This sort of financial responsibility means that multi-national corporations will usually pursue strategies which intensify labour and attempt to reduce costs. For example, they will (either directly, or through subcontractors) attempt to find low wage economies with laws which are conveniently lenient on human rights, the natural environment, trade union organization and so on (see, for example, Nike, Inc.). This article is about the political concept. ... Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to stop information about themselves from becoming known to people other than those whom they choose to give the information. ... Adware or advertising-supported software is any software package which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Telemarket Office // Early History Telemarketing is a registered trademark owned by Nadji Tehrani who founded TeleMarketing Magazine in 1982. ... Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa (October 10, 1941 - November 10, 1995) was a Nigerian author, television producer and environmental activist. ... Corporate crime refers to criminal practices by individuals that have the legal authority to speak for a corporation or company. ... Martha Stewart (born August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor, commercial spokesperson and homemaking advocate. ... Enron Corporation was an American energy company based in Houston, Texas. ... A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or company (including a corporation), that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a joint stock company. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ... Philanthropy involves the donation or granting of money to various worthy charitable causes. ... A subcontractor is an individual or in many cases a business that signs a contract to perform part or all of the obligations of anothers contract. ... Devils Punchbowl Waterfall, New Zealand. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Nike, Inc. ...

Conspicious consumption

Marx argued that the capitalist economy leads to the fetishization of goods and services, and the devaluing of the worth of a good or service, and instead focusing on its price in the market. In many critical contexts the term is used to describe the tendency of people to identify strongly with products or services they consume, especially those with commercial brand names and obvious status-enhancing appeal, e.g. an expensive automobile, rich jewelry. It is a pejorative term which most people deny, having some more specific excuse or rationalization for consumption other than the idea that they're "compelled to consume". A culture that has a high amount of consumerism is referred to as a consumer culture. Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately owned, and capital is invested in the production, distribution, and other trade of goods and services for profit in a market. ... In Marxist theory, commodity fetishism is an inauthentic state of social relations, said to arise in complex capitalist market systems, where social relationships are confused with their medium, the commodity. ... A brand is a collection of images and ideas representing an economic producer; more specifically, it refers to the concrete symbols such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme. ... A status symbol is something, usually an expensive or rare object, that indicates a high social status for its owner. ... Jewelry (the American spelling; spelled jewellery in Commonwealth English) consists of ornamental devices worn by persons, typically made with gems and precious metals. ... Look up Rationalization on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Rationalization can refer to more than one thing: In psychology, rationalization is the process of constructing a logical justification for a decision that was originally arrived at through a different mental process. ... Consumerism is a term used to describe the effects of equating personal happiness with purchasing material possessions and consumption. ...

To those who accept the idea of consumerism, these products are not seen as valuable in themselves, but rather as social signals that allow them to identify like-minded people through consumption and display of similar products. Few would yet go so far, though, as to admit that their relationships with a product or brand name could be substitutes for the healthy human relationships lacking in dysfunctional modern societies. A society is a group of people living or working together. ...

The older term "conspicuous consumption" spread to describe this in the United States in the 1960s, but was soon linked to larger debates about media theory, culture jamming, and its corollary productivism. Conspicuous consumption is a term introduced by the American economist Thorstein Veblen, in The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Media studies, a communication science, studies the nature and effects of media upon individuals and society. ... Culture jamming is the act of transforming existing mass media to produce negative commentary about itself, using the original mediums communication method. ... Productivism is the (purported) ideology that measurable economic productivity and growth is the purpose of human organization and perhaps the purpose of life itself. ...

The term and concept of "conspicuous consumption" originated at the turn of the 20th century in the writing of economist Thorstein Veblen. The term describes an apparently irrational and confounding form of economic behaviour. Veblen's scathing proposal that this unnecessary consumption is a form of status display is made in darkly humorous observations like the following: Norwegian-American economist and sociologist Thorstein Veblen Thorstein Bunde Veblen (July 30, 1857 – August 3, 1929) was a Norwegian-American economist and sociologist. ...

"It is true of dress in even a higher degree than of most other items of consumption, that people will undergo a very considerable degree of privation in the comforts or the necessaries of life in order to afford what is considered a decent amount of wasteful consumption; so that it is by no means an uncommon occurrence, in an inclement climate, for people to go ill clad in order to appear well dressed."(The Theory of the Leisure Class, 1899).

Viktor Frankl had suggested that in the U.S., the engine behind consumerism is an extension of the "bread-winner" desire, an argument originally made by Veblen in his 1899 book, and more recently in the book The Rebel Sell. The Theory of the Leisure Class is a book, first published in 1899, by the American economist Thorstein Veblen while he was a professor at the University of Chicago. ... Viktor Frankl Viktor Emil Frankl, M.D., Ph. ... one of several front covers The Rebel Sell: Why the culture cant be jammed is the name of a popular non-fiction book written by Canadian authors Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter in 2004. ...

"Overcoming Consumerism" is a growing philosophy. It is a term that embodies the active resistance to consumerism. It is being used by many universities as a term for course material and as an introduction to the study of marketing from a non-traditional approach.

An extreme view is that over-consumption threatens emotional destabilization of the global population, and that behavioral health professionals need to document and analyze the large group etiology that develops a subculture of pathological self-medication. This is seen to have impacts far beyond the immediate consumer group. While resources to confront the crisis must be developed within geographic areas inhabited by the affected population, interest and motivation is often prompted and facilitated by efforts from outside the areas most affected. Such methods as boycotts or moral purchasing, for instance, often exclude dealings with a population pathologically consuming an ecosystem or species - these are often successful at ending such consumption, e.g. European Union boycotts of Canadian seal fur from the Newfoundland seal hunt.

See also: Adbusters

The concept flows from the theory of commodity fetishism — that people experience social relationships as value relations between things, e.g. between the cash in their wage packet and the shirt they want. The cash and the shirt appear to conduct social relations independently of the humans involved, determining who gets what by their in-built values. This leaves the person who earned the cash and the people who made the shirt ignorant of and alienated from their social relationship with each other. Adbusters is a political magazine, founded by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz that is published in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by the Media Foundation. ...

Also, anti-consumerist thought often makes the link between the relentless consumerism advocated by both governments and advertisers, and the continued degradation and destruction of the natural environment. In this aspect the anti-consumerist standpoint overlaps somewhat with the environmental movement. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

Criticism

While there is not precisely an intellectual movement to promote consumerism, there has been, in recent years, strong criticism of the anti-consumerist movement. Most of this comes from libertarian thought. For example, Reason magazine, in 1999, attacked the anti-consumerism movement, claiming Marxist academics are repackaging themselves as anti-consumerists. James Twitchell, a professor at the University of Florida and popular writer, referred to anti-consumerism arguments as "Marxism Lite." Libertarianism is a political philosophy advocating that individuals should be free to do whatever they wish with their person or property, as long as they do not infringe on the same liberty of others. ... The libertarian Reason Magazine dedicated an issue to Ayn Rands influence one hundred years after her birth. ... Marxism refers to the philosophy and social theory based on Karl Marxs work on one hand, and to the political practice based on Marxist theory on the other hand (namely, parts of the First International during Marxs time, communist parties and later states). ... The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university located in Gainesville, Florida. ...

The defenders of corporations would argue that governments do legislate in ways that restrict the actions of corporations (see Sarbanes-Oxley Act) and that lawbreaking companies and executives are routinely caught and punished. In addition from the perspective of business ethics it might be argued that chief executives are not inherently more evil than anyone else and so are no more likely to attempt unethical or illegal activity than the general population. Nonetheless, the structures of bureaucracy and the financial imperatives of capitalism seem to result in forms of behaviour which are often damaging for local communities, employees and the environment. Before the signing ceremony of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, President George W. Bush meets with Senator Paul Sarbanes, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and other dignitaries in the Blue Room at the White House July 30, 2002. ... Bureaucracy is a concept in sociology and political science referring to the way that the administrative execution and enforcement of legal rules is socially organized. ... Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately owned, and capital is invested in the production, distribution, and other trade of goods and services for profit in a market. ...

The libertarian attack on the anti-consumerist movement is largely based on the perception that it leads to elitism. Namely, libertarians believe that no person has the right to decide for (or even suggest to) others what goods are "necessary" for living and which aren't, or that luxuries are necessarily profligate, and thus argue that anti-consumerism is a precursor to central planning or a totalitarian society. On the other hand, many see anti-consumerism as a personal lifestyle choice rather than a political belief, and it isn't necessarily incompatible with libertarian ideals. Elitism is a belief or attitude that an elite — a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below) — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone... A planned economy is an economic system in which decisions about the production, allocation and consumption of goods and services are planned ahead of time, usually in a centralized fashion, though some proposed systems favour decentralized planning. ... The concept of Totalitarianism is a typology or ideal-type used by some political scientists to encapsulate the characteristics of a number of twentieth century regimes that mobilized entire populations in support of the state or an ideology. ...

There are many non-profit publications available to assist in consumer education such as Consumer Reports or Choice Magazine. Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union, a non-profit organization founded in 1936 by Arthur Kallet, Colston Warne, and others who felt that the established Consumers Research organization was not aggressive enough. ... CHOICE Magazine is a publication of the Australian Consumers Association (ACA), a non-profit organization founded in 1959 to research and advocate on behalf of Australian consumers, similar to Consumer Reports in the United States. ...

See also

Corporate abuse refers to incidents that involve unethical behavior on behalf of a corporation; a case of corporate abuse may be a scandal, fraud, or negligence toward the corporations employees and/or the local community. ... In sociology, counterculture is a term used to describe a cultural group whose values and norms run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition or swimming against the tide. ... In semiotics and postmodern philosophy, Hyperrealism (not to be confused with surrealism) is a term to describe a symptom of an evolved, postmodern culture. ... Religion of Consumerism is a somewhat cynical or derogatory phrase used by some (authors) who have observed the global dominance of consumerism and its negative social and environmental consequences. ... Class consciousness is a category of Marxist theory, referring to the self-awareness of a social class, its capacity to act in its own rational interests, or measuring the extent to which an individual is conscious of the historical tasks their class (or class allegiance) sets for them. ... Look up keep up with the Joneses in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... La Distinction is a sociological book by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) based on his demographic research carried out in 1963 and concluded in 1967-8. ... Cultural identity is the (feeling of) identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as she/he is influenced by her/his belonging to a group or culture. ... Social justice refers to conceptions of justice applied to an entire society. ... False consciousness is the Engelsist hypothesis that material and institutional processes in capitalist society mislead the proletariat — and perhaps the other classes — over the nature of capitalism. ... Zero growth is a concept that all economic activities should aim at the equilibrium state rather than continuing growth which ultimately leads to overshoot and the following collapse of the system. ... Post materialism is an economic philosophy focussing on quality of life and enviornmental sustainability over income and material possessions. ... Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define a standard of living in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product. ... The term culture war (sometimes pluralized as the culture wars) has been used to describe ideologically-driven and often strident confrontations typical of American public culture and politics since the 1960s, but especially beginning in the 1980s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Grange poster depicting the independent, industrious farmer as the keystone figure in society. ... Materialism refers to how a person or group chooses to spend their resources, particularly money and time. ... See also: DIY Network, a cable TV network. ... It has been suggested that DIY ethic be merged into this article or section. ... Look up greed in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In detournement, an artist reuses elements of well-known media to create a new work with a different message, often one opposed to the original. ... Marketing is a social and managerial function that attempts to create, expand and maintain a collection of customers. ... Growth Fetish is a book (ISBN 1741140781) about economics and politics by the Australian left-wing political theorist Clive Hamilton. ...

External links

• Wikisource complete text of The Society of the Spectacle
• Raoul Vaneigem's "The Revolution of Everyday Life"
• Fifty Possible Ways to Challenge Over-Commercialism by Albert J. Fritsch, SJ, PhD
• Ralph Nader, a lawyer with a long record of fighting big corporations and winning.
• Multinational Monitor, a magazine that reports on corporate crime and unethical practices.
• The Rebel Sell, This Magazine, By Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter
• 25 Years of Monitoring the Multinationals

This Magazine is a Canadian political magazine. ...

References

• Bakan, J (2004) The Corporation.
• Hertz, N (2002) Silent Takeover: Global Capitalism and the Death of Democracy. Arrow.
• Klein, Naomi (2000). No Logo. Vintage Canada. ISBN 0-6769-7282-9.
• Monbiot, G (2001) Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain. Pan.