SOC317H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Denis Diderot, Consumer Capitalism, Starbucks
Document Summary
Not a set of rules for how society functions. Guidelines for analyzing a consumer item in a sociological manner. Warning: they often make the picture more complicated (rather than reduce consumer items to a simple story) Material what the product actually is. Culture how this product is rooted in different cultures; or what type of culture does product promote. Consumer culture rooted in material world: usage of water, energy, waste disposal. Coke - sugar production, cheap corn syrup, related to distribution systems, etc. Rich symbolism around product: polar bears, santa claus, family. We need to look at both material and culture to analyze a product memories. Social location - refers to ses; where do you fit in terms of economy; age, power, privilege - doesn"t mean that if you"re a straight white rich guy that you have all the agency.
