SOC317H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Media Culture, Commodity Fetishism, Consumerism
Document Summary
Upscale spending on the rise = more debt, less savings. Some problems cannot be solved through just individual action. Idea that new consumerism and push towards spending more beyond needs. This leads to more debt and less savings. 4 main ways of spending money: private, public, leisure and savings. So there is an increase in private spending so it relates to overworking and less public/leisure spending. So there is more emphasis on the individual over the collective. Another piece of evidence of disenchantment but she talks about how hedonistically repressive aspects of consumer culture is rising (concentrating on private pleasure treated through senses). With these negative elements on the rise, the pleasures of consumption are limited because other aspects are taking over. Both authors for this week agree on the need to address disenchantment with consumer culture. Happiness and achievement of good life passes through middle class standard of living. Income is therefore key to wellbeing (income solution)
