CMNS 110 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Positional Good, Naomi Klein, Semiotics

• School: Simon Fraser University
• Department: Communication
• Course: CMNS 110
• Professor: Gary Mc Carron

Document Summary

Joseph heath - i hate myself and want to buy. Recent trend of anticonsumerist thinking =/= critique of consumerism: commercial success of films like american beauty, fight club, proliferation of adbusters and other anticonsumerist literature. It is instead a restated critique of mass society -> driving force behind consumerism since. 1960"s: founded on assumption that consumerism == conformity; it is rebellion that fuels the market - > reinforces consumerism: social criticism of consumerism has been present and accepted in the mainstream media since. Cites example of rabbit, run by john updike (1960) Defining consumerism: north american society has greater wealth than ever before, producing + buying more and more material goods, however, overall happiness has stagnated since ww2 despite economic growth. Poor public services (health care + education) We continue to buy despite the sacrifices it forces us to make. Consumerism = pathological consumption habits in our society.