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Sociology 125 Lecture 8 Thursday, September 27 Consumerism. Definitions Consumerism : The belief that personal well-being, happiness and status depend largely on the level of personal consumption, particularly the acquisition of material goods. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Sociology 125 Lecture 8
Thursday, September 27
Consumerism
DefinitionsDefinitions
ConsumerismConsumerism: The belief that : The belief that personal well-being, happiness and personal well-being, happiness and status depend largely on the level status depend largely on the level of personal consumption, of personal consumption, particularly the acquisition of particularly the acquisition of material goods.material goods.
Hyper-consumerismHyper-consumerism: the frenetic : the frenetic pursuit of consumer goodspursuit of consumer goods
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007
Square Footage
Growth in median size of new home construction in the U.S., 1963-2007
% of new home construction
Under 1,200 square feet
Over 2,500 square feet
Construction of Small & Big houses, 1973-2005
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
Over 2500 square feet
Under 1200 square feet
What is wrong with consumerism?What is wrong with consumerism?
What is wrong with consumerism?What is wrong with consumerism? 1.1. There are big There are big negative externalities negative externalities from from
consumerismconsumerism
2.2. Consumerism in fact does not make most people Consumerism in fact does not make most people happyhappy
3.3. There are There are systematic biases systematic biases in the system which in the system which generate consumerism. If these system-biases generate consumerism. If these system-biases were eliminated, many – maybe most – people were eliminated, many – maybe most – people would adopt a less consumerist life style. would adopt a less consumerist life style.
System bias #1:System bias #1:
Profit maximizing strategiesProfit maximizing strategies
1 week of time
2 weeks of time
System bias #2:System bias #2:
Market-failures in leisureMarket-failures in leisure
Number of hours more per year on average that Americans work than people in other countries
.5 weeks
3.4 weeks
6 weeks
9 weeks
0
10
20
30
40
50
Nothing 40% of payraise
70% of payraise
100% of payraise
The percentage of workers who would give up different proportions of a future pay raise for additional leisure?
From Juliet Schor, The Overworked American, p. 130
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0
weeks of paid vacation
Italy
Germany
Netherlands
Denmark
Portugal
Austria
Belgium
Finland
France
Spain
Sweden
U.K.
Norway
Switzerland
Ireland
United States
System bias #3:System bias #3:
Changing reference group for Changing reference group for consumption normsconsumption norms
System bias #4:System bias #4:
Credit cardsCredit cards
System bias #5:System bias #5:
Rising inequality increases Rising inequality increases consumerismconsumerism
System bias #6:System bias #6:
Abandonment of public Abandonment of public consumption by affluentconsumption by affluent