Discuss the Role of the Concepts of the Seduced and the Repressed for Understanding the Place of Consumption in Contemporary Consumer Society
ESSAY PLAN
[pic]
Environmental unsustainability / Vivienne Brown p.115
Discuss the role of the concepts of the seduced and repressed for understanding
the place of consumption in contemporary consumer society.
This essay will give two sides to Bauman’s concepts and address the implications in
order to ascertain whether or not the roles of these concepts do help us to
understand the place of consumption, in what is increasingly being referred to by
many social scientists as a consumer society.
Consumer society is a term used by many social scientists, including Zygmunt
Bauman, when referring to contemporary Western society. Hetherington argues that
the conceptual shift away from the term ‘industrial society’ to ‘consumer society’
stemmed from the decline in traditional manufacturing industries in the 1980’s. This
resulted in an increase in employability in the middle class service sector for the
working classes, enabling the masses to afford and enjoy the trappings that were
previously only attainable by the well paid and wealthy. As a result of this, class
divisions were less obvious and consumption became a major factor in determining
how society was characterised. (2009, p. 22).
Bauman’s concepts of the seduced and repressed refers to his categorisation of
consumers based on their ability to consume effectively in contemporary consumer
society. Some of the factors taken in to account by Bauman for categorisation in to
either group include: wealth, age, ability, disability, social status, freedom and
discrimination. Bauman argues that the seduced are the consumers that are able to buy
into a particular lifestyle and are able to feel included in to certain social groups.
Hetherington notes that Bauman argues the seduced are consumers that
can display their perceived membership of social status to others by being able to
purchase goods for reasons other than that of the function of the good itself. (2009, p
27). For example a £5 watch
[pic]
Environmental unsustainability / Vivienne Brown p.115
Discuss the role of the concepts of the seduced and repressed for understanding
the place of consumption in contemporary consumer society.
This essay will give two sides to Bauman’s concepts and address the implications in
order to ascertain whether or not the roles of these concepts do help us to
understand the place of consumption, in what is increasingly being referred to by
many social scientists as a consumer society.
Consumer society is a term used by many social scientists, including Zygmunt
Bauman, when referring to contemporary Western society. Hetherington argues that
the conceptual shift away from the term ‘industrial society’ to ‘consumer society’
stemmed from the decline in traditional manufacturing industries in the 1980’s. This
resulted in an increase in employability in the middle class service sector for the
working classes, enabling the masses to afford and enjoy the trappings that were
previously only attainable by the well paid and wealthy. As a result of this, class
divisions were less obvious and consumption became a major factor in determining
how society was characterised. (2009, p. 22).
Bauman’s concepts of the seduced and repressed refers to his categorisation of
consumers based on their ability to consume effectively in contemporary consumer
society. Some of the factors taken in to account by Bauman for categorisation in to
either group include: wealth, age, ability, disability, social status, freedom and
discrimination. Bauman argues that the seduced are the consumers that are able to buy
into a particular lifestyle and are able to feel included in to certain social groups.
Hetherington notes that Bauman argues the seduced are consumers that
can display their perceived membership of social status to others by being able to
purchase goods for reasons other than that of the function of the good itself. (2009, p
27). For example a £5 watch
References: Taylor, S., Hinchliffe, S., Clarke, J. and Bromley .S (2009) Making Social Lives, Introducing the social sciences, Milton Keynes, The Open University. Staples, M., Meegan, J., Jeffries, E. and Bromley, S (2009) Larning Companion 2, Introducing the social sciences, Milton Keynes, The Open University.