Consumerism in America

Consumerism is assumed to be the basic pattern for the modern modus vivendi in the USA. Some researchers even compargon it with a kind of whimsey. It is indispensable to explore the temper of this phenomenon, including its development and the contemporary situation. In addition, it is useful to beget a precise definition. Eventually, its consequences and effect are to be put nether analysis.Consumerism is multifaceted, resulting in a probatory influence on a transition of American life aspects. It is surely to moderate effects on a particular individual as well as on rescript as an entity. The ideologists of consumerism state that its principles are full(prenominal)ly beneficial for consumers. However, nowadays, the majority of books dedicated to disclosing the peculiarities of consumerism tends to incline to recognizing the preferably negative character of consumerism consequences for economy, social ethics and even environment etc.Though, the essence of the effects, es pecially, whether they are adverse or positive, of necessity a deep exploration. In America it seems that we are driven by the need to have much than could this need to have more be fueled by something other than our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as mentioned in the constitution or, could this need be socially and, commercially driven.Consumerism essential at bottom certain conditions, predetermining the inevitable appearing of much(prenominal) a phenomenon. The industrial Revolution of the 1800s shifted the way of the economic history. For the very first time, it allowed products to be accessible in previously impossible huge quantities. Not to mention the event that the increase in return in the late nineteenth and earliest twentieth century resulted in growing markets. This meant expanding the consuming class distant beyond the middle and upper classes and to include the working classes (Beder, 2004). The population rate grow only thr ee times between 1860 and 1920 while the yield increased by 12to 14 times (Beder, 2004).The major industrial facilities tried to go with the times. That was the reason that back in 1910, Henry intersection instituted the line production system in his Highland Park, Michigan typeset (Chandler, 1976). In spite of the innovation being in particular shipway relatively unsophisticated, that was the moment of transformation of the U.S. capacity to produce (Ewen, 1976). In addition, the high level of products availability can be easily explained by rapid cost rate decrease. Moreover, the unrestricted access inseparablely resulted in the grow of the Mass Consumption era ( narration of American Consumerism).The mechanisms of large number production determined the need for markets to become more dynamic. These dynamic changes had to include miscellaneous aspects. Firstly, they needed to grow horizontally, meaning nationally, secondly, vertically (expanding into such social classes tha t were non previously among consumers), and, eventually, ideologically (Ewen, 1976). The population was forced to be habituated to give a response to the newly developed demands of productive machinery. The researchers emphasize that it was even a nationwide systematic plan aiming at providing the wide bay windowes with more buying power (Ewen, 1976).As the result, the system of consumer production was freely growing. The mass manufacturing business could non depend exclusively upon an elite market in site to respond to the productive capacity. Therefore, the products mass producer was forced to take into attachment the whole fall in States, ensuring the competitiveness with the other manufacturers by producing enough goods bill for reducing the cost to the sufficient rate (Ewen, 1976).Nevertheless, the philosophy of consumerism has at a lower placegone a human activity of changes. It was impose that multitude are al near obliged to obtain not only necessary goods, but al so pay special fear to the other factors. For instance, new model of a particular product has been considered to be more efficient, meaning the need for purchasing the latest configuration (History of American consumerism). Besides, the further changes touched the other criterion as people started buying newer models based on considerations about appearance. Nowadays, the companies tend to seek for increasingly sophisticated tricks in order to encourage consumers to get ridof the gaga product and buy the new one instead (History of American consumerism).According to Scott, human nature is more complex to control than a veridical one (Ewen, 1976). The adequate approach to distribution was and still is (to the significant extend) a guarantee for high level of efficiency and profitability. Therefore, it was a necessity to realize an ideological link narrowing the prejudices and covering the traditional social gaps in needs, class, taste or region. advertise has become an inherent part of mass distribution within industries. Marketing professionals use advertisements in order to encourage, or even force people to strive to purchasing certain goods, offset with small, relatively cheap items and ending with luxurious houses and cars.Advertising is a legal hammer for manipulating the consciousness of consumers. The camp of advertisement supporters claim that it plays a positive piece by providing people with essential information. Though, such statement is quite controversial. Advertising along with mass media industry in general have do a considerable contribution into evolution certain rules or norms of wasting disease within the American hunting lodge. Such norms depict the sufficient for high received of living level of consumption.The influence of consumerism concept is in the progress of perpetual increasing and expanding. The parallels with religious beliefs powerfulness be quite reasonable within analyzing the issue. Consumerism has become an i nherent part of the contemporary lifestyle. It is worth noticing that alike as the belief consumerism is ephemeral and intangible, still people can perceive its effects in everyday life. It is arguably, but it might be referred as the righteousness of 20th and 21st centuries (Miles, 1998). To support this statement, Miles emphasizes that it apparently enters the day-to-day life, structuring everyday stimulate (1998, p.1). Moreover, it is rapidly altering the forms and reasserting the influences in the new spheres (Miles, 1998).Consumerism is the concept depicting the belief that happiness and upbeatdepends to a significant degree of personal consumption. Basically, it sum that purchasing certain material goods is likely to increase the level of bliss with life. The idea includes several layers firstly, well-being depends on the standard of living, secondly that the bring up satisfaction in life is centered in consumption and pigheadedness of material goods benefit. Consuming as an activity has become one of the most valuable and worth spending time and resources. The principles of consumerist society are developing around the idea of the increasing necessity to consume.This statement can be easily paraphrased into an elementary formula the more you consume, the better it is for you. To add to the point, the United States is the highly developed country, meaning that the consumerist society evolved to the hyper-consumerist society. The supporting facts are sure to be found in everyday life. The Americans are loosely obsess with the idea of buying things beyond their basic needs. Certain elements of luxury have gained the perception of necessary for happiness and sufficient standard of life. Moreover, cities are modify into the centers of consumerism religion. Shopping malls provide people with the enormous measurement of mostly useless goods.The lifestyle dictated by the consumerism concept brings about a variety of adverse effects. It is reasonable to start with the consequences for an individual. Consumerism might dislodge more valuable thing from the life of Americans. People are mostly intemperate on owning money in order to satisfy the needs imposed by advertisement, mass media industry and the consumerist society in general. The ethical and spectral part of life, along with socializing might draw back. Moreover, the consumerist society norms might be considered as those restricting the individual freedom to a significant degree. The proclaimed standards engage in bringing to life particular patterns associated with well-being and happiness of the people within a certain framework.In addition, more ball-shaped long-term consequences refer to frugal, social and environmental spheres. For example, environmental sustainability is put under jeopardy as the consumerism stimulates people to buy even bigger quantity of new goods, get rid ofanother enormous quantity, meaning that the nature might not be capable of overcoming t he severe effects of consumerist society lifestyle. Not to mention the fact that manufacturing of certain products needs the nonrenewable natural resources utilizing. The economical layer is also essential as the credit cards and loans, providing the members of consumerist society with an ability to keep up with the prescribed standards, contributed to the development of the economical crisis and credit crunch.Eventually, the conducted research has shown that consumerism is not as beneficial as the mass media industry tends to depict it. Consumerism might be reduced to the concept that unvarying and increasing consumption of goods is a guarantee for happiness and well-being. The development of such a concept was inevitable due to the economical conditions that started with the Industrial Revolution. The manufacturers are interested in profit growth, it results in a variety and diverseness of marketing tricks aimed at stimulating the buyers will and power to consume. Though, the c onsumerist society create the adverse effects of individual and global character.