Sociology and People Essay Sample

Intro – What a consumer society is. displacement from industrial. category ECT. Paragraph

1 – Largest division Money – ability to devour. Bauman + Veblen
Devouring a manner of demoing wealth and success. Able to be a consumer. Buy merchandises for what they mean non merely their intent. Paragraph 2 – In-crowd V foreigners
Consumer goods aimed at certain market. can estrange those who don’t fall into this market eg old. disabled. Paragraph 3 – Employed and unemployed division. Creates battle for occupations which enables the to devour. Unemployed don’t have disposable income so can non purchase into consumer society. Baumen seduced + repressed. Paragraph 4 – Bauman seduced and repressed besides applies to disabled/ less socially nomadic. Peoples unable to to the full partake in consumer society. Isolation… Conclusion – Winners and also-rans. Consumer society will ever be divided. Distinguishes money from poor… . .

TMA02
Write an essay that outlines the position that a consumer society is a divided society. Today many societal scientists describe society as a consumer society. A consumer society is one in which society is defined by how and what people purchase. Peoples are now more defined by the trade good goods that they own. Although this is different from the industrial society of the late 19th early twentieth century. there are analogues in that both theses societies create differences within them. and have the ability to except societal groups. In the past what people did as a occupation was the most of import thing that defined a individual. as we have moved into a more consumer society more accent has been placed on what a individual does in their trim clip every bit good as the apparels they wear and the things they buy.

Possibly to the most important divide which a consumer society creates is that of money. those who have it and those who don’t. The definition of a consumer society is about devouring and to make that you need money to pass on goods. Some societal scientists believe that devouring and the manner that we consume is a manner of demoing success and wealth. Veblen was a sociologist authorship in the late 19th. early twentieth century. In his book ‘The theory of the leisure class’ he talks about how in an industrial society people would show wealth by purchasing Nice. expensive things such as large houses nice furniture. This was their manner of demoing that they had money and demoing lifting position within society. While Veblen was composing at a clip when society was defined as an industrial society his points are relevant for a consumer society. In order for people to be consumers and purchase into the consumer society they have to hold disposable income to pass on goods that are non deemed as indispensable. This requires money. Those people who can non afford the excess luxuries in a consumer society may experience excluded from it. This is the divide that money creates in a consumer society.

Another divide which a consumer society creates is between what is deemed the ‘in-crowd’ and the foreigners who are non a portion of it. The in-crowd are a group which most consumables are aimed it whether is because of their age. societal position. organic structures or interests. Merchandises are aimed at people who can afford them. would desire to wear/use them and people who consume in a positive manner. Some people may be unable to devour in this positive manner. because they do non suit into the in-crowd. This can take to alienation for this group of foreigners who can non take portion in the consumer society. Bauman ( 1988 ) said how society has now shifted from industrial to consumer and more people are able to be consumers than merely the blue bloods and professionals in industrial society. He said that in society there are 2 groups. The seduced. those members of a society that have entree to the consumer society as they have a steady income and can purchase consumer goods. hence selling and publicities are aimed at these groups so they consume and purchase. The other group are the pent-up. those who are non able to take part because of low income. disablement or unemployment.

This group’s money is spent on the necessities such as warming. nutrient and vesture and less on luxuries. These groups tend to be socially stray and hence less targeted by the consumer society. An illustration of this would be a adolescent at school with no internet entree or a nomadic phone. this would be seen as unusual despite the fact that the cyberspace and nomadic phones are non indispensable and the fact that the adolescent didn’t have them could be a ground for them being ostracized from their equals. The clear division between the in-crowd and foreigners can be seen and the exclusive ground for it is the fact that we have a consumer society in which we are defined by what we own. Sometimes indispensable things can be turned into luxuries by purchasing certain trade names which make a statement. For illustration purchasing organic veggies is more expensive but people do it either for political or wellness grounds instead than purchasing merely normal supermarket veg. This means that some things are brought for the statement they make every bit good as their map to the consumer.

There is besides another group which is divided from mainstream society because of our consumer society. they are people who oppose the consumerism. A consumerist society is a capitalist society. and there are those who oppose the capitalist outlook of concern for net income and unequal wealth. These who oppose the consumer society are segregated from society as they hold opposing positions and political orientations.

One difference created by a consumer society is that between the old and immature. In a consumer society there are merchandises to be consumed and many of those merchandises are aimed at a younger market. be that will be out passing money on the latest manners and in saloons and nines. This can take to the older coevals to experience more excluded. However there are some concern proprietors and executives that have targeted the other consumers. seeing that there is a market for them aswell.

Another manner in which a consumer society creates division is between the employed and unemployed. A consumer society dictates that we consume by purchasing goods which are non deemed indispensable eg nomadic phones. yet we feel we need them. The chief manner to hold money for these things is to hold employment that allows them to buy things. This creates a division between those who have occupations and the disposable income to devour and those who don’t. It besides creates more competition for occupations so as to take part in the consumer society. This division can be related to Baumen and his theory on the seduced and repressed in society.

Baumen negotiations about the seduced and the repressed in his positions of consumer society and one difference created by consumer society is the difference between the able-bodied and handicapped. Like the differences between the in-crowd and the foreigners. the less-able and handicapped people who are unable to devour they manner others are stop up being alienated and isolated from consumer society as they are non to the full integrated in it. This is another difference created by a consumer society.

In decision. the very nature of a consumer society dictates that there will be differences between groups within society. In order to prolong a consumer society people have to devour and some people will non be able to make that. Although we have moved off from the divisions of industrial society where blue bloods and mill proprietors were the consumers and it would look a more incorporate society. so much accent is placed on consuming and the goods we consume that there are legion differences.

Mentions –

Making Social Lives. Stephanie Taylor. Steve Hinchcliffe. John Clarke and Simon Bromley. The Open University ( 2009 )