Consumer capitalism
The consumer capitalism (English consumer capitalism is) a concept of political science . He sees the demand for consumer goods at the heart of the capitalist economy. The main assumption is that the consumer is seduced and manipulated. The term is to be distinguished from the central economic concept of consumer sovereignty , which describes the indirect control of the economy through the consumers' purchasing decisions, which are understood as sovereign.
theses
The American political scientist Benjamin Barber outlines consumer capitalism as follows: “In the past, goods were produced to satisfy needs; today one produces needs in order to sell goods. ”. According to Barber, social ties dissolve in consumer capitalism. Capitalism is preparing to triumph over democracy. The consumer is involved in this process of de-democratization by basing his personal identity on brand credibility and lifestyle and by participating less and less in the political process. In consumer capitalism, it is particularly crucial to turn children into consumers and adult consumers into children, which on the one hand robs children of their childhood and, on the other hand, deprives adults of their interest in political participation through childlike, impulsive consumer behavior.
The sociologist Zygmunt Bauman takes a similar position, who assumes that in today's capitalism the “society of producers” has changed to the “society of consumers”.
From the point of view of the social ecologist Rudolf Bahro , a “production battle” is being waged in consumer capitalism, which leads to artificially generated compensatory needs among people.
The social critic Burkhard Bierhoff assumes that capitalism based on mass production is stabilized by consumption, the function of which is to devalue and destroy the goods produced as quickly as possible after purchase, so that production continues and a new, supposedly improved generation of products can be thrown on the market. The range of goods in consumer capitalism by far exceeds a need that appears sensible from the point of view of sustainable production .
Consumer capitalism is also challenged by Chandran Nair as he considers the worldwide expansion of mass consumption - especially in China and India - with the increasing scarcity of non-renewable resources. For ecological reasons, there are therefore narrow limits to consumer capitalism. As a global model for the consumption of all people, it appears to be unsuitable because it represents a collapse model of economic activity instead of a cycle model. Paul Hawken therefore advocates eco-capitalism or "natural capitalism" . The consumer is manipulated in a conscious and coordinated way, especially through advertising and marketing strategies. Buying, even of nonsensical goods, is promoted on a very large scale for the benefit of producers and sellers.
criticism
The theory of consumer capitalism is controversial because it assumes that the manipulation of the demand of the consumer leads to a strong coercive effect. This position is in clear contrast to the concept of consumer sovereignty. While the consumer society contains a largely neutral definition, the critical view of capitalism tied to the concept of consumer capitalism asserts ongoing processes of alienation and exploitation even in advanced capitalism .
literature
- Benjamin Barber (de. Translation: Friedrich Griese): Consumed !: How the market seduces children, infantilizes adults and undermines democracy . CH Beck, Munich 2007, ISBN 3-406-57159-X , p. 395 .
- Zygmunt Bauman (de. Translation: Richard Barth): Life as consumption . Hamburger Edition, Hamburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-86854-211-0 , pp. 203 .
- Burkhard Bierhoff: Consumerism. Critique of a way of life . Centaurus, Freiburg i.Br. 2013, ISBN 978-3-86226-185-7 , pp. 100 .
- Chandran Nair (de. Translation: Elisabeth Liebl): The great consumption. Why the survival of our planet depends on the economic powers of Asia . Riemann, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-641-06335-1 , pp. 255 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Consumer Capitalism. www.emscherplayer.de, accessed on December 19, 2013 .
- ↑ I consume, therefore I am. www.zeit.de, accessed on December 26, 2013 .
- ↑ Wieland Freund: Capitalism makes us all children . In: Welt Online . April 21, 2008 ( welt.de [accessed August 29, 2016]).