Buying and selling..... The chapter starts by comparing department store experience of mid-1800s with the experience today, and comments on how the march of big brand supermarkets adversely effects the small family stores. It talks about capitalism and the role of production v consumption and which is the real driver, considering that consumerism used to fulfill desires, but now appears instead to fuel desires. The chapter then discusses the Marxist theory that production exists due to the exploitation of workers. This leads on to the discussion of 'Class', and the views of Marx v Weber.
The role of consumerism as part of identity is explored, and how advertising can sell a lifestyle, thus fueling consumerism as part of a 'self perpetuating cycle'. The link between consumption, identity & lifestyle is also commented on.
The chapter ends with a discussion of power within a consumer society. This is quite a broad discussion and at times drifts into impenetrable 'social science gobboldygook', although I fully agree with the author, who after quoting Michel Foucault goes on to say "Foucault's writing is quite difficult to follow".
Foucault says 'A discourse is a set of knowledges and practices that create their own truth. A discourse is 'true', if taken to be true, not by virtue of being proven true...', it reads as though he is implying a 'discourse' is what is more commonly known as 'common knowledge', but it is surely more complicated than that.
My partner said she thought I would struggle with a social science course as I apparently have a brain that is 'hard-wired for absolutes and structure', and having waded through the later part of Chapter 4 I can see that she is, as always, extremely perceptive - this could be a struggle!
No comments:
Post a Comment