Sociology 125 Lecture 8

Thursday, September 27

Consumerism

DefinitionsDefinitions

ConsumerismConsumerism: The belief that : The belief that personal well-being, happiness and personal well-being, happiness and status depend largely on the level status depend largely on the level of personal consumption, of personal consumption, particularly the acquisition of particularly the acquisition of material goods.material goods.

Hyper-consumerismHyper-consumerism: the frenetic : the frenetic pursuit of consumer goodspursuit of consumer goods

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2400

1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007

Square Footage

Growth in median size of new home construction in the U.S., 1963-2007

% of new home construction

Under 1,200 square feet

Over 2,500 square feet

Construction of Small & Big houses, 1973-2005

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

Over 2500 square feet

Under 1200 square feet

What is wrong with consumerism?What is wrong with consumerism?

What is wrong with consumerism?What is wrong with consumerism? 1.1. There are big There are big negative externalities negative externalities from from

consumerismconsumerism

2.2. Consumerism in fact does not make most people Consumerism in fact does not make most people happyhappy

3.3. There are There are systematic biases systematic biases in the system which in the system which generate consumerism. If these system-biases generate consumerism. If these system-biases were eliminated, many – maybe most – people were eliminated, many – maybe most – people would adopt a less consumerist life style. would adopt a less consumerist life style.

System bias #1:System bias #1:

Profit maximizing strategiesProfit maximizing strategies

1 week of time

2 weeks of time

System bias #2:System bias #2:

Market-failures in leisureMarket-failures in leisure

Number of hours more per year on average that Americans work than people in other countries

.5 weeks

3.4 weeks

6 weeks

9 weeks

0

10

20

30

40

50

Nothing 40% of payraise

70% of payraise

100% of payraise

The percentage of workers who would give up different proportions of a future pay raise for additional leisure?

From Juliet Schor, The Overworked American, p. 130

0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0

weeks of paid vacation

Italy

Germany

Netherlands

Denmark

Portugal

Austria

Belgium

Finland

France

Spain

Sweden

U.K.

Norway

Switzerland

Ireland

United States

System bias #3:System bias #3:

Changing reference group for Changing reference group for consumption normsconsumption norms

System bias #4:System bias #4:

Credit cardsCredit cards

System bias #5:System bias #5:

Rising inequality increases Rising inequality increases consumerismconsumerism

System bias #6:System bias #6:

Abandonment of public Abandonment of public consumption by affluentconsumption by affluent