Consumer Culture

Definition

Consumer culture refers to the social and economic order that encourages the acquisition of goods and services in ever-increasing amounts. It is a culture where the buying and consuming of material possessions is seen as a primary means of personal expression, status, and satisfaction.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The rise of consumer culture in the United States was closely tied to the rapid industrialization and urbanization that occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
2. Innovations in mass production, marketing, and advertising played a key role in shaping and promoting consumer culture by making goods more affordable and desirable.
3. The growth of consumer credit, such as installment plans and credit cards, allowed more people to purchase goods beyond their immediate means, further fueling the consumer culture.
4. The shift from a producer-oriented economy to a consumer-oriented economy was accelerated by the post-World War II economic boom, which led to higher incomes, more leisure time, and a growing middle class.
5. The increasing influence of popular media, such as magazines, radio, and television, helped to disseminate and reinforce the values and aspirations of consumer culture.

Review Questions

• Explain how the rise of consumer culture in the United States was connected to the industrialization and urbanization of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • The rapid industrialization and urbanization that occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States laid the foundation for the rise of consumer culture. Industrialization led to mass production, making goods more affordable and accessible to a growing urban population. Urbanization, with its concentration of people in cities, created new markets and opportunities for the sale and distribution of consumer goods. Additionally, the shift from a predominantly agrarian economy to an industrial one led to higher incomes and more disposable wealth, which fueled the desire and ability to consume.
• Describe the role of innovations in mass production, marketing, and advertising in shaping and promoting consumer culture.
  • Innovations in mass production, marketing, and advertising were crucial in the development and promotion of consumer culture in the United States. Mass production techniques, such as assembly lines, allowed for the efficient and cost-effective manufacture of a wide range of consumer goods. Marketing strategies, including branding and targeted advertising, created new desires and aspirations among consumers, convincing them that they needed these products to achieve a certain lifestyle or social status. The rise of mass media, such as magazines, radio, and television, further disseminated these marketing messages, making consumer goods and the associated cultural values more accessible and desirable to the general public.
• Analyze how the growth of consumer credit, such as installment plans and credit cards, contributed to the expansion of consumer culture.
  • The growth of consumer credit, including installment plans and credit cards, played a significant role in the expansion of consumer culture in the United States. By allowing people to purchase goods beyond their immediate means, consumer credit enabled more individuals to participate in the acquisition of material possessions as a primary means of personal expression and status. This access to credit, combined with the increasing affordability of consumer goods, further fueled the desire for consumption and the accumulation of material possessions. The ease of obtaining credit also encouraged impulse purchases and the normalization of debt as a means to maintain a certain lifestyle, ultimately reinforcing the values and aspirations of the consumer culture.

Related terms

Consumerism:

An economic and social order that is based on the systematic creation and fostering of a desire to purchase goods and services in ever greater amounts.

Materialism:

A value system that emphasizes the importance of acquiring material possessions and physical comfort as a primary source of satisfaction and status in life.

Planned Obsolescence:

A manufacturing strategy in which products are designed to have a limited useful life, so that consumers will be compelled to replace them frequently.