The concept of a consumer society and its main features. Planet Consumerland, or Why a consumer society is an extremely useful thing. What is a consumer society

60 years have passed since this interview, which Erich Fromm gave to American journalist and TV presenter Mike Wallace. It was about the modern American society at that time. A little more than half a century has passed, and all that has been said can be attributed to absolutely any country with a developed economy, where one big word "CONSUMPTION" is at the forefront.

You can relate to Fromm in different ways, some people like his work, some do not, I will just note that he has interesting thoughts.

For example, what he wrote in the introduction to his book To Have or To Be:

It is necessary to visualize the enormity of the Great Hopes, the amazing material and spiritual achievements of the industrial age, in order to understand what trauma is inflicted on people today by the knowledge that these Great Hopes are failing. For the industrial age has truly failed to deliver on its Great Promises, and an increasing number of people are beginning to realize that:

- Unlimited satisfaction of all desires does not contribute to well-being, it cannot be the path to happiness. or even getting the most out of it.

The dream of being independent masters of our own lives came to an end when we began to realize that we had become cogs of the bureaucratic machine and our thoughts, feelings and tastes. manipulated by government, industry and their controlled media.

Economic progress has touched only a limited number of rich nations, and the gap between rich and poor nations is widening more and more.

Technological progress itself has created a threat to the environment and the threat of nuclear war, each of which, individually - or both together, are capable of destroying the entire civilization and, possibly, life on Earth in general.

Arriving in Oslo to receive the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize, Albert Schweitzer called on the world to "dare to face the prevailing situation ...

Man has become a superman ... But the superman, endowed with superhuman strength, has not yet risen to the level of superhuman intelligence.

The more his power grows, the poorer he becomes ... Our conscience must awaken from the realization that the more we turn into supermen, the more inhuman we become.".

Modern philosophers and sociologists have attempted to study the "consumer society", and there have been attempts at various classifications of this society. All this can be found without any problems on the Internet.

For example, I will give just a few distinctive features of modern society:

The main features of a modern consumer society:

1. Involvement of the absolute majority of the population in the consumption process.

Consumption ceases to be a way of fighting for physical survival and turns into an instrument for constructing social identity, sociocultural integration into society.

Those. If earlier, some household items or, say, clothes were changed as they wear out, now a certain fashionista just buys a dress for herself in order to spend one evening in it, and then successfully forgets about it and buys herself a new dress or shoes. I remember watching a video, where one lady proudly shows in her luxurious house a separate room, which is occupied by her shoes, the room, I will say right away, is quite large, and not some small pantry. Well, some car lovers just change their cars like gloves, the neighbor changed and I also need it.

2. Revolutionary changes in the organization of trade, services.

Key positions are occupied by large shopping centers, supermarkets turning into places of leisure, museums of contemporary consumer culture. At the same time, the behavior of shoppers is changing radically: the so-called shopping about - shopping about without a more or less clearly perceived goal - is becoming more and more a widespread form of leisure.

This is probably familiar to many people, isn't it? Just go shopping, without any special purpose, "gawk", so to speak.

3. A revolution in communications.

A new information space is emerging, in which traditional ideas about space and time do not work. A variety of social networks are formed and supported through it: relatives, friends, professional, etc. Communication is increasingly shifting to the Internet, conventional telephone networks and the cellular system. All this allows you to significantly intensify communication, expand the circle of people involved in it. But at the same time, communication turns into a paid service: it is already difficult to imagine modern interpersonal relations without the mediation of a provider.

Agree that this is familiar to everyone, if earlier communication was "live", ie. came to visit, discussed something, talked, but now it is mainly cellular and the Internet. We pay for the services of both the cellular operator and the provider, i.e. in fact, we pay third parties for communication that used to be "live". Of course, there is an exception when it comes to someone who lives far from you, but modern people, even with their neighbors or just acquaintances, at the moment, often communicate by phone or via the Internet.

4.The emergence of a developed credit system.

The emergence of various forms of electronic bank cards has dramatically accelerated the decision-making process for more or less large purchases and minimized the time for reflection. The culture of accumulation is becoming a thing of the past. The money, as soon as it appears, is immediately used to purchase goods on credit. Inflation, even at a moderate pace, stimulates the development of a culture of waste: money kept at home or in a bank depreciates, so it is more efficient to immediately put it into consumption.

5. Transformation of the mass consumer credit system into a new form of social control.

When a house, a car, and furniture are purchased on credit, the well-being of the family depends very much on the stability of the workplace. Any form of protest, conflict in the workplace is fraught with its loss and the collapse of credit well-being. The persistence of the unemployment factor reinforces this fear and willingness to compromise with the employer.

Life on credit for many people has become an integral part of their life. We paid off one loan, we immediately take another one, or maybe 2 or 3 at the same time, these are the realities of modern life.

Advertising turns into a kind of means of production: it produces desires, perceived needs and interests. At the same time, rational and functional arguments in favor of choosing this product are increasingly inferior to its presentation as a symbol of a certain prestigious lifestyle. Advertising of a consumer society generates a desire to belong to a certain group or type of people, thanks to the possession of a specific product.

7. Building a brand cult.

The result of production is not goods endowed with some functional properties, but brands - trade marks that have turned into phenomena of mass consciousness (images, assessments, expectations, symbols, etc.). The production and sale of brands becomes efficient economic activities as people pay for their own performances.

8. Creation of a new personality type.

A key feature of the modern consumer society is the propensity to consume as a way of constructing one's identity. Because of this, the full satisfaction of even basic needs becomes impossible, since identity requires daily reproduction. Hence the paradox of high labor activity of a person who is already full, has a roof over his head and has a fairly extensive wardrobe. The logical consequence of the development of the capitalist mode of production is the formation of an insatiable consumer, for whom consumption is the main content of his life.

The whole point of this point is contained in just one word, which is repeated ad infinitum, or you can say in a circle, the word is “buy” ... buy ... and buy again.

There are also arguments for and against the consumer society.

"PER"

1. Consumption contributes to the emergence of good and responsible government that contributes to the long-term social stability necessary for society.

("Good and responsible government" - this argument is very similar to a bedtime story)

2. In a consumer society, producers have an incentive to improve and create new goods and services that contribute to overall progress.

(The question is, what is all this for, for the benefit of society as a whole or for making money? These are two completely different things, the interests of the whole society and the interests of a separate group of people, for which only your pocket is important)

3. High consumer standards are an incentive for making money and, as a result, hard work, long-term studies, and advanced training.

(And is there happiness in this? To work 12-15 hours a day, to satisfy your unbridled desires, to buy as much as possible, to own as much as possible.)

4. Consumption helps to reduce social tension.

(I mean, buy and don't think about anything else?)

5. Consumer motives of behavior soften national and religious prejudices, which helps to reduce extremism, increase tolerance. In addition, a person in a consumer society, as a rule, is less inclined to take risks.

(Something that cannot be said about modern society)

6. The consumption of raw materials and goods from the third world countries contributes to their development.

(It is necessary to help those who live with you on the same planet, and not consume your neighbors).

"AGAINST"

The consumer society makes a person dependent, dependent.
Consumption becomes the main goal of the individual, and hard work, study, professional development are only a side effect.
The consumer society is based on natural resources, most of which are irreplaceable.
The consumer society exists exclusively in highly developed countries, while the third world countries are used as a raw material appendage.
In a consumer society, the acceleration of processes is encouraged. Including negative, destructive processes are accelerated.
In a consumer society, the responsibility of an individual is reduced. For example, the responsibility for the pollution of the environment by plant emissions rests entirely with the manufacturer, not with the consumer.
The duality of the development process. For the functioning of a consumer society, only a thin layer of people who ensure progress is sufficient. Increased requirements are imposed on them. The rest, most of the society is engaged in ensuring the smooth operation of equipment. The requirements for such people are reduced.
... This leads to the fooling of people, their degradation as individuals, the decline of mass culture. In addition, it simplifies the manipulation of consciousness, since it is very easy to deceive dark, ignorant people. Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Arnold wrote:

American colleagues explained to me that the low level of general culture and school education in their country is a conscious achievement for the sake of economic goals... The fact is that, having read books, an educated person becomes a worse buyer: he buys less washing machines and cars, begins to prefer Mozart or Van Gogh, Shakespeare or theorems to them. The economy of the consumer society suffers from this and, above all, the income of the owners of life - so they try to prevent culture and education (which, in addition, prevent them from manipulating the population like a herd devoid of intelligence)

And now I propose to look at modern society in pictures (funny and not at all funny).

Modern zombie people spend most of their lives with a phone in their hands. The phone is a dear and closest thing for them, and the owner himself loves this toy further more than the people around him, and some owners of these devices even stroke and kiss them, talk to them affectionately.

"Happy" car owners. Sitting proudly in their acquisition, they sometimes do not notice the people around them, and from some of them the importance is just so. Put your car so that others would have nowhere to walk, while finding thousands of excuses, there is a pedestrian crossing in front, and what really needs to be slowed down? They will wait, because I'm in a hurry! This is the essence of some of the "lucky" car owners.

The modern world has given birth to a new kind of heroes. And if before the epic heroes had a choice "At the fork in the paths-roads lies the Prophetic Stone, and on it the inscription:" You will go to the right - you will lose a horse, you will save yourself; if you go to the left, you will lose yourself, you will save a horse; if you go straight, you will lose yourself and your horse. ", Then the stone stands in front of today's heroes with completely different inscriptions.

"Discount" and "Sale" are two magic words that make a modern person out of ... but by the way, see for yourself, who are these people like?

And how do you like the satisfied face of the operator? who takes it all off (in the penultimate photo).

Next picture: a person needs help, let's say he slipped and fell. There will certainly be someone who, instead of helping to get up, will take out his favorite toy from his pocket and start filming this unfortunate person. And then he will post it all on the Internet in the humor category.

Especially for such people, I would like to put the following picture:

The world of advertising. The streets of modern cities, for the most part, are one big sign with the word "buy". I decided to watch TV and you are immediately reminded that you need to buy something. I went online, and what, don't you want to buy anything?

TV man. He spends most of his free time looking into this wonderful box. Countless talk shows and TV series, is there anything else you need? A TV man doesn't need anything else, a natural desire to spy on how others live, even if this is just an invention of the scriptwriters. The very desire is due to curiosity, which is in every person, but you can study the world around you, for example, or you can just spy on others. And Life is passing by ...

The purpose of this article is not to analyze in detail modern society, I just showed some pictures from the life of a modern person. And where have we come to at the moment? I have one more, last picture.

In conclusion, I want to return to Fromm again. This is what he writes about the nature of possession. Quite interesting, in my opinion, writes. He notes that the possession of something is just an illusion. the person himself is not eternal, and what a person aspires to possess is also not eternal, there is nothing eternal in this material world. Moreover, a person becomes dependent on what he aspires to possess (a slave to his own desires). Man himself becomes a thing because he directly depends on what he wants to have (everyone is familiar with obsessive thoughts to acquire something that revolve in a circle in his head). Fromm notes that such a connection is deadly, not life-giving.

THE NATURE OF POSSESSION

The nature of possession stems from the nature of private property. With this mode of existence, the most important thing is the acquisition of property and my unlimited right to preserve everything that I have acquired. The mode of possession excludes all others; it does not require me to make any further efforts to maintain or use my property productively. In Buddhism, this mode of behavior is described as "gluttony", and Judaism and Christianity call it "greed"; he turns everyone and everything into something lifeless, subject to someone else's power.

The statement "I have something" means the connection between the subject "I" (or "he", "we", "you", "they") and the object "O".

It implies that the subject is constant, just like the object. However, is this constancy inherent in the subject? Or an object? After all, I will die someday; I may lose my position in society, which guarantees me the possession of something. An object is just as fickle: it can break, be lost, or lose its value. Conversations about the permanent possession of something are associated with the illusion of the constancy and indestructibility of matter.... And although it seems to me that I possess everything, in fact I do not possess anything, since my possession, possession of an object and power over it are just a passing moment in the process of life.

Ultimately, the affirmation of "I am the definition of" I "through my possession of" O ".

The subject is not "I as such," but "I as that which I possess." My property creates me and my personality. The statement "I am I" has a subtext "I am I, since I have X", where X denotes all natural objects and living beings with which I correlate myself through my right to control them and make them my permanent belonging.

In the possession orientation, there is no living connection between me and what I own. Both the object of my possession and I turned into things, and I have the object because I have the power to make it mine. But there is also a feedback here:

the object possesses me because my sense of identity, that is, mental health is based on my possession of the object (and as many things as possible). This mode of existence is not established through a living, productive process between subject and object; he transforms both the subject and the object into things. The connection between them is deadly, not life-giving.

And half a century ago and now there are people who think and ask themselves the question: “Is everything all right with us? With humanity, in general, where has this consumer society led us and is there a way out? " I highlighted one, in my opinion, important point in the text and I will duplicate it.

« The moral values of a consumer society deny the need for a comprehensive mental, moral and spiritual development of a person »

It was also noted who benefits from such a society, in which there is no place for the moral and spiritual development of people, to increase their educational level. It is beneficial to the so-called "masters of life" who find it easier to manage the consumer society, because this society is like a herd of animals. In the pictures I have given, this herd is very clearly visible under the heading "Discount and Sale".

Is it profitable for you? For those who are reading or will be reading this article, just give yourself an honest answer. Would you like your children to live in this very consumer society, or maybe the society should be different, with a predominance of completely different values? By other values, of course, I mean, first of all, the predominance of moral and spiritual development in society.

The world is now approaching a new (although this is relative, given that history is cyclical) stage of its existence. This is a time of global cataclysms, and after the release of the program "Se is Coming", many already understand that we are already very close to this stage. Who does not believe, I can only say that soon you will see everything yourself, so to speak with your own eyes. As strange as it may sound, there is one plus in this stage. In the conditions in which mankind will be placed, or it would be more correct to say in which it has put itself, more and more people will begin to ask themselves a simple question, "Is there a way out?" After all, the rules artificially imposed on society, with the tacit consent of this very society, in the era of cataclysms simply do not work. And a lot will depend on the answer to this question for each person. The fate of all mankind as a whole.

Prepared by Igor (Vyatka)

society of industrially developed countries, characterized by massive consumption of material goods and the formation of an appropriate system of value orientations and attitudes. The consumer society is one of the options (along with such options as the welfare state, mixed economy, post-industrial society) of the final state of the so-called. transformation of capitalism, that is, the theory of the evolution of capitalism in non-capitalist societies.

The consumer society is the state of most of the developed countries of the world, primarily the countries of the West. Such societies are characterized by the fact that each individual in such a society is hammered into the brain with the idea of unbridled consumption of everything that is possible, and in this regard, the cult of private property as the highest manifestation of consumption. At the same time, consumption itself is elevated to a principle - sometimes even if an old thing is still usable, it is still changed due to the loss of fashion, attractiveness, etc. In this regard, packaging of goods and their advertising - cost they sometimes exceed the cost of production of the goods themselves. Therefore, the term "packaging society" is sometimes used as a synonym.

It is quite clear that ensuring this state of affairs is impossible in the case of conducting an economic economy in its original sense, namely in housekeeping in order to maintain a balance, which consists in the principle of "consumption in exactly as much volume as required." The consumer society is a direct descendant of the market economy, that is, chrematistics - the doctrine of gaining benefits for the sake of benefit itself. Western countries, like fragments of former empires, sucked and still are sucking resources to maintain their level of consumption from other countries of the world.

It is very strange to see that the same cult of consumption is being imposed in Russia, and in a rather wild version. The largest centers - Moscow and, to a lesser extent, St. Petersburg are turning into consumption black holes that suck resources from the rest of Russia. It can be assumed that this state of affairs is created deliberately within the framework of the creation of the notorious system of checks and balances, when people united by one ethnicity should be divided into certain classes that will not allow people to unite in the struggle against supranational villains who have usurped power. This is a continuation of the “divide and rule” policy towards the citizens of their own state.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

CONSUMER SOCIETY

a widespread metaphor for describing the state of modern society, characterized by industrialization and urbanization, standardization of production, bureaucratization of social life, the spread of "mass culture", the absolutization of human material needs and giving consumerism the status of the highest social, moral value.

The development of civilization led to a significant increase in scientific and technological achievements, which made it possible to ensure a high level of consumption of material goods. One of the foundations of the ideology of an industrial society was the educational idea of progress. It was industrialism that first gave birth to a mode of production with a self-sustaining capacity for growth and expansion.

The idea of progress was refracted in the public consciousness of bourgeois society into the conviction that everything new is deliberately better than the old. Progress has been reoriented towards shortening the life cycle of manufactured products, accelerating the change of its generations. This gave rise to a special phenomenon: the supply economy and the consumer society.

The international division of labor has led to the unfolding process of globalization, spreading universal, "universal" values, unified standards of consumption throughout the world, regardless of religious or national traditions, historical types of civilizations. The imposition of these and other standards, passed off as absolute truths, is inevitably accompanied by the impoverishment of thinking, the suppression of original, independent opinions. The victory of the civilization of the standard over the culture of the individual led to the elimination of the individual human factor in history.

Thus, the consumer society turns out to be the most totalitarian social structure of all that has ever existed on Earth, but its totalitarianism is unobtrusive and disguised as a huge, previously unseen freedom of choice of material goods.

A consumer society is also a new historical type of socialization. The famous historian D. Burstin argued that in the United States in the middle of the XX century. adherence to certain consumer standards turned out to be the main force that binds people in communities: “Outdated political and religious communities remained alone among a multitude of new associations that were previously difficult to even imagine. Americans with ever-increasing strength began to be tied to each other not by a few strong bonds, but by an innumerable number of invisible ties, from which, like a spider's web, the threads of their daily life were intertwined. "

Consumers who prefer the products of this or that company are united by the consciousness of common welfare, common interests, a common feeling that they are cared for, taken care of, a whole society “put at the service of the idea of happiness” adapts to them. As the French philosopher J. Baudrillard notes, this is how a “new humanism” is formed in the consumer society, which affirms the freedom to enjoy life and the right of every consumer to buy what can bring him joy, provides schemes for adapting to society and recipes for a comfortable life.

Through the sweet chanting of consumer goods, the true imperative of advertising is heard: “Look: the whole society is busy adapting to you and your desires. Therefore, it would be wise for you to integrate into this society. "

The general degradation of the idea of labor, which “marks the retreat into the background of all incentives to work, except for money” (M. Lerner), was a clear departure from the spirit of entrepreneurship and the cult of labor, which, according to M. Weber, gave rise to capitalism, creation as the highest, religiously consecrated values.

The acceptance of the value of consumption as the main goal of human existence has become a necessary and perhaps the main condition for the existence of modern Western society.

Its power is provided not by military force, not by financial flows, not by natural resources, but by the dominance of the cult of total consumerism in the mass consciousness. It is he who, having become an element of consciousness, determines the behavior of individuals and social groups.

The desire for consumption, which does not know borders, which has become the dominant of the socio-economic and cultural life of the West, has long come into conflict with the resource potential of the Earth. H. Wells once wrote: “It would be ridiculous to prove that the combined world resources and energies of all mankind, especially if they are well organized, will suffice with a surplus to satisfy the material needs of every human unit. And if it is possible to arrange so that each person will be content with reasonable physical and mental comfort, without reproducing a lower order type, there is no reason why this should not be arranged. "

The orientation of people towards ever greater growth in production and consumption has created bills for which there is no one to pay. The finiteness of nature, the limited nature of its resources do not provide opportunities for unlimited growth of production. Realization of this fact led Western society not to the idea of creating resource-saving technologies and pacifying its growing needs (the United States, where 5% of the world's population lives, consumes 40% of the world's resources), but to the formation of the concept of the “golden billion”.

In the modern Western "consumer society" there is no degree of reasonable limitation of needs, a mechanism of control over their growth. Moreover, unrestrained, nothing and no one limited satisfaction, in accordance with the norms imposed by society, the needs are presented by the media as a model of normal, natural, the only correct human behavior.

The totalitarian model of a consumer society is unceremoniously imposed on the whole world as universal. And this expansion is spreading thanks to the Internet and other modern media at the speed of a pandemic.

For the first time consciously, the consumer society began to be promoted by the American presidents D. Eisenhower, J. Kennedy, L. Johnson. Material security, in their opinion, should have become the main trump card in the cold war with the USSR: “Let the Russians launch satellites, let them free blacks from the slavery of colonialism, let them be proud of their achievements in chess and ballet, and we will just ... live better in the end in the end, the masses will follow our ideals. "

It is generally accepted that socialism collapsed in our country in 1991. In fact, this happened much earlier, when N. Khrushchev proclaimed his famous slogan: "To catch up and overtake America in milk and meat." It was then that the Soviet leadership recognized the values of the consumer society as universal, declaring the country's main goal "to meet the ever-increasing material needs of Soviet people", which supposedly is the meaning of building communism as a society "in which everything will be free." Khrushchev's substitution of the communist social ideal with the values of the consumer society led to catastrophic consequences for the country in the 1980s and 90s.

In the United States in recent years, a movement of anti-consumers has been growing, who argue: the meaning of a person's life is not in the consumption of material goods, and therefore the meaning of the life and activities of the nation, the state should also not be aimed at economic growth. Instead of a ministry of economics, anti-consumers propose to create a ministry of spirit and free time.

In Russia, the “consumer society” paradigm is still dominant. In the programs of all parties, raising the standard of living of the people stands as the main goal, only the ways of achieving it differ.

However, such a goal is not at all obvious. Just as the meaning of the life of an individual is not limited to the consumption of material goods, the meaning of the life of the people also, perhaps, consists in the implementation of a mission, in a historical achievement, for which it is often necessary to give up a high standard of living.

Excellent definition

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English society, consumer; German Konsumgesellschaft. Modern society of industrially developed countries, characterized by massive consumption of material goods and the formation of an appropriate system of value orientations and attitudes. See WELL-BEING STATES THEORY.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Consumer society

characteristics of the development of society, the features of which are a high level of income of the population, a changed structure of consumption, in which an increasing place is occupied by the costs of purchasing durable goods, recreation, education, culture, an increase in free time, the individualization of consumption patterns, a reduction in employment in the sphere of material production, and growth in the number of people employed in intellectual activities, in the field of management, etc. Consumption style is becoming more of a feature

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

CONSUMER SOCIETY

one of the characteristics of modern society (modern society), which is increasingly organized on the basis of the principle of consumption. This is usually associated with such social changes as income growth, which significantly changes the structure of consumption (more and more funds are spent not on essential goods, but on durable goods, leisure, etc.); decrease in working hours and increase in free time; the erosion of the class structure and the multifactorial nature of social differentiation, leading to the fact that the formation of identity is shifting more and more from the labor sphere to the sphere of leisure and consumption; individualization of consumption, which forms an individual style and image. As for the economy, in accordance with these changes, it is often called the "consumer economy" (and not the producer), where it is not the supply that forms the demand, but, on the contrary, the demand forms the supply. The market is segmented, and individual consumption reflects not only the social characteristics of the consumer, being a demonstration of his social status, but also the features of his individual lifestyle.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

Consumer society

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

CONSUMPTION SOCIETY

CONSUMER SOCIETY) This term embodies the idea that modern societies are distinguished by the fact that they are increasingly organized around consumption. The characteristics of consumer societies are the subject of a rapidly evolving and somewhat inconsistent controversy that discusses the following. (1) Growing abundance. In general, the population of Western countries has more money for consumer goods, recreation and leisure. (2) Working hours have been decreasing since the beginning of the 20th century, leaving more and more time for leisure. (3) The identity of individuals is based on their activities as consumers and leisure activities as much (if not more) than on their work activities. Consumer culture has emerged in societies. (4) Due to the aestheticization of everyday life, the presentation by the individual of his image and the construction of his life style are of greater interest; at the same time, both the one and the other presupposes the acquisition of various kinds of goods. The consumption of these goods is organized not around a need, but around a "dream." (5) Acts of consumption, the development of a lifestyle, the acquisition of certain goods are increasingly used as markers of social position. People use so-called "positional goods" to showcase their membership in certain social groups and to distinguish between themselves and others. (6) If earlier, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the main sources of social differentiation were social class, race or gender, then at the end of the 20th century. they have been replaced by patterns of consumption or consumption of difference. (7) In consumer societies, consumers acquire power and authority at the expense of producers, be they producers of goods or professionals who offer certain services, such as doctors, teachers or lawyers. In some respects, the economic position of the consumer replaces his political rights and obligations - the citizen is replaced by the consumer. (8) An increasing number of goods and services, as well as an increasing part of human experience and aspects of everyday life, are being commodified (become a commodity) or put up for sale. The market extends to all spheres of life, and shopping becomes a form of leisure. Many contributors to the consumerist controversy point out that sociological analysis has been overly focused on production - the experience and consequences of paid work - and not enough on consumption. While modern societies do possess some of these traits, it is by no means obvious that they possess all of these traits. It is also not clear what their meaning might be, and whether they should be welcomed. For example, it has been argued that class, race and gender continue to be some of the most important sources of social differentiation, and that the aestheticization of everyday life is by no means characteristic of the majority. Many authors question the consumer society empowering consumers, arguing that it is the result of the spread of capitalist values and further alienates the rich from the poor. See also: Adorno; Bourdieu; Capitalism; Commodification; Marcuse; Postmodern; Postmodernism; Advertising; Abundance Society; Frankfurt School. Lit .: Lury (1996)

(19 estimates, on average: 5,00 out of 5)

We - consumer society... And this is rather sad ... Today I want to bring to your attention some of my thoughts on this matter, and also consider the main characteristic features of a consumer society, in which you can easily recognize the surrounding reality. I would really like you to think about it and, perhaps, change your attitude towards some things that have long turned into habits, bad habits.

What is a consumer society?

In the classical understanding, a consumer society is a society in which the leading role is played by the consumption of material goods and services by people. In other words, people in a consumer society live in order to consume, consume as much as possible, because this is a very significant value. Some people form an opinion about others based on how much they consume. Who consumes more - occupies a higher position in society, who less - a lower.

The classical consumer society has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages include the following points:

Stimulus and motivation for the development of both producers and consumers;
Everything is developing at a very fast pace;
People want to work and earn;
People quickly spend what they earn - money is always in motion, in circulation;
Relative social stability in society;
Low social tension - everyone thinks about how to make and spend money.

Now let's look at the main disadvantages of a consumer society:

People in a consumer society become very dependent and dependent;
In pursuit of consumption, people forget about more important human values;
Due to the high rates of production, natural resources are quickly depleted, very often they are not restored;
All processes occur very quickly, including destructive ones;
People have not developed a sense of responsibility, the responsibility of an individual to society is very small;
Most people are illiterate and underdeveloped, they do not know how to think, they are easy to control and manipulate consciousness;
People are incapable of making decisions, they are accustomed to the fact that others decide everything for them.

The most famous description of the consumer society is contained in the book "The Consumer Society" by Jean Baudrillard, a French sociologist, culturologist and philosopher, published in 1970. The book was released in Russian translation only in 2006.

Characteristics of a consumer society

Now let's outline the main features that can characterize a consumer society:

Growing needs of people and spending on personal needs;
Reducing the role of small shops in favor of large shopping centers and supermarkets;
Wide development of consumer lending:, etc .;
Wide development of all kinds of discount cards, discount systems and other products that stimulate consumption;
Products “become obsolete” faster than they physically wear out or fail;
Advertising actively imposes a “culture of consumption”: not the goods and services themselves are advertised, but tastes, values, desires, norms of behavior, interests that imply the purchase of these goods and services;
Such a concept as “brand” is actively promoted, as something that must be “paid for”;
All important areas of human development are put on a commercial basis: education (training centers, paid courses, trainings), sports, health (fitness centers, gyms, sports clubs), even beauty and appearance (paid body care, anti-aging procedures, plastic surgery) - all of this is actively advertised and promoted.

Do you notice the surrounding reality in this? This suggests that our consumer society is actively developing.

Consumer society and our reality

But that consumer society, which all of you can observe around you, and to which, with a high degree of probability, you can be numbered directly, has gone quite far from its classical example, and, moreover, for the worse. It practically does not use the classical advantages of the consumer society, but it has absorbed all the disadvantages in many times.

For the most part, our people do not want and do not know how to take responsibility for their lives and are used to putting it on someone else: as a rule, on the state, or even personally on the president.

Look at what concepts politicians who go to elections are most often focusing on to raise their ratings: salaries, pensions, jobs - perhaps this is the TOP-3. And why exactly these concepts? Because most of all people want to hear them - the consumer society. Because people want some “kind uncle” who came to power to give them all this: salaries, pensions and jobs. The bigger, the better. Because all this will make it possible to consume more.

And also because people themselves cannot and do not want to take care of their own workplace, their earnings and ensuring old age. Few people think about how to, or create for themselves. People prefer to be dependent on someone who will do it for them: from the state, from the employer. Even though it is much less profitable financially. Because it’s easier: you don’t need to think hard, you don’t need to take risks, you don’t need to make decisions, you don’t need to take responsibility. Typical consumer society.

In the meantime, all this is not there (desired jobs, high salaries and pensions), you can scold the government, organize a protest or just complain about life.

The situation in modern Russia is very interesting: when some local problems arise, say, in a separate settlement or at a separate enterprise, what do people often do? They write a collective letter to the president: only he will solve all their problems! One single person, whom the whole country is looking at with hope! Consumer society…

But the most depressing thing is that the values of the consumer society are in no way combined with the real capabilities of our people and our economy. And, which is very important, with the level.

In developed countries, a consumer society also exists and is developing, but there it does not have such a negative effect on each individual person as we do.

Judge for yourself: in Russia and Ukraine, from 2000 to 2012, almost every year there was an increase in consumption, its rates reached 10-15% per year, while the growth in consumption often significantly exceeded the growth in production and the growth in real incomes of citizens. Moreover, even in the crisis years of 2008-2009, there was also an increase in consumption, just its rates were decreasing. It stopped and began to decline only in 2014-2015, when it had already reached a very serious scale.

What does the excess of consumption rates over GDP growth rates indicate? The fact that the consumer society has such a strong influence that people bought even more than the country produced, that is, they bought imported products, stimulating the development of the economy of foreign countries.

And this situation has a very negative impact on the country's own economy. It stimulates unreasonable price increases and, as a result, leads to the fact that local manufactured goods cannot compete with imported ones.

And what does the excess of consumption rates over income growth rates indicate? That a significant part of goods and services were consumed on credit. People in a consumer society agree, if only to comply with the principles of this society.

In our conditions, for such an opportunity, people for many years have given banks and other credit institutions tens and even hundreds (!) Percent per annum, which is absolutely not combined with the growth of their income and the ability to painlessly repay received loans. As a result, a huge number of people are now in: they have debts that many times exceed their ability to repay, for many it is 5-10 loans and borrowings in different organizations. That is, people borrowed to the last, while they were still being given. This is due to the stereotypes imposed by the consumer society, and, of course, the low level of financial literacy and literacy in general (remember that people living in the consumer society are not used to thinking).

The consumer society, together with our credit conditions, is one of the key reasons for a huge number of people to fall into the financial hole.

Our people absolutely do not know how to live within their means, they want not only to consume a lot, but even to consume what they have not yet earned! After all, this is required by the standards of the consumer society.

Let's take a hackneyed example: well, why would our person buy an iPhone of the latest model, which costs, say, 3 of his salary? Buy on credit, overpaying about half the cost. And a year later, again, to buy a new model on credit, because it is already outdated (recall the sign of rapid "obsolescence" in the consumer society).

Why buy a branded item if the item of an unknown brand is in no way inferior in quality, but, say, 2 times cheaper? (remember the importance of the brand concept).

Why, to play sports, go to an expensive sports club instead of free charging at the local stadium, which can be in no way inferior in quality, and even be more useful?

Consider how people most often justify their excessive consumption:

You only live once!

I can afford it!

That I am worse than others?

But these are by no means a person's own thoughts - these are stereotypes imposed on him by the consumer society. This will be the assertion of a human consumer who is easily influenced. And he will be sure that as a result he got into a financial hole not through his own fault, but, for example, through the fault of the employer (he fired him and stopped paying his salary) or through the fault of the state (it did not create a new job for him) or the fault of the bank (he, the bloodsucker, takes the last one). That is, everyone around him is to blame, but not himself - a typical situation for a consumer society.

Why did I devote a separate article to this topic and make it so emotional?

I want everyone to realize that he he can make his own choice... Either live according to the laws of the consumer society, which were imposed on it, and have rather unhappy prospects, or live according to their own rules, which may run counter to public opinion, but specifically for it will be more effective and useful. Personally, I chose the second option for myself a long time ago, which I wish everyone. But, of course, the choice is only yours, and you are responsible for it. Yes, yes, it happens when a person himself can choose and be responsible for his choice.

Thank you for your continued attention. I am always glad to hear any of your opinions in the comments or on the forum. Until next time! Learn to use your personal finance wisely and effectively.

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Comments on record: 21

I was really looking forward to this article, you are reading my thoughts straight. At times, consumption seems to be eating up the brain. By the way, the question is off topic: “How to choose a hosting?”.

Thank you Garry, the more of us there are, the better 😉

And yet, do you consider buying a phone for $ 50 permissible if a person's income does not exceed $ 3,000 per year? I just would like to hear your opinion.

I consider it acceptable, but not necessary.
For example, before the beginning of 2014 I had a very simple phone, which at that time was probably worth $ 30 new. Even earlier, there was an office apparatus that was given to me at work - even simpler. Well, I already had it falling apart (he was about 5 years old, had been in various “troubles”)), and I changed it to a smartphone for about $ 200. First of all, in order to be able to log in to the E-num service, read QR codes and always have the Internet at hand - this was necessary for work. At that time, my Internet was generally free there. But now I do not even use the Internet on it for money, well, except that sometimes Wi-Fi).
So, there are only 3 phones since 2004, one of them is a service one, free)
PS: my wife has one phone since 2006, at that time it was modern, now it is very outdated, but quite enough).
Here's a phone story 🙂

Constantine, we are all members of the consumer society, whether we like it or not. We are consumers, and we ourselves can choose to what extent we want to consume. A person who thinks and knows how to separate what is necessary for him, who does not lend itself to manipulation, will win and move on to the next stage of development. We know how to separate our interests and those of another person. The same can be done in relation to society, it seems to me.

Great article! All to the point. The only thing I do not agree with the author is the opinion: “why buy a car if there is no apartment”. I think that investing in real estate for the purpose of investment is a very unprofitable business. Even if you simply put an amount equivalent to the cost of an apartment on a deposit, (even in foreign currency), then the monthly income from interest will be the amount necessary to rent an excellent apartment and even remain for a living. Not to mention if you invest money in a business where the income is far from 10-15% per annum 🙂 But our people have a lot of stereotypes about this, that it is “reliability, stability, we need our own mink, etc.”. But this is my opinion)

Yuri, thank you for your opinion. I meant buying real estate for my own residence, if it is not there. In my opinion, in most cases, owning your own property is more profitable and more interesting than renting it. Real estate is one of the most important personal assets a person (family) needs to live. But, of course, for some, this may not be the case.

I also fully agree that if you first invest in a business, you can quickly save up for this very real estate. But that buying a car for personal needs is more important than buying a home for personal needs - I disagree). Again, to each his own).

Hi. Almost the same phone history as Kostya's :) :). Since 2000, the fourth. I think that as a training of their own willpower, it would be useful for people to forget their phone at home once a week. Thoughts in my head become brighter. And consumption has become the norm, because the people were hungry and ignorant in Soviet times, but now, with the best intentions, they are pushing their children into this slavery, they say, we didn't have it, let them at least have it. Another thing is unpleasant. The rulers of the planet there benefit from such a rich country as a ‘third world’. I mean, a kind of slave, otherwise, God forbid, he will rise from his knees, what to do with him later. Pay attention, except for the Kalash and the remnants of the luxury of space exploration, there is nothing left. One trade, and that is what their top managers teach us at trainings. It is scary that small businesses are being destroyed or crushed under trade networks, dictating production conditions. Although, at this difficult moment for the country, read people, IMHO, needlework can save us. Small manufacturing business, even bees, even cucumbers, even clay pots. It's time to pull yourself together and start doing at least something. Import substitution. And let the government ascribe these merits to itself. No pity.

“And this situation has a very negative impact on the country's own economy. It stimulates an unjustified rise in prices, and as a result, it leads to the fact that local manufactured goods cannot withstand competition with imported ones ”, - why the rise in prices reduces the competitiveness of domestic goods and does not reduce the competitiveness of foreign ones?

Indeed, foreign industries often move closer to the consumer, that is, to Russia. Therefore, the economy should put pressure on them in the same way as on our producer.

Because domestic goods are becoming more unprofitable to produce. The cost of their production becomes higher than the production of imported goods with a lower quality of products. By the way, it is in Russia that this phenomenon is observed very clearly in many areas.

Thank you Ivan. I agree, everything is so .. I also wrote a lot about this).

The article is correct, but I would like to express a couple of my thoughts on this matter.
First, as Konstantin noted, we are a consumer society, we live in this society, which means that we are obliged to reckon with the rules of a consumer society (we are obliged to reckon, but not obliged to follow them).
To give an example, a person decided to get a job as a CEO, came to an interview in an old worn-out suit (a financially literate person decided that he did not need a new stylish suit because he was higher than this endless consumption), and as a result he was refused, since "They are greeted by their clothes." In our consumer society, it is important not only what is behind the back, but also what is for show, in other words, the image (not just show-off, namely the image that serves to achieve certain goals). A scene from the film “Brothers Duel” comes to mind. The Story of Adidas and Puma ”, where one of the brothers took out a car loan to appear successful and got a loan from the bank. Of course, this can be viewed as an investment in a business, but nevertheless, it can be closely intertwined in our life.

Secondly, with regard to brands. In some cases, buying a brand is really overpaying for unnecessary show-off. But often the brand acts as a guarantor that the item will be of high quality (whatever one may say, but brands are mainly large corporations that have technical advantages over small companies), also choosing a branded item significantly saves time to search for a non-branded product of good quality, that is, it saves time, which is important. And, of course, a brand can increase social status and serve as the basis for creating an image (why this should have already been described in the first paragraph).

Thirdly, there is no need to treat this phenomenon negatively, but you need to learn how to benefit from it. People in the general mass cannot be changed, and you, knowing the principles of the consumer society, can make good money on this. Warren Buffett, for example, is a very cunning beetle in this regard - he only benefits, but does not spend much himself, denies the rules of endless consumption, but what if everyone is as economical as our famous investor? Problems will most likely arise in the economy. But who said that saving so much is good? I think this is a reverse reaction to the principles of a consumer society, saying that consuming a lot is bad, and consuming little is good, but, in my opinion, this is just the other extreme, and this is not good.

In conclusion, I want to say that you need to adhere to the rule of the golden mean everywhere, which, as I noticed, can be applied in almost all areas of life. Applying the rule to the above points, you can make a simple and important conclusion that you need to live within your means. No extremes. Not on credit, like people in a financial hole, but not like Warren Buffett driving an old car, being able to buy a new one. Actually, what is wrong with the fact that having money (being in a state of financial independence) I will consume more, thereby providing myself with a higher quality life? Otherwise, why do I need this financial independence?

I would like to hear Konstantin's opinion on these considerations 🙂

Daniel, wonderful reasoning, I really like it! Especially “benefit” from any situation. Thank you for such an informative addition! 🙂

Image is one of the most useless things in the world. There is no sense in vanity, only to those who sell this product.

Forgive me, I myself consume expensive brands, but I exclusively bought ours for a long time (and about TV, I haven't had it for 7 years, but there is an Internet worse than TV !!! You and I are a society of consumers, whether we want it or not, we have no choice, we eat what they offer us, we look, even the Internet provider is a consumer society, but they don’t understand and don’t take it seriously, gave up their mobile phone for more than two months (people no longer understand that it is possible to come and talk personally, which is more important and more effective than on the mobile) All the rage !!! Here is the society of slaughter, abandoned their rules and you are the enemy !!

Here is what Pavel Durov wrote about this not so long ago (in the VK group and on the forum he posted his entire post). He wrote about the rejection of harmful products, but there was also about the TV. I have a lot of respect for this person, and I think that it is worth listening to him. Here are his words, a quote:

Some young people feel the need to lead a healthy lifestyle, but they break down under the pressure of society. They are told: “It’s accepted”, “It cannot be otherwise”, “This is disrespect”.

I am writing this to show that “so” is possible. If you feel this is the right path, ignore your surroundings.

A society whose traditions are built on self-poisoning has no future. We may well build our life and our world on other values - the values of creation, self-development and hard work.

We live in a time of intense social change. It affects all spheres of human life: the old foundations of society are being destroyed, the priorities of generations are changing, new trends appear in culture, politics, economics, etc. Many people associate this with the advent of a new type of society - post-industrial, opening the era of white collars, information wars, a developed service sector and a consumer society - which we can observe in the USA, Canada, Western Europe, and Japan. In this case, consumption becomes self-sufficient, determines the relationship between the individual and society, social institutions, contributes to the formation of a system of values and motivations, determines the dynamics and direction of social processes.

Many scientists have studied the development of social systems. Among them, the most famous are K. Marx, D. Bell, P. Sorokin, A. Weber, F. Tennis, T.B. Veblen. The theory of post-industrial society received the maximum scientific elaboration in the works of D. Bell "The Coming Post-Industrial Society" and E. Toffler "The Third Wave". D. Bell identified the main criteria for a new type of society, the main ones of which are 1) the central role of theoretical knowledge and 2) an increase in the share of the service sector. E. Toffler identified special waves that radically change the structure of any social system. So there is an agrarian, industrial and post-industrial waves, unevenly spreading among different societies and superimposed on one another (the new wave does not cancel absolutely all the elements of the old one). The theoretical analysis of the phenomenon of consumption is most fully presented in the works of J. Ritzer "Modern Sociological Theories", J. Baudrillard "The Consumer Society: Its Myths and Structures", V.I. Ilyin. Thus, J. Ritzer viewed McDonalization as one of the forms of mass, maximally rationalized consumption that appeared relatively recently. J. Baudrillard presented a very detailed and complete study of the phenomenon of "abundance society", manifested in all spheres of human life in the perspective of development. IN AND. Ilyin, on the other hand, gave an analysis of the current situation in Russia, the correlation between the consumer orientations of society and its real possibilities.

The consumer society became possible with the transition of industrial countries to the post-industrial level of development, characterized primarily by the reorientation of the economy towards service and the dominance of science-intensive industries; erasing the gap between producer and consumer. “Prosumer” economics appears - producer + consumer economics. As the competition intensifies, the active development and implementation of innovative, ergonomic technologies is becoming the key to success. The increase in the amount of information creates a demand for the improvement of computer technology. There is an active space exploration, the development of new directions in science (for example, genetic engineering, nanotechnology).

Economic growth, improved quality of life, and the emergence of mass production allowed the formation of a broad middle class with a high purchasing power. So consumption ceases to be a forced, biologically determined need and develops into a socio-cultural phenomenon. Life without consumption is already unthinkable and impossible - most social relations are built on its basis.

A consumer society is a set of social relations in which individual consumption, mediated by the market, plays a key role. Hence, a new attitude towards "human resources" arises. "The way in which today's society" forms "its members, writes Z. Bauman, dictates, first of all, the duty to play the role of consumers." Such a society is a natural product of mature capitalism. Of course, in any society, individual consumption is, along with production, its basis. But only at a certain stage of development, individual consumption undergoes deep institutionalization and turns into a key factor in the country's economic development. On the one hand, it is increasingly mediated by the institution of the market, and on the other, the existence of a market relatively independent of individual consumption is impossible. A consumer society emerges as a logical result of the development of capitalism.

The most important features of the consumer society model identified by V.I. Ilyin:

? Mass production makes it possible to draw into active consumption, which goes beyond the struggle for physical survival, not only the richest classes of society, but also the absolute majority of the population, albeit to a very different extent.
? Manufacturing is becoming not only mass (conveyor), but also flexible, which allows consumers to design their identity with things. In other words, there is a mass production of symbols of difference, and the satisfaction of the need for them is only a passing moment of equilibrium, again disturbed by the awareness of the need not to merge with the crowd.
? Since the possibilities of production significantly outstrip the possibilities of individual consumption, driven by natural needs, a marketing revolution is taking place, the result of which is the marketing orientation of firms. This means that before producing a new product, the manufacturer thinks about how and to whom it can be sold in conditions when, in principle, there are already means to satisfy this need.
? In the consumer society, revolutionary changes are taking place in the organization of trade and the service sector. Key positions are occupied by large shopping centers, supermarkets turning into places of leisure, museums of contemporary consumer culture. At the same time, the behavior of buyers is radically changing: the so-called shopping about - shopping without a more or less clearly perceived goal.

Shopping is becoming a widespread form of leisure.

A social stratification is being formed, which is based on differences in the possibility of access to the space of the consumer society. As Z. Bauman writes, “everyone may have a desire to become a consumer and enjoy the opportunities that such a lifestyle provides. But not everyone is capable of being a consumer. " In other words, everyone wants, but not everyone can, and those who can have this opportunity to varying degrees. As a result, not all people living in developed countries live in a consumer society.

Many only see it through impenetrable glass.

? Networks of cafes, beer bars, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. are flourishing. They satisfy the need not so much for food as for communication without everyday problems and comfort. As a result, the culture of consumption and communication is changing more and more clearly. The latter turns into an object of consumption, bought as the right to sit in a cozy place with a cup of coffee or lunch and chat. As a result, personal relationships are increasingly market-mediated. Through cafes and restaurants, the need for travel is also formed and satisfied: ethnic and thematic establishments are gaining more and more popularity, creating the possibility of a phenomenon that can be called a “culinary journey”. Today you are in China (Chinese restaurant) and tomorrow you are in America (American bar).
? With the onset of the era of consumer society, a real cultural revolution takes place, during which the transition from the everyday culture of classical capitalism to modern consumerism (consumerism) is taking place.
? The communications revolution is dramatically condensing communication.

A new information space is emerging, in which traditional ideas about space and time do not operate. A variety of social networks are formed in it and through it are supported: related, friendly, professional, etc. Communication turns into a paid service: it is already difficult to imagine modern interpersonal relations without the mediation of a provider.

? Such universal forms of human relations as love and sex are also increasingly acquiring the form of market services, turning into forms of consumption. Acquaintances, marriage on the existing scale are provided by the services of intermediary firms.
? The role of the consumer in the economic system is changing dramatically. “The system, - as noted by J. Baudrillard, -
? Changing the role and place of consumers in the economic system significantly changes its character: it is closely intertwined with the culture of consumption, which turns into a material economic force.
? The economy of a consumer society is based on a new type of personality. Its key characteristic is the propensity to consume as a way of constructing one's identity. Because of this, the full satisfaction of even basic needs becomes impossible, since identity requires daily reproduction. Hence the paradox of high labor activity of a person who is already full, has a roof over his head and has a fairly extensive wardrobe.
? The consumer society creates a massive need for individualization. Competition among manufacturers ultimately leads to competition from consumers.
? The main form of freedom in a consumer society is freedom

consumer choice. Consumer democracy reigns here.

? A developed credit system appears, various forms of electronic bank cards, which sharply accelerates the decision-making process on more or less large purchases and minimizes time for reflection.
? The system of mass consumer credit is turning into the basis of a new form of social control, which turns out to be more effective than repressive instruments.
? Advertising is becoming, on the one hand, a key factor in market success, and on the other, one of the most widespread phenomena of mass culture.
? The structure of the value of goods and services is changing significantly. To the traditional exchange (market) and use forms of value, symbolic value is added, which plays an increasingly noticeable role in pricing.
? The result of production is not only, and sometimes not so much goods endowed with some functional properties, but also brands - trade marks that have turned into phenomena of mass consciousness (images, assessments, expectations, symbols, etc.). The production and sale of brands becomes efficient economic activities as people pay for their own performances.
? As a result of globalization, the local market is turning into one of the branches of the world market. Each local manufacturer competes in one way or another with manufacturers from other regions and countries. This leads to a radical change in both consumer standards and the range of trade. The space of consumer freedom is expanding significantly.
? Fashion turns into an engine of production, since it ensures the obsolescence of a thing much earlier than its physical wear and tear. Things depreciate like money during inflation. And a well-to-do person constantly feels himself to some extent symbolically disadvantaged.
? Packaging is one of the important characteristics of a product. Without it, even a very good product remains unnoticed against the background of countless competitors. It often acts as a factor in market success or failure.
? The aestheticization of consumption takes place, which sharply increases the role of design.
? Education (above all higher education) acts as a service purchased on a massive scale on a market basis.
? With the advent of television, virtual reality is formed, parallel to and competing with ordinary reality. The Internet and computer games have dramatically expanded the boundaries of the virtual world, displacing the real world.
? Politics takes the form of political marketing. In the most developed Western democracies, there is a dialectical contradiction: on the one hand, as in ancient times, government remains the lot of a narrow political elite, and on the other, the developed mechanisms of formal democracy require confirmation of the elite's right to power through the system of general elections.
? At the same time, consumption is gradually turning into a subject of political struggle, and consumerism - into the core of political ideology. The struggle for the voter, which is at the heart of Western democracy, is impossible without the struggle for his mind as a consumer. And consumerism at the end of the 20th century penetrates deeper and deeper into the programs and content of political campaigns of Western political parties.
? The most important manifestation of political freedom for citizens is the choice of sources of information and models for explaining political reality. A citizen acts as a consumer of a special kind of product.
? The main form of the existence of sport is the consumption of sports performances, which imbue the leisure with strong emotions and provide for the construction of identity around the names of countries and clubs. Sport is being professionalized, turning into a form of business, mass culture and politics.
? Physical education acts as a market service (subscriptions to gyms, specialist consultations with the help of literature, the media, etc.). Engaging in it is not only an investment in one's own health, but also the construction of a social identity (belonging to a group of modern and successful people), it is the creation of a text in the genre of prestigious consumption. Since the health motive is not sufficient to involve the general population, especially young people, in the consumption of the services of physical culture centers, actively cultivated aesthetic values come to the fore: the body is an instrument of social communication, and success in life depends on its beauty.
? Medicine is turning into a powerful branch of the economy. Its driving motive is making a profit through the provision of medical services and the sale of medicines. The logic of this industry is no different from the logic of the service industry. Hence her active participation in the formation of a mass consumer culture, an element of which is the consumption of consultations from doctors, psychologists, reading the relevant literature, buying drugs that prevent diseases (food additives, vitamins, etc.) and constantly emerging new miraculous drugs. Massive health concern, on the one hand, is a key factor in the development of the industry, and on the other, it is constructed by the labor market, which constantly generates the risks of social exclusion of physically weak and sick people; advertising of medicines and services plays a huge role in this process.
? The consumer society creates an unprecedented tension in the relationship between people and nature. This contradiction has two dimensions: man and the environment, man and his health. Rampant consumption has a devastating impact on both the environment and human health. Awareness of these dangerous contradictions gives rise to two different directions in ideology and everyday practice. On the one hand, there are calls to limit consumption, to be closer to nature. On this basis, ecological settlements arise, a fascination with Eastern ascetic teachings is spreading, etc. The manifestations of "post-materialism" are becoming more and more noticeable in the modern culture of the West. On the other hand, a developed consumer society turns its ulcers into a source of new consumer needs, which are transformed into market demand.
? In different countries, this process of forming a consumer society will develop at different times: in the USA - immediately after the war, in Western Europe - as the economy recovers, mainly in the mid-1950s.

Post-Soviet Russia is in a contradictory situation. On the one hand, there is a transforming crisis society, which is significantly inferior in terms of socio-economic development to the developed countries of the West. On the other hand, the formation of capitalism is taking place here. True, its main contours significantly distinguish it from those models that are characteristic of developed market communities. The Western culture of consumption is penetrating the country on a massive scale, a revolution in consumer aspirations is taking place, a new system of means of consumption is being formed, copying foreign models, a noticeable layer of people has emerged, which, in terms of its material capabilities, can allow the reproduction of the lifestyles of wealthy groups of the developed countries of the world. However, the majority of the population is not allowed into the space of the consumer society. For him, there is a virtual (media) and secondary consumer society (the market for second-hand and counterfeit goods). In other words, this majority lives in the shadow of the consumer society: it feels it, but can use its benefits in very limited surrogate forms. However, the oases of a consumer society are sources of desires, hopes, illusions and motives for a huge part of the population, especially young people. Just as Russian capitalism resembles the ersatz of Western-style capitalism, so the domestic consumer society, carrying the key characteristics of the theoretical model, is distinguished by the embryonic state of many of its attributes and an oasis form of existence.