The Rise of Consumer Culture
By Zyna Shoukat and Gaya Chandrasekaran, 6/7/2020
A CULTURE OF CONSUMPTION
Consumerism, or the consumption of goods and services in excess of one’s basic needs, usually in greater and greater quantities, is not a new phenomenon, and early examples of it can be traced back to the first human civilizations. Modern-day consumerism stems largely from a consumerist tide that hit Europe and North America in the mid-18th Century as a result of the Industrial Revolution.
One of the architects of the consumer society during the 1950’s was the retail analyst Victor Lebow, who said in 1955 that “Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satisfactions, in consumption. [...] We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing pace.” This line of thinking launched the consumer society of the United States that continues to prevail.
Americans and Western Europeans have fallen into unsustainable over-consumption patterns for decades, and now developing countries are quickly catching up. A recent report put out by the Washington, D.C. based research organization, The Worldwatch Institute, emphasized that consumerism is increasing beyond proportion, to the detriment of the environment and the general health and happiness of the globe’s population.
Approximately 1.7 billion people around the world now belong to the "consumer class," which refers to the group of people consuming highly processed food, buying bigger houses, being in higher levels of debt, and having lifestyles devoted to the accumulation of mostly useless luxuries.
Today nearly half of global consumers reside in developing countries like India and China, which are also the markets with the most potential for expansion. "Rising consumption has helped meet basic needs and create jobs," Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute said in a statement to the press. "But as we enter a new century, this unprecedented consumer appetite is undermining the natural systems we all depend on, and making it even harder for the world's poor to meet their basic needs."
The report addresses the toll on the Earth's water supplies, natural resources, and ecosystems exacted by a plethora of plastic garbage bags, disposable cameras and other cheaply made goods that can’t be destroyed. Additionally, these cheaply manufactured goods lead to a "throw away" mentality.
Globalization is a driving factor in making goods and services that used to be out of reach in developing countries more available. Items that at one point in time were considered luxuries like cell phones are now viewed as necessities.
China provides the perfect example of changing realities. The streets of China's major cities were previously characterized by a sea of people on bicycles. By 2000, 5 million cars moved people and goods; the number is expected to reach 24 million by the end of next year. In the United States, there are fewer licensed drivers and more cars on the streets. Increased reliance on automobiles causes more pollution and more use of fossil fuels; cars and other forms of transportation account for 95 percent of global oil consumption.
Furthermore, changing diets, with an increased consumption of meat shows the environmental and societal toll exacted by unbridled consumption. To provide enough meat to meet the demand, the livestock industry has moved to factory farming. Producing eight ounces of beef requires 6,600 gallons (25,000 liters) of water; 95 percent of world soybean crops are consumed by farm animals, and 16 percent of the world's methane, a destructive greenhouse gas, is produced by belching, flatulent livestock.
Chickens at a typical farm are kept in cages with about nine square inches of space per bird. Chickens slaughtered for meat are first fattened up with hormones. Crowded conditions can lead to the rapid spread of disease among the animals, and thus antibiotics are included in their feed. The World Health Organization reports that the widespread use of these drugs in the livestock industry is helping breed antibiotic-resistant microbes, making treatment of disease.
Increased consumerism evidently comes at a steep price. People are incurring debt and working longer hours to pay for the high-consumption lifestyle, consequently spending less time with family, friends, and community organizations.
The effects of consumerism are not limited to the degradation of the environment, diets of highly processed food and the sedentary lifestyle that goes with heavy reliance on automobiles have led to a worldwide epidemic of obesity. In the United States, an estimated 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese, and the country has the highest rate of obesity among teenagers in the world.
Some aspects of rampant consumerism have resulted in startling anomalies. Worldwatch reports that worldwide annual expenditures for cosmetics total U.S. $18 billion; the estimate for annual expenditures required to eliminate hunger and malnutrition is $19 billion.
There is, of course, no easy solution to the problem. Many experts have begun to call for green taxes that reflect the true environmental costs of a product, take-back programs that require manufacturers to recycle packaging or goods, and consumer education and awareness programs. But first and foremost we need to reorient our way of thinking. The goal is to focus not so much on sacrifice, but on how to provide a higher quality of life using the lowest amount of raw materials. We need to change the way we produce goods and the way we consume them.
One of the architects of the consumer society during the 1950’s was the retail analyst Victor Lebow, who said in 1955 that “Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satisfactions, in consumption. [...] We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced, and discarded at an ever increasing pace.” This line of thinking launched the consumer society of the United States that continues to prevail.
Americans and Western Europeans have fallen into unsustainable over-consumption patterns for decades, and now developing countries are quickly catching up. A recent report put out by the Washington, D.C. based research organization, The Worldwatch Institute, emphasized that consumerism is increasing beyond proportion, to the detriment of the environment and the general health and happiness of the globe’s population.
Approximately 1.7 billion people around the world now belong to the "consumer class," which refers to the group of people consuming highly processed food, buying bigger houses, being in higher levels of debt, and having lifestyles devoted to the accumulation of mostly useless luxuries.
Today nearly half of global consumers reside in developing countries like India and China, which are also the markets with the most potential for expansion. "Rising consumption has helped meet basic needs and create jobs," Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute said in a statement to the press. "But as we enter a new century, this unprecedented consumer appetite is undermining the natural systems we all depend on, and making it even harder for the world's poor to meet their basic needs."
The report addresses the toll on the Earth's water supplies, natural resources, and ecosystems exacted by a plethora of plastic garbage bags, disposable cameras and other cheaply made goods that can’t be destroyed. Additionally, these cheaply manufactured goods lead to a "throw away" mentality.
Globalization is a driving factor in making goods and services that used to be out of reach in developing countries more available. Items that at one point in time were considered luxuries like cell phones are now viewed as necessities.
China provides the perfect example of changing realities. The streets of China's major cities were previously characterized by a sea of people on bicycles. By 2000, 5 million cars moved people and goods; the number is expected to reach 24 million by the end of next year. In the United States, there are fewer licensed drivers and more cars on the streets. Increased reliance on automobiles causes more pollution and more use of fossil fuels; cars and other forms of transportation account for 95 percent of global oil consumption.
Furthermore, changing diets, with an increased consumption of meat shows the environmental and societal toll exacted by unbridled consumption. To provide enough meat to meet the demand, the livestock industry has moved to factory farming. Producing eight ounces of beef requires 6,600 gallons (25,000 liters) of water; 95 percent of world soybean crops are consumed by farm animals, and 16 percent of the world's methane, a destructive greenhouse gas, is produced by belching, flatulent livestock.
Chickens at a typical farm are kept in cages with about nine square inches of space per bird. Chickens slaughtered for meat are first fattened up with hormones. Crowded conditions can lead to the rapid spread of disease among the animals, and thus antibiotics are included in their feed. The World Health Organization reports that the widespread use of these drugs in the livestock industry is helping breed antibiotic-resistant microbes, making treatment of disease.
Increased consumerism evidently comes at a steep price. People are incurring debt and working longer hours to pay for the high-consumption lifestyle, consequently spending less time with family, friends, and community organizations.
The effects of consumerism are not limited to the degradation of the environment, diets of highly processed food and the sedentary lifestyle that goes with heavy reliance on automobiles have led to a worldwide epidemic of obesity. In the United States, an estimated 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese, and the country has the highest rate of obesity among teenagers in the world.
Some aspects of rampant consumerism have resulted in startling anomalies. Worldwatch reports that worldwide annual expenditures for cosmetics total U.S. $18 billion; the estimate for annual expenditures required to eliminate hunger and malnutrition is $19 billion.
There is, of course, no easy solution to the problem. Many experts have begun to call for green taxes that reflect the true environmental costs of a product, take-back programs that require manufacturers to recycle packaging or goods, and consumer education and awareness programs. But first and foremost we need to reorient our way of thinking. The goal is to focus not so much on sacrifice, but on how to provide a higher quality of life using the lowest amount of raw materials. We need to change the way we produce goods and the way we consume them.
CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS OF CONSUMERISM
Across the globe, widespread modernisation has subsequently resulted in neglect for the environment. Despite this trend, in some cultures, the environment remains an essential pillar that is strongly valued. In most cases, inherent love for the environment and its ability to function stems from religious beliefs, ancestral spiritual beliefs and views entailing stewardship and custodianship.
In Australia, the Indigenous population share a strong love for nature and live lifestyles of subsistence so as to not harm natural surroundings; they hold a strong belief that developed consumerism should not come at the cost of the safety of the environment. Such actions are derived from the governing beliefs of how the land around them was created, known as the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime implies that ancestral spirits created important physical geographic landforms, culturally significant sites and all living things. This ecocentric attitude has resulted in the maintenance of dynamic equilibrium in Australia’s ecosystems for over 60,000 years before British colonisation. Thus, viewing the environment as spiritually significant and of utmost importance, Indigenous Australians share an unparalleled love for preserving and protecting the environment.
In some cultures, religion is a key factor when it comes to protecting nature.
Hinduism promotes beliefs that everything on the Earth was placed there by the God of creation, Brahma. Cows are seen as sacred, and thus a large number of Hindus do not eat beef. In many cases, most Hindus refrain from eating meat at all, as there is a strong belief that killing animals for human consumption will result in bad karma, and is frowned upon by their Gods. Given that livestock farming is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, with the product of cows making up for nearly 18% of human-produced greenhouse gases, the value of animals as sacred beings not for consumption has been an essential element in preserving Earth’s natural ecosystems.
Similarly in Buddhism, vegetarianism is strongly encouraged as the teachings of Buddha insist that his followers ‘should not eat the flesh of any sentient being’. Ethics and morality come into play in making these decisions, and these are two founding principles of Buddhism. Meat consumption is simply not conducive to Buddha’s teachings of spreading compassion and avoiding harm.
However, there are caveats. Buddhists can eat meat as long as it is certain that the animal was not killed for the purposes of consumption, but was an offering rather than a specific preparation of a meal. Even through this action, the respect for animal life is shown, further reinforcing the central concept of high value for living things. Respect and divine appreciation that Buddhist followers have for living things, reaffirms the central beliefs that the success of the human race should not destroy animals and vegetation, as they were present on the planet long before the human race.
On the contrary, it is incorrect to assume that all highly commercialized nations are inherent polluters. In fact, as the climate crisis intensifies, some nations have begun to showcase their commitment to value the importance of environmental sustainability. In Switzerland, there are strict laws about the use of the environment. Fees are paid for garbage disposal, and there are no landfills. Instead, all garbage is incinerated and incineration plants in turn, are used to provide energy to homes. As one of the top recyclers in the world, Switzerland is able to support a contemporary lifestyle, without all of the ramifications that come as a cost of modernisation. ‘Green lodging’ is also a growing - almost carbon neutral way of accommodation that has been adopted. These factors have resulted in an eco-friendly lifestyle approach that instills environmental values into cultural values in Switzerland, thus encouraging a carefully managed modernist nation.
Overall, although modernisation has come at the cost of the degradation of the environment, many religions, cultures, and nations have shown that it is possible to lead a fulfilling lifestyle while preserving and value the environment.
Across the globe, widespread modernisation has subsequently resulted in neglect for the environment. Despite this trend, in some cultures, the environment remains an essential pillar that is strongly valued. In most cases, inherent love for the environment and its ability to function stems from religious beliefs, ancestral spiritual beliefs and views entailing stewardship and custodianship.
In Australia, the Indigenous population share a strong love for nature and live lifestyles of subsistence so as to not harm natural surroundings; they hold a strong belief that developed consumerism should not come at the cost of the safety of the environment. Such actions are derived from the governing beliefs of how the land around them was created, known as the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime implies that ancestral spirits created important physical geographic landforms, culturally significant sites and all living things. This ecocentric attitude has resulted in the maintenance of dynamic equilibrium in Australia’s ecosystems for over 60,000 years before British colonisation. Thus, viewing the environment as spiritually significant and of utmost importance, Indigenous Australians share an unparalleled love for preserving and protecting the environment.
In some cultures, religion is a key factor when it comes to protecting nature.
Hinduism promotes beliefs that everything on the Earth was placed there by the God of creation, Brahma. Cows are seen as sacred, and thus a large number of Hindus do not eat beef. In many cases, most Hindus refrain from eating meat at all, as there is a strong belief that killing animals for human consumption will result in bad karma, and is frowned upon by their Gods. Given that livestock farming is one of the most polluting industries on the planet, with the product of cows making up for nearly 18% of human-produced greenhouse gases, the value of animals as sacred beings not for consumption has been an essential element in preserving Earth’s natural ecosystems.
Similarly in Buddhism, vegetarianism is strongly encouraged as the teachings of Buddha insist that his followers ‘should not eat the flesh of any sentient being’. Ethics and morality come into play in making these decisions, and these are two founding principles of Buddhism. Meat consumption is simply not conducive to Buddha’s teachings of spreading compassion and avoiding harm.
However, there are caveats. Buddhists can eat meat as long as it is certain that the animal was not killed for the purposes of consumption, but was an offering rather than a specific preparation of a meal. Even through this action, the respect for animal life is shown, further reinforcing the central concept of high value for living things. Respect and divine appreciation that Buddhist followers have for living things, reaffirms the central beliefs that the success of the human race should not destroy animals and vegetation, as they were present on the planet long before the human race.
On the contrary, it is incorrect to assume that all highly commercialized nations are inherent polluters. In fact, as the climate crisis intensifies, some nations have begun to showcase their commitment to value the importance of environmental sustainability. In Switzerland, there are strict laws about the use of the environment. Fees are paid for garbage disposal, and there are no landfills. Instead, all garbage is incinerated and incineration plants in turn, are used to provide energy to homes. As one of the top recyclers in the world, Switzerland is able to support a contemporary lifestyle, without all of the ramifications that come as a cost of modernisation. ‘Green lodging’ is also a growing - almost carbon neutral way of accommodation that has been adopted. These factors have resulted in an eco-friendly lifestyle approach that instills environmental values into cultural values in Switzerland, thus encouraging a carefully managed modernist nation.
Overall, although modernisation has come at the cost of the degradation of the environment, many religions, cultures, and nations have shown that it is possible to lead a fulfilling lifestyle while preserving and value the environment.
