Tma_2

Who are the winners and losers in a consumer society' TMA2 In this assignment I am going to outline who are the winners and losers in a consumer society. I am going to focus mostly on the power that big supermarkets, such as Asda and Tesco, have on the way we shop and also how socialisation, lifestyle and status has changed the way we shop. First of all, I am going to explain what a consumer society is. A consumer society is a society in which buying services and mass produced goods is seen to be extremely important. It promises choice and freedom to those who, because of their financial and social circumstances, are in a position to consume effectively. (Zygmunt Bauman, Making Social Lives, Chapter 1, page 25). It has become a major preoccupation for most people in our society.(Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 1, Page 13). It is seen to be important for a number of different reasons for different people. There are a number of different factors that influence the way we shop. Income, advertising, peer pressure and social reputation are, in my opinion, the main reasons for excessive shopping. Consumer habits have changed dramatically over the years. Years ago only the rich, professional, upper class people in society had cars and mobile phones as they had disposable income and could afford to have luxuries whereas, fast-forward to the present times, and nearly everyone has a mobile phone and nearly every household has a car, some even have two or even three cars. I think this is due to the fact that credit is so easy to come by, so more middle class people, who may not have a disposable income, are getting a chance to participate in what is now classed as a consumer society. I feel the lives of the lower class people have stayed the same. Lower class people, who might not have access to credit and who's income might not stretch to buying anything other than necessity's, I feel will be left out of this new consumer society. I agree with social scientist Zygmunt Bauman's (1988) argument that people can be split into two groups, the seduced and the repressed. The expression, the seduced, means people who have enough disposable income, who have a secure job or who have access to credit, can buy things other than basic necessities and are therefore accepted into society. I also agree with Zygmunt Bauman when he says that people consume not only for goods and services but also for both a sense of self expression and social membership. (Zygmunt Bauman,Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 1, Page 27). People now express themselves through the things they purchase whether it be cars or clothes. These days, we can tell a lot about someone by the things they purchase. We can tell a lot about their life and lifestyle. Purchasing expensive items such as cars, mobile phones or cameras are not only useful because of their functionality but because of how it is recognized by others as a mark of status and acceptance. More and more people in today's society strive to be accepted and liked by their peers as the thought of being an outcast is something they don't want. The expression, the repressed, means people in society who may be unemployed, people who are in low paid work, disabled, sick or older people. These group of people are unable to participate in consuming in the same way as people who are in the seduced group of consumers. This is because the people in the repressed group do not have a disposable income and therefore cannot consume beyond its most basic form, therefore, they are seen as social outcasts. (Zygmunt Bauman, Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 1, Page 30). The winners in a consumer society, in my opinion, are the rich, professionals, major department stores and major supermarkets. The rich will always be winners as they have plenty of disposable income and do not have to borrow money like middle class people might have to do, i.e., from credit cards or catalogues and end up paying more for the item than what its worth. Even though I think the middle class people are in the seduced group of people in society, I still feel as though, to a certain extent, middle class people still lose out as they need to try harder than the rich, to fit into society. 1. A8178531 TMA 2 Claire Leslie The other winners in our ever growing consumer society, are the major department stores and major supermarkets. Major supermarkets and department stores are winners because we see them as convenient, as we can purchase anything we may need in them from food to cosmetics to electrical items for a lower price, as large stores can buy items in bulk cheaper and sell them cheaper compared to smaller stores who may need to sell items dearer which in hand, will turn away customers. The supermarkets and department stores are powerful in a way which their marketing entices customers to the store with clever advertising through the television and in store, and also from cleverly laid out stores. The losers, in my opinion, in our consumer society are the middle class, lower class, low paid workers and small business owners I feel as though these group of people are losers in the consumer society, as the middle class people will be out pocket compared to the rich, as most middle class people need to use credit cards or buy items out catalogues, which tend to be more expensive, and the rich can buy items outright. Low class people and low paid workers are losers in a consumer society as they cannot participate in it to the extent of others and are therefore seen as misfits or social outcasts as a result. Small business owners are losers in a consumer society too, as the major supermarkets are able to buy items in bulk and this enables them to demand discounts from small manufacturers. ( Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 2, Page 66). Small businesses that have contracts for their products to be sold in major supermarkets and department stores, both make and lose money from them. Whereas the supermarkets and department stores are always going to gain. Also small businesses that are in competition with the large stores are always going to lose out as it is more convenient for people to shop in a large supermarket that has everything we need as opposed to shopping in a few different places to get everything we need. This is down to peoples busy lifestyles. There will always be winners and losers in our consumer society as long as people still feel the need to have a keeping up with the Joneses attitude to shopping. 2. A8178531 TMA 2 Claire Leslie References. Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 1, Page 13. Zygmunt Bauman, Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 1, Page 25. Zygmunt Bauman, Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 1, Page 27 Zygmunt Bauman, Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 1, Page 30 Making Social Lives, 2009, Chapter 2 Page 66 3. A8178531 TMA2 Claire Leslie Self reflection I enjoyed thinking about why we shop the way we do as it is something we all take for granted. I also enjoyed the reading material as it was very informative. I struggled with the referencing. The more assignments I write the better I will get at referencing. 4.