Tma2

Outline the ways in which rubbish can be said to have value in a consumer society. Many social scientists would say we live in a consumer society, a society where individuals and lifestyles are defined by what we buy rather than the job we do - shopping has become a hobby. Consumption can be the purchase of objects and also the purchase of services for example hairdressers, attendance at a music event. People’s consumer choices are seen to indicate who they are as a person and of their desires with regards to social class, status and fashionability. One theory used to examine consumption in society today is Zygmunt Bauman’s (Bauman, Z 1988 Freedom, Open University Press) concepts. Bauman suggests that the consumer is either seduced or repressed. He suggests the seduced have the financial means to consume, have a regular income and have a good credit rating. He suggests that the repressed may not have any employment, may have a poor credit rating or be in a poorly paid job. This can be thought of as quite a simplistic approach as it does not consider those people who, for example, may rather shop at local shops than the supermarkets following their own principle beliefs. Bauman bases his concept on three key features. The first being that markets offer people, who are wealthy or have the ability to consume through disposable income or credit are given the freedom of choice. His theory also suggests that consumer activity can be used to form an identity that people wish to have to gain self-worth and finally he proposes that consumer lifestyles can give an acceptance within society. According to Bauman’s theory, people buy things which are not a necessity, but to try and say something about whom they are as a person and their lifestyle. Veblen (Veblen, T 1899 The Theory of the Leisure Class: An Economic Study in the Evolution of Institutions, New York) talks of conspicuous consumption. He defines this as lavish consuming as, mainly, to display a status to others. This would normally be associated with highly paid celebrities, but it is likely many people, unknowingly, consume in this way to gain acceptance within society. Within our consumer society comes a lengthy discussion around rubbish and wastefulness. Rubbish can be defined as something that is not wanted by a person, something that is worthless or valueless. The term value is quite complex. Something can be given a value with regards to the usefulness of it, or an item can be valued in economic terms. For example an item that a high price was paid for can be considered of high value, and an item that a small price or no price was paid at all can be considered of low value or value can even be placed with reference to what is thought to be right or wrong. Thompson (Thompson, Michael (1979) ‘Rubbish Theory’ Oxford: Oxford University Press) suggests that the value of rubbish is linked with the owner’s social status. He suggests that exploring changing relationships between social class, the possession of objects and the ease to disregard them will allow us to understand rubbish. Thompson suggests that there are three main categories of objects. The first being things that are produced for everyday use, whose value decreases over time and finite life span. These objects are known as transient. The second type being things or virtually no value and that nobody wants, rubbish, and the final category Thompson suggests are objects that have an increasing value over time and an infinite life span – these objects, he calls durable. He emphasises the movement of goods within markets – and proposes that objects move from the transient category to the durable via the form of rubbish. “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” He suggests that rather than focusing on rubbish as a waste article or unwanted, it’s necessary to consider a wide range of valuation. For example, a car is produced and sold following the market price. It decreases each time it is sold, and eventually it no longer appeals to any buyer. However, if it were to be stored for 20 years it maybe found by a connoisseur and become high in value. Value can be affected by fashion and taste, income and the future predictions of the price. The theory stresses the importance of recognising rubbish. It reminds us that rubbish is a by-product of a consumer society, highlights the impact it is having on society and it also shows that objects can be recycled, reused and reabsorbed. People make businesses out of recycling unwanted items and reselling them, scrapyards work in this way, many people engage in car boot sales and sell on auction sites such as EBay, Amazon. Rubbish is a discussion surrounding the argument that we are a consumer society. Rubbish is not only produced by households but by shops, manufacturers, and areas of work such as construction and agriculture. The Local Government Agency has described Britain as “the dustbin of Europe” for its huge levels of waste (LGA 2007, Britain Tops Landfill League and Wins ‘Dustbin of Europe’ Award). Britain alone produces as much waste as 18 European countries combine. The rising affluence in many parts of the world is resulting in more and more rubbish. This is an example of a negative externality; an external effect that has or is occurring from goods and services and this is not reflected in the price to the consumer. All the packaging that requires disposal has a negative effect, not only on the environment, but in particular poorer countries and future generations and their future society. The Food We Waste Report (WRAP, 2008a, 2008b) shows evidence that up to one third of the food bought within the UK is thrown away. This equate to 6.7 million tonnes. This report also highlighted that it is not only the households who incur a financial loss (£420 per year per household approximately) but so do local authorities (£1 billion per year approximately). It could be suggested that this is due to overpopulation. The issue of waste goes further than this. As disposable income increases, so it could be argued, does the ease to replace items rather than try and repair or “make do” with what has already been purchased. As more countries become developed and affluent, and consumerism takes hold, industries try to meet the demand for goods and services through mass production; it is inevitable that resources and energy are being used up at rapid rates, rates that are not sustainable. Pollution and hazardous wastes are being released into the environment, resources are being exhausted and irreversible ecological damage is occurring. Quite simply, the current levels of consumerism are not sustainable.