New Consumerism and Class Oppression: A Marxist Critique of Capitalism's Ideological Systems
Overview
This paper examines new consumerism through a Marxist theoretical framework, arguing that increased consumption perpetuates class division and worker alienation. The essay critiques how capitalist ideologies use advertisement and the concept of superstructure to manipulate consumer behavior, ultimately harming human dignity and social equality.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to new consumerism and its definition as high-quantity consumption improving life quality
- Critique of new consumerism's psychological, social, environmental, and economic impacts
- Marxist analysis of base and superstructure as tools of capitalist oppression
- Marx's concept of alienation and consumption's dehumanizing effects
- Marxist recommendation for minimalist living and rejection of material accumulation
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Discussion
New consumerism conceptualizes the consumption of goods and services in large quantities is better. In this regard, the increased spending leads to better life quality. There has been extensive criticism on the concept due to the resulting psychological, social, environmental, and economical impacts. In the age of new consumerism, there is omnipresent advertisement and penetration approaches that are intended to touch all spheres of human life. The ideologies of base and superstructure are all models employed to serve the ideals of capitalism. In order to meet the rising need and influence people to buy or perceive that they need something, the ideologies of new advertisement are used to enhance the goals of capitalists.
In this regard, the workers get more and more miserable. This increases the social and economic gap between the rich and the poor. There is an increased consumption of resources and products due to the perceived needs created by the inherent advertisements. Based on the concepts of Marxism, all these forms were created to oppress the working class and make them dependent on the system of capitalists. Marx viewed consumption as something that leads to alienation between the people. With increased consumption, people were becoming less human. Every action that leads to more consumption harms the soul of the person, and alienates them from their peers.
Therefore, the concepts of superstructure as portrayed by Marxism are criticizing new consumerism as a form of evil because it leads to class separation. According to Marxists, people must have less desire.