- analyse rise of US consumerism
- links between consumerism and our unconscious desires
- look at Freud
- look at Bernays
- consumerism as a social control
century of self.
no logo.
film/book about topic.
FREUD
- psychoanalysis - new method of understanding human nature, very radical views.
- argued that humanity has repressed desires stemming from pre modern man - very dangerous if surface.
- talked about humanity being wholly irrational and desire based - think they make decisions based on - - thought and sense but most acts are below the surface of consciousness. the 'ID' is the majority of human thought that occurs in the unconscious.
civilisation and its discontent:
- fundamental tension between civilisation and the individual
- human desires are incompatible with the well being of community
- the pleasure principle: if were made to feel like we can act out on our primitive desires in a socially acceptable way we are momentarily docile and happy.
- to an extent humanity will always be unhappy if repressed instincts arent released.
- freud had interest in enabling primitive desires in a socially acceptable way.
- argued that ww1 a testament to his theory - destruction is the nature of human beings (espec. those is a repressive society)
BERNAYS
- press agent employed in public info in ww1 working with propaganda. post war set up 'the council on public relations' - birth of PR.
- he theorised that any animal desire that a thing could be linked to you can make a false need for that thing (i.e product)
- worked with many major companies in promotion and advertising, lead to his book propaganda.
- paved the way for product placement, celebrity endorsements, pseudo-scientific reports.
- was even involved in political promotion.
- came an emergence of desire and capital progression mutually.
- made the link between male sexual prowess and owning a car
FORDISM
- henry ford created production line - meant mass production on a rapid and efficient scale - increased productivity.
- increased prduction = increased profit so he increased workers wages = increased disposable income.
- companies began promoting specialty of their product above others - competition.
- marketing became mainly based on product to desire association. desire for power, success, sex the strongest. caused a culture shift from society needing to society wanting.
- (the hidden pursuaders book) selling emotional security (eg freezer provides emotional security of knowing theres food in house), selling reassurance of wealth, selling ego-gratification, selling creative outlets, selling love objects, selling sense of power, selling immortality.
- a new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd. lippmann recognised political place in consumerism - if party can make the masses believe theyre secure in their ways and will always be provided for in their desires said party will gain long standing power - 'manufacturing consent'. created a synthesis between big business and government.
- if you dont re manufacture the desire people will stop spending
- lippmann started working with govt. to help emergence of mass consumerism in west but then wall st. crash then great depression so people began to recognise free market and consumerism unstable.
- roosevelt and new deal - welfare, social security etc.
- world fair - burnayes one of figures involved. basically a massive propaganda act to re-promote big business and consumerism for americans to see a prosperous future.
society based on the illusion of freedom through consumption.
