Consumer Culture and Identity Essay -- Cultural Identity Essays

IntroductionFonseca (2008) defines Consumer culture as a process that represents a condition in which consumption is seen as having the role of increasingly mediating certain aspects of well-disposed relations and consumption has the symbolic ability to represent affiliation to a certain group and its lifestyles, as well as to generate a aesthesis of indistinguishability. The mention of identity in Fonsecas definition brings about an understanding of the impact consumer culture can have on social agents, and not scarce on the economic or capitalism that comes with consumption. This essay will discuss the relationship between Consumer culture and Identity. The essay is divided into five parts the archetypical section is an introduction into what Consumer culture is, the second section is also an introduction into what Identity is and how it is used in the context of the essay, the third section deals with the crisis of identity in modern day, the fourth section introduces consump tion in a contemporary society, the fifth section explains the impact consumption have on identity (how we rebound on ourselves and use goods to shape our identity). This essay concludes by using Giddens (1991) argument about the modern dynamic reflectivity has an impact in the process of reconstructing ones identity when it comes in contact with the post traditional setting, to show that the relation between consumer culture and identity is that Identity is formed as consumption takes place.Introduction to Consumer shadeThe word culture has been defined as one of the two or three most complicated words in English Language (William 1958). all over the years the meaning of the word has changed and varied in different parts of the world. In 1881, Taylor defined culture a... ...society Myths and structures (Vol. 53). Sage.Beck, U., & Beck-Gernsheim, E. (1995). The normal chaos of love. Cambridge mandate Press.Blumer, H. (1969). Symbolic interactionism. Englewood Cliffs, NJ Prentic e-HallDavis, J. (2007). The Promise of Potential. Minnesota JD Coaching and Consulting.Dittmar, H. 1992. The Social Psychology of Material Possessions To Have Is To Be, Hertfordshire, Harvester Wheatsheaf.Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity self and identity in the late modern age. Cambridge Polity.Lury, C. 1996. Consumer Culture, Cambridge, Polity Press.Sassatelli, R. (2007). Consumer culture History, theory and politics. Sage.Slater, D. (1997). Consumer culture and modernity. Blackwell Publishing MaldenStryker, S. (1980). Symbolic interactionism A social structural version. Menlo Park Benjamin Cummings.