Consumer Culture and Postmodernism

Status, taste and distinction in consumer culture: acknowledging the symbolic dimensions of inequality

“…However, Eckersley also suggests that modern life perpetrates 'cultural fraud', promoting images and ideals of the good life that serve the economy but do not meet psychological needs or reflect social realities [26] . Conversely, analysts of modern consumer culture suggest that a consumerist way of life both serves the modern capitalist economy and meets specific, historically unprecedented psychological needs that flow from this [31] [32] [35] [37] . This is because consumption, as a cultural as well as an economic process, provides people with meaning, purpose and social identities.…”

“…It has often been pointed out by social theorist that 'the body' in contemporary consumer culture is now a source of symbolic value closely related to self-identity [29] [35] . For example, the vast range of slimming, exercise and body-maintenance products highlights the significance of appearance within late capitalist society [41] , where the body has become a site for commodification, consumption and production.…”

“…Whilst negative views of consumption have not gone unchallenged [30] [45] , many commentators remain pessimistic about the implications of creating our identities and life meanings principally through our consumption practices, however creative these may appear to be [35] . It seems likely that there are both tight connections and contradictions between the dominant political philosophy of liberalism (autonomy of the individual, freedom of choice) and capitalist culture which works to constrain and channel individual choices in specific directions.…”

Hushållens överskuldsättning i Norden

“…New technology also represents everything which "postmodern" theorists argue to be typical of today's lifestyles and consumption in general. Apart from the everyday life having become "aestheticized" (Featherstone 1991), consumption is less and less regarded as only purchases of products and services. Instead, consumption is seen more and more as means of selfexpression, identity-formation, creativity or even art (e.g.…”

Meninas no YouTube: participação, celebrização e cultura do consumo

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ResumoCom base numa pesquisa exploratória, estudamos canais de youtubers mirins com enorme popularidade no Brasil -Isabel Cerer (8 anos), Juliana Baltar (9 anos), Manoela Antelo (10 anos) e Júlia Silva (11 anos) -, com o objetivo de analisar as suas prá-ticas de produção e divulgação de conteúdos, num contexto marcado por estratégias de celebrização (Jerslev e Mortensen, 2016) e por uma forte cultura do consumo (Featherstone, 2007). Como aporte teórico, discutimos as culturas digitais na infância com enfoque de gênero.

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