”I Consume, Therefore I Am?” A Qualitative research on New Generation’s Perception on Romanian Consumer Society

Abstract

An evolved form of the capitalist system, consumer capitalism proposes a new way of life, centered on material values, in which consumption tends to become an end, but also a value in itself, which is a culmination of hedonism. In this context, we can speak of a new form of culture, the culture of consumption, in which consumption becomes the center of gravity of human existence. In other words, the new capitalist system produces consumers and a culture of consumption. The central objective of the present research, which is qualitative in nature, was to capture the main features of consumer society in Romania, with a focus on understanding the extent to which the new generation of Romanian consumers is influenced by consumerism. We set out to answer the question of whether consumption is a central value for young consumers in Romania and, in context, how they relate to the basic elements of consumer culture. The target group of the research were students from two Master's programs at the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, from which a sample of 27 people was drawn. The method used for the investigation was the structured online interview. From the analysis and interpretation of the data it emerged that, in the case of young Romanian consumers, compared to other age groups, there is a different structure and dynamics in terms of consumption, with the predominance of satisfying complex needs of an emotional nature, such as the search for and expression of one's own identity or the differentiation of social status, to the detriment of satisfying primary consumption needs. The younger generation of consumers also tends to seek out the 'new' as they move from American-style globalization to multicultural globalization.