Commodity Fetishism and Its Impact on Contemporary Society...

What is commodity fetishism as defined by cultural and media theorists? Identify and analyse three images that demonstrate the way commodity fetishism is impacting on contemporary society and culture. â€Å"Commodities are defined as things that are bought and sold in a social system of exchange.† (Sturken Cartwright, 2009, p. 279 )†The concept of commodity culture is intricately allied with the idea that we construct our identities through the consumer products that inhabit our lives† (Sturken Cartwright 2009, p. 279) The idea of a commodity culture has been described by media theorist Stuart Ewen as a commodity self. He believes that we are constructed through our relationship with and use of commodities in our everyday lives. Karl Marx†¦show more content†¦Not only does it allow the development of a broader social context of devaluing labour, making it hard for workers to take pride in their work but it also allows consumers to remain ignorant of working conditions.† (Sturken Cartwright 2009, p. 280) This image is an example of commodity fetishism because it is â€Å"essentially a process of mystification that not only empties commodities o f the meaning of their production but also fills them with new, appealing meaning.† (Sturken Cartwright 2009, p. 279) The process of making something seem more appealing is used to promote and sell the product. Consumers purchase Calvin Klein jeans because they are a designer label and are promoted as being fashionable and worn by celebrities. Consumers are not purchasing the Calvin Klein jeans because they were mass produced in a different country or because of the people who produced them. This example relates back to the Frankfurt school theory that â€Å"commodities are hollowed out objects that propagated a loss of identity and erode our sense of history.† (Kaplan 2006, p. 105) Image two is the front cover of a book. It shows chocolate and has been chosen as an example of commodity fetishism. Chocolate is associated with desire and is a form of pleasure in people’s lives. Chocolate is also a popular gift to give loved ones for birthdays and special occasions. Chocolate is a symbol of love and comes in many shapes and forms which can suit a variety of occasions. It isShow MoreRelatedThe Consumer Society Essay3590 Words   |  15 Pages â€Å"People recognise themselves in their commodities; they find their soul in their automobiles, hi-fi sets, split level homes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦social control is anchored in the new needs which the consumer society has produced. (Marcuse,1968:24)To what extent are we controlled by the consumer society we live in? The rise of the consumer culture is a phenomenon characteristic for the twentieth century. The impact of this cultural movement is disputable. The quote above was taken from Marcuse’s book â€Å"OneRead MoreThe Culture of Narcissism.Critical Book Review Essay2284 Words   |  10 PagesCritical book review: Christopher Lasch (1991) The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in an Age of Expectations The culture of narcissism was widely recognised as a socio-cultural critique of American society when published in 1979. Written by Christopher Lasch, the book analyzes a social phenomenon identified by Christopher Lasch as ‘cultural narcissism’, a process by which certain attributes of the pathological branch of narcissism (Bocock, 2002) become societal characteristics (LaschRead MoreSigmund Freud in The Century of the Self Documentary by Adam Curtis1830 Words   |  8 Pagespractices in entrepreneurial culture deceive the public. False consciousness is resulting from the Marxist belief which recognizes a state of mind of a person or an assembly of individuals who don’t comprehend their class interests. A number of people who are academically affiliated with the Marxist practice trace the notions’ foundation to a philosophy initially established by Marx, well-known as commodity fetishism. Commodity fetishism is the notion that societies place a worth on merchandisesRead MoreEssay about Consumer Culture and Identity2218 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction Fonseca (2008) defines Consumer culture as a process that â€Å"represents a condition in which consumption is seen as having the role of increasingly mediating certain aspects of social relations and consumption has the symbolic ability to represent affiliation to a certain group and its lifestyles, as well as to generate a sense of identity.† The mention of identity in Fonseca’s definition brings about an understanding of the impact consumer culture can have on social agents, and not just onRead MoreMidterm Paper1344 Words   |  6 PagesIn contemporary American culture, consuming is as authentic as it gets. Advertisements, getting a bargain, garage sales, and credit cards are firmly entrenched pillars of our way of life. We shop on our lunch hours, patronize outlet malls on vacation, and satisfy our latest desires with a late-night click of the mouse. The idea that consumption is private should not, then, be a conversation- stopper. But what should a politics of co nsumption look like? A right to a decent standard of living. ThisRead MoreLittle Do They Know : The World Of Advertising3080 Words   |  13 PagesVanessa W 1:00 Nicholas A Zahn University of California, Santa Barbara While the world of advertising has been responsible for creating trends and impacting culture on a monumental level, the constant manipulation and force-feeding tactics behind these agencies has created a capitalist monster that is detrimental to society. Praying on the emotions of citizens, the rent-seekers have created a mentality valuing excess over humility. The food and beverage industries, alcohol in particularRead MoreThe Idea Of Scientific Objectivity1650 Words   |  7 Pagesideologically. The problem for consciousness is not only its displaced relationship with its surroundings but also its displacement from its own mechanisms. Marx, in the famous arguments about the commodity fetishism in the Capital, compares the way in which we take the product of human labour and turn it into a commodity by saying that it has objective value – in and of itself. He extends his argument to religion by illustrating that God is a product of human labour and was brought into meaning the way objectsRead MoreLiberal Pluralism Vs. Modern Society Essay1628 Words   |  7 Pagesengaging with the examples is is necessary to outline the characteristics of the two political economy paradigms. Liberal-Pluralism is relatively optimistic in its perspectives of capitalist society. Several different interest groups compose society, according to Liberal-pluralism (Louw, 14-15) and within that society, Media can be considered an agent of democracy because the relationship between media and audience is seen as even, in that, media requires large audiences to generate revenue and thus mustRead MoreHow the ‘Culture Industry†™ had Profound Social Impacts in Society2017 Words   |  9 Pagesphilosophers developed the ‘Culture Industry Theory’ in the 1940s, in light of the disturbed society they had seen during this time. They witnessed how Nazi Fascism used mass media such as films, radio and newspapers to brainwash millions into partaking in this ideology. Similarly they saw the rise of Capitalism in America, which also used mass media such as Hollywood films and advertising to disseminate the masses into the capitalist Ideology. This essay will evaluate how the ‘culture industry’ had profoundRead More Transcending Herbert Marcuse on Alienation, Art and the Humanities4411 Words   |  18 Pagesand Paulo Freire have investigated, as the axial human problem, how education is to help us in accomplishing our own humanization. The contemporary search for a genuinely critical theory and an authentically democratic society continues that project. But what can make theory critical, education liberating, society democratic? It is necessary to theorize our society critically if we are to have a vehicle for correctly informed transformative practice. The problem is that much of what is called critical