A theoretical economic and social political condition in which consumer demand is manipulated, in a deliberate and coordinated way, on a very large scale, through mass-marketing techniques, to the advantage of sellers. A theoretical economic and social political condition in which consumer demand is manipulated, in a deliberate and coordinated way, on a very large scale, through mass-marketing techniques, to the advantage of sellers.
For the sake of simplicity let’s call the system consumer capitalism. Doing so does not ignore the fact that from the Progressivism of the early twentieth century through Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal up until the present this consumer capitalism has been modified. What label we pin on any newly emerging economic system is not as important as its ingredients. The problem with our present consumer capitalism is not the name. Critics do not desire an anti-consumer capitalism, just one that does not overemphasize consumption. Consumer Capitalism will be a critical addition to the growing debate on the consumer as citizen and consumer protection policies. The unfettered marketplace, in which uncertainty rules and the admonition caveat emptor ('let the buyer beware') dictates each consumer decision, has today virtually disappeared. Consumers have become the focus of intensive economic policymaking designed to protect them from the risks and disappointments of the market. Consumer capitalism is a theoretical economic and social political condition in which consumer demand is manipulated, in a deliberate and coordinated way, on a very large scale, through mass-marketing techniques, to the advantage of sellers. The theory is controversial. It suggests manipulation of consumer demand so potent that it has a coercive effect, amounts to a departure from free-market capitalism, and has an adverse effect on society in general. According to one source, the power of such 'manipulation' is not straight forward. Some use the phrase as shorthand for the broader idea that the interests of other non-business entities (governments, religions, the military, educational institutions) are intertwined with corporate business interests, and that those entities also participate in the management of social expectations through mass media. It is based upon individual selfishness and not communal goals. To conclude, it is evident that global capitalism has developed a panetary consumer culture and that that culture both excludes and exploits. However, consumer culture is not 'based' upon exploitation and exclusion. Instead, it is based upon progress and the continual rise of living standards. It is an unfortunate consequence that this occurs in an exploitative and exclusive way, but it is not an intended goal. Capitalism is an economic system in which trade, industry, and the means of production are privately owned and operated via profit and loss calculation (price signals) through the price system.  The word capitalism is now quite commonly used to describe the social system in which we now live. It is also often assumed that it has existed, if not forever, then for most of human history. In fact, capitalism is a relatively new social system. For a brief historical account of how capitalism came into existence a couple of hundred years ago, see Marx and Engels' Communist Manifesto. Class division. Capitalism is the social system which now exists in all countries of the world. Under this system, the means for producing and distributing goods (the land, factories, technology, transport system etc) are owned by a small minority of people. We refer to this group of people as the capitalist class. consumer girl image by Lev Dolgatshjov from Fotolia.com. Consumer capitalism is a term that has been continually redefined since its introduction into popular culture in the 1920s as the public relations industry became ubiquitous, and used techniques derived from psychology and sociology to mass market consumer goods. For instance, the consumer may think he wants or needs a product, and as long as this desire is maintained, the value of the product will continue to rise. Consumer capitalism functions on the basic economic paradigm of supply and demand, but without regard to a product's intrinsic value. It depends upon a new kind of individualism-projective individualism, where persons use consumer capitalism to project the kind of person who they want to be. Some use the phrase as shorthand for the broader idea that the interests of other non-business entities (governments, religions, the military, educational institutions) are intertwined with corporate business interests, and that those entities also participate in the management of social expectations through mass media. If consumer capitalism is indeed replaced by a new economic structure, many capitalist bricks may still be needed for any new construction. Whether we choose to attempt new building or just apply a little patching here or there is up to us. What label we pin on any newly emerging economic system is not as important as its ingredients. The problem with our present consumer capitalism is not the name. Critics do not desire an anti-consumer capitalism, just one that does not overemphasize consumption.
https://www.laprogressive.com/is-consumer-capitalism-outdated/ http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100126490 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_capitalism http://jakeg.co.uk/essays/consumer_exploitation/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism http://www.worldsocialism.org/english/what-capitalism http://www.ehow.com/about_6589518_consumer-capitalism-definition.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_capitalism https://www.laprogressive.com/is-consumer-capitalism-outdated/
what is consumer capitalism