Consumerism

Consumerism Art

The Industrial-Consumer Paradigm

I read an article by an academic named Joel Springer. The title of the article is "The Triumph of the Industrial-Consumer Paradigm and English as a Global Language." The article discussed the differences between 19th century colonialism and current day relations to English. One dealt with colonial dominance, and today we see outer cultures opening the gates wide. With this warm invitation of English, it brings with it certain characteristics and values. The very reasons for studying English are, mainly, for economic gains, buying into the industrial-consumerism paradigm (consumerism). Springer lays out a few lists I wanted to share.

The Industrial-Consumer Paradigm is based on the following:

• A fear that industrialism will create more leisure time that will corrupt workers and make them more difficult to control
• The goal of industrialism should be the constant production and consumption of new products promoted by the psychological techniques of the advertising profession
• Advertising and production of new products should create new "needs" for consumers and seduce them into working harder so that they can be purchased
• The consumption of products is supposed to provide personal fulfillment
• Planned Obsolescence, particularly by changing designs of products and adding new features, is to heighten the desire to continually consume
• Brand names are used to create consumer desires for higher status and new personal images

The major problems with the industrial-consumer paradigm:

• There is no concern with happiness and satisfaction in employment. The emphasis is on happiness and satisfaction through consumption. This is a problem because most people spend more time at work than they do at consuming
• The emphasis is on working hard, often meaning longer hours, to increase consumption activities. Of course, many subsistence farmers and poor people working long hours just to survive. However, the industrial-consumer paradigm model does not promise fewer working hours, only more products
• The model is premised on a fear that industrialism might provide more personal freedom by reducing work time. Some people fear that more leisure time would make the masses uncontrollable
• The issue of what makes humans happy has been clouded by the advertising emphasis on personal satisfaction through consumption
• Can the world's natural resources sustain an industrial-consumer paradigm society for all the world's peoples?
• If the world's natural resources cannot provide an industrial-consumer society to all the world's peoples, then will the world continue to be divided between the richand poor and the hungry and overfed?
• Will the industrial-consumer model with its voracious appetite for resources and disregard for the environment destroy Mother Earth?

Springer ended the article saying he didn't have all the answers to all the problems, but he hoped that the next generation would be able to come closer towards answering these questions:

• How can we organize technology and industry so that work is a source of happiness and satisfaction for all people? Rather than thinking about technology as a source of profit and new products, we should think about it as a way of freeing people from meaningless, harmful, and dissatisfying occupations.
• How can we organize the economy so that all people have the nutrition, medical care, and shelter necessity to survive and have long and satisfactory lives?
• How can we organize the economy so that people have more leisure time?
• What are the social, political, and economic conditions that promote human happiness?
• How can we organize the economy to maximize human happiness without depleting the world's resources and while protecting the biosphere?

The article provides information from studies about attitudes in Asia about the advancement of English and these values that the world is moving towards.

I thought these lists were interesting.