Tiara Amalia Wulandari

11170260000017 – 7 B
Cultural Studies

Consumerism in Cultural Studies View

We know that consumerism relates to the activity of consumption generally. The

discussion of consumerism can relate to any study field, for example, psychological,
economy, and so on. However, consumerism is also discussed in cultural studies. In this
paper, I am delivering my understanding of consumerism on cultural studies.
Consumerism becomes one of characteristics behaviour in an urban society.
Supangkat (2005) stated that one of the characteristics that are inherent with urban society
is a consumptive lifestyle (Rosida, 2018, p. 86). It is because an urban society can access the
commodities produced by capitalist industry easily. There are many facilities in an urban
society which can help the people to get their needs, such as malls, restaurants, and so on.
Online shopping also increase the number of consumption in urban people, because it is
easy to be accessed by people. It means that when a society can get the commodities
efficiently, the consumerism is also increased in a society. According to Scholte,
consumerism is a human’s behaviour to get and also to spend various kinds of goods
provided to users instantly, but their satisfaction only lasts for a short time (Wening, 2015,
p. 64). For example, fashion, entertainment, pleasure, and many more.
Consumerism is developed because of the capitalism ideology in society.
Consumerism in society has different function nowadays. According to Rosida, the main
function of consuming the commodities is to fulfil their needs is changed more than the
main function. Urban people are not only satisfied with the primary consumption but also
consume commodities to fulfil their desire for recognition of status and prestige (Rosida,
2014, p. 58). It shows us that people do not get commodities to fulfil their needs anymore.
They need commodities only to fulfil their desire and pleasure.
Consumerism also become a way to show someone’s identity in a society. According
to Parwanti (2013:02), consumption makes person not looking for happiness, not trying to
get equality, and there is no intencity for homogenizing – instead, humans make differences
which become a reference in lifestyle and values, not economic needs (Nisrina et al., 2020,
p. 80). It means that in consumerism there is a process to create an particular identity in a
society. Capitalism shows commodities in a massive way, which also creates a perspective in
society, especially in the capitalism system. For example, a famous brand can give a
perspective to a society that if you wear that brand, your class status can be constructed as
a rich person. It is because the capitalism creates an image that having commodities can
construct your social identity, while actually it gives benefits for them.
The media mass also helps the capitalism to construct their commodities is
important by using the advertisement. Lurry (2013) stated that one of factors of the
consumer culture development is the manipulation of space and time in advertising (Rosida,
2018, p. 86). Commodities has wide impacts of cultural association and illusions. According
to Featherstone, the advertising can exploit this and attach images of romance, desire,
beauty, fulfilment, scientific progress, and also the good life to common consumer goods,
such as soap, motors cars, and so on. (Featherstone, 2007, p. 14).
In conclusion, consumerism is one of the characteristics that we can find in an urban
society. It is because there are many facilities that can provide commodities in an urban
society, which makes the consumerism increased. Consumerism is also an activity to show
someone’s identity or social status by having commodities provided by capitalism.
Capitalism makes commodities looks important to show someone’s class status, and it
makes people think that if someone has commodities means they have higher class status
than others. Capitalism manipulates the advertisement to construct an image of
commodities in society. It is because the advertisement can exploit the commodities to
attach some images, such as images of desire, beauty, and so on.

Bibliography:
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