Sociology....consumption, consumerism, identity?

Question

I have to do any essay type answer for my end of semester 2 exams, bassed on this lecture topic that we cover in class. Can you please tell me what would be the most important parts in this topic to learn.

Answer 1

1) Brand loyalty.  

"In marketing, brand loyalty consists of a consumer's commitment to repurchase the brand and can be demonstrated by repeated buying of a product or service or other positive behaviors such as word of mouth advocacy."

Think about products from companies like Apple.  You're in the market for a computer, but you want one that reflects who you think you are.  Apple portrays itself as a young, cutting edge, stylish brand; consequently it does well with a 18-30 year-old demographic.

2) Materialism.

"Literally, a materialist is a person for whom collecting material goods is an important priority. In common use, the word more specifically refers to a person who primarily pursues wealth and luxury."

3) Conspicuous Consumption.

"Conspicuous consumption is a term used to describe the lavish spending on goods and services acquired mainly for the purpose of displaying income or wealth. In the mind of a conspicuous consumer, such display serves as a means of attaining or maintaining social status."

Authors/sociologists you would want to talk about:

A) Thorstein Veblen (who came up with the idea of conspicuous consumption)

B) Pierre Bourdieu who talks about our identities being played out through such things as "cultural capital" (we surround ourselves with specific products in order to obtain and reinforce our social standing; different products are consumed by different social classes - e.g. lower classes drink beer, higher classes drink wine).

Answer 2

Have a look at Steven Miles' 'Social Theory in the Real World.'  This book will give you loads of ideas to get you started.  Also it might be worth reading Dominic Strinati's book re social theories (although I can't remember the title, sorry!)

Good luck.