Write an Essay That Outlines the View That a Consumer Society Is a Divided Society.

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A society is classed as a consumer society when its foremost activity is purchasing and using items or services. It is the argument of some that a consumer society is a divided society. This essay will outline this view using concepts such as Bauman’s seduced and repressed theory and Wrong’s zero-sum and positive-sum game. Evidence will then be given to support these concepts. Zygmunt Bauman (1988) stated that consumers in western societies could be split into two groups; the seduced and the repressed (Bauman, cited in Hetherington, 2009, p. 25). The seduced are those who can participate in a consumer society. The repressed are those who are eliminated from or pushed to the edge of a consumer society, usually due to their inability to participate in consumption. These divisions are determined by access to consumption and the ability to use consumption to shape one’s identity. There are several factors that affect access to consumption; employment, salary, age and mobility. A seduced member would be likely to have a secure form of employment, with a good salary and mobility, for example a car. Whereas a repressed member may be unemployed, have little or no income and may, for example, be elderly or disabled (Hetherington, 2009, p. 29) As a result, a consumer society allows the seduced to build an identity based on what they consume. For example a person’s identity may be shaped by the sort of house they live in or the music they listen to. Furthermore, being able to consume enables self-expression and permit’s social membership. Membership and belonging in a consumer society is defined by the ability to spend, by car ownership and mobility. The seduced are able to consume effectively in the eyes of others, meaning they are successful members of society. The repressed are unable to participate in such things, resulting in them being seen as failed members of

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