Culture of Consumerism and Consumer Society

Konzumerizam zauzima važno mjesto u sociološkom kontekstu razdoblja modernizma, a naročito postmodernizma jer unosi značajne promjene u sve aspete života i društva. Konzumerističko je društvo usmjereno na kupovinu dobara i usluga misleći da njihovo trošenje, posjedovanje i konzumiranje čine sreću pojednica. Potrošačka kultura temelji se na ideji da su dobra i usluge koje kupujemo ispunjeni znakovima i kodovima koji drugima prezentiraju naš vlastiti identitet i životni stil. Efekti konzumerizma mogu se vidjeti u gotovo svim aspektima društva; od ekonomije, kulture sve do religije, a značajnu ulogu u širenju potrošačke ideologije imaju masovni mediji. U ovome radu sažeto su obrazloženi pojmovi konzumerizma i potrošačke kulture te prezentirane osnovne karakteristike i odrednice konzumerističkog društva. Također se nastoji objasniti koji su razlozi prevelike potrošnje u suvremenom društvu, ali i njezine individualne i društvene posljedice.Consumerism plays a very important role in the sociological context of modernism and postmodernism because it introduces important changes in all the aspects of society and life in general. Consumerist society is focused on buying goods and services with the idea that spending, owning and consuming them will bring them happiness. Consumer culture is based on the idea that the goods and services we buy are filled with signs and codes that present our own identity and lifestyle to others. The effects of consumerism can be seen in all the aspects of society and mass media play a very significant role in spreading the consumer ideology. This paper summarizes terms and definitions of consumerism and consumer culture and also presents the basic characteristics of consumerist society. It also aims to explain the reasons behind excessive consumption in contemporary society, but also its individual and social consequences.consumerism, consumer culture, consumer society, anti-consumerism, identit