CONSUMERISM AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS

Ovaj se rad bavi otkrivanjem aktualnosti i implikacijama konzumerizma u pedagogiji. U radu konstatiramo da je tema konzumerizma na marginama interesa pedagoške znanosti. Cilj je ovoga rada dati okvir pedagoške problematike u analizama konzumerizma te potaknuti struku na dodatna istraživanja o aktualnim pitanjima. Da bismo udovoljili zahtjevima tako definiranoga cilja, na temu konzumerizma konzultirana je relevantna literatura različitih društvenih znanosti kao i recentna istraživanja (iz inozemstva). Djeca postaju proizvod konzumerizma i mekdonaldizacije društva, čije su manifestacije vidljive u danas dominantnoj fast-food obitelji. To je posljedica fetišizacije proizvoda, medijske tiranije, hedonizma i svekolikog otuđenja – kada stvari upravljaju ljudima. Problem djece i mladih kao potrošača prepoznali su teoretičari Frankfurtske kritičke škole, koji su prvi apelirali na promjene u obrazovanju. Na temelju njihovih polazišta razvijala se ideja odgoja za kritičko mišljenje kao otklon od diktata konzumerizma, ali i svih vrsta indoktrinacija i manipuliranja potrebama najmlađih. U radu se navode poticajni primjeri osvještavanja problema konzumerizma kod djece i mladih. Konzumerizam kao nametnuti životni stil uvelike utječe na preferencije i ponašanja djece i mladih, što uzimamo kao prinos novomu znanstvenom diskursu pedagogije.The paper deals with the contemporary issues and consumerism implications in pedagogy. In the paper we state that the topic of consumerism is on the margins of pedagogical scientific interests. The aim of this paper is to make a pedagogical framework to the analysis of consumerism as well as to encourage the profession through relevant, burning questions to conduct further research. In order to fulfill this aim, relevant literature on social sciences and recent research (from abroad) has been consulted on the topic of consumerism. Children are becoming the product of consumerism and McDonaldization of society, whose manifestations are visible in fast food families. That is the consequence of commodity fetishism, media tyranny, hedonism and the overall alienation – when objects control people. The problem of children and youth as consumers was recognized by the Frankfurt School theorists, who were the first to ask for the introduction of changes in education. Based on their thoughts, the idea of upbringing for critical thinking was developed, as a deflection of consumerism imperative, but also of all kinds of indoctrinations and manipulations with the needs of the youngest. In this paper encouraging examples of raising awareness concerning consumerism problems by children and youth have been listed. Consumerism as an imposed lifestyle considerably influences children’s and youth preferences and behavior, which has been considered as a contribution to the new scientific pedagogy discourse