On Bourgeois Logic and the Consumer Society

The culture of today, its consumption practices including consumption of culture has strong "bourgeois" traits. There are many ways of experimenting with bourgeois life styles and a code of living that underscores material abundance and the personal touch in many areas: interior design, etiquette, meals, outfits and garments, and travels and leisure-time activities. A new emphasis on lifestyles is said to have occurred during the restructuring of everyday culture that took place throughout and after the students movements in the 1960s (Featherstone 1991). What this rebellion protested against were many of the traits in the bourgeois life style, that were thought to be both antiquated and hypocritical. This antiquated life style was thought to be disloyal to other groups in society. When the revolution ended, a new interest in alternativc life styles had, paradoxically brought about an interest in life styles in general and these were easily espoused by the consumer industry. The 1960s generation developed orientations, tastes, and dispositions that underscored an aesthetisation and stylisations of life, which met with a large audience (Featherstone 1991, 35-36). Following on from this, an increasing number of differentiated lifestyles were presented to the public