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Making Lives - Coggle Diagram

- - - - 'A society based on services, information and technologies and consumer choice' -
        (Understanding Social lives 1 - Identity and lifestyle - Open University 2014a)
  - - - Habits often change overtime
        
        For example in 'Consumer Society? Identity and Lifestyle', it explains how in the 80's, mobile phones were a luxury for the wealthy, but now in modern day, everyone has a mobile phone; most would consider a phone a necessity nowadays. (Open University 2014a)
      - People tend to have a 'disposable income' after they've spent money and things like rent or mortgage in a consumer society.
        
        Necessities are not always top expenditures, as money is often spent on transport, recreation/culture and housing, fuel and power
        
        Money is spent on a mix of consumer items, necessities aren't always most prioritised
        
        (Consumer Society? Identity and Lifestyle' - Open University 2014a)
    - - Seduced
        
        Markets offer freedom of choice.
        
        The difference in prices on Noodles for example
        
        People with surplus income
        
        Those who buy into ideals of consumer society
        
        The idea that consumer activity can be a means to self worth and expressing identity
        
        Creating consumer Lifestyles is a means to creating a sense of belonging and acceptance in society.
        
        According to Bauman
        
        The appeal of the seduced comes from the sense of self expression and personality that the consumption of goods and services provides
        
        'It offers entry into the social realm of shared meanings, where ones identity can be established and displayed to others.' - (Consumer Society? Identity and Lifestyle' - Open University 2014a)
        
        Through choice that the market offers
        
        To those who are able to consume
        
        Those who are able to participate in Consumer Society
        
        Those who are able to participate effectively, are positively valued, and accepted amongst that society.
      - Repressed
        
        Those who find it more difficult to be an active member of the consumer society
        
        Leading to social exclusion
        
        This could be due to a number of constraints
        
        Low/No income
        
        Age
        
        Disabilities
      - Consumer society according to Bauman
        
        'A consumer society promises choice and freedom to those who , because of their financial and social circumstances, are able to consume effectively' (Consumer Society? Identity and Lifestyle' - Open University 2014a)
        
        .
      - Industrial Society according to Bauman
        
        Only the wealthy in highly paid jobs or those who owned land, companies or factories could benefit and lived lives that could be defined by consumption to create luxury lifestyles
        
        Consumption should be available for everyone and should not be limited
        
        The industrial society has become less dominant due to the manufacturing industry fading in the West
        
        Political Freedom
        
        Right to Vote
        
        Right to join a Trade Union
        
        Status
        
        Class
        
        Social belonging
        
        Forms of expected social behaviour
        
        Lower, Middle, Upper Class
        
        Identity came from...
        
        Secure employment
        
        Skilled/satisfying work
        
        Citizenship rights
      - Social Cleavage
        
        'The main lines of division and inequality that characterise a particular society' (Consumer Society? Identity and Lifestyle' - Open University 2014a)
        
        In modern day, the social cleavage has changed and the lines of division have moved from social class to consumerism
        
        the ability to to consume effectively in a consumer society
      - Summary
        
        Baumans argument is that there has been a shift from industrial society, where status, social class and workplace is valued towards identity...
        
        To a consumer society, where people that can consume are valued as apart of society, as people use consumption to create an identity, but on the other hand, it creates other divisions in society
        
        As not everyone's can effectively consume, whether that's due to low income, disabilities or other life circumstances that may create constraint, this creates social exclusion and forms of inequality.
        
        Bauman claims that consumer freedoms dominate through the seductive appeal to consumerism, which controls peoples wants and desires
        
        'That more and more of social life is shaped by the marketplace is not in contention. There is less agreement over the power of seduction, as not everyone agrees they have no choice but to choose.'
        
        (Consumer Society? Identity and Lifestyle' - Open University 2014a)
    - - Veblen studied the consuming habits in the USA, in the 19th century
        
        He found that people primarily bought items not only for their use, but for positive status value, to exhibit an impression to others that they had wealth and a rising status in society.
      - Conspicuous Consumption
        
        A concept in which people by objects to visibly display and show off their social status to others, especially when a person has newly gained wealth.
        
        In modern day, people associate conspicuous consumption with celebrities, actors, sports players or entrepreneurs.
        
        Although many ordinary people also associate with conspicuous consumption without realising, this is often due to the desire to fit in rather than to show off
        
        People want to be socially accepted into society and where they feel they belong, is conspicuous consumption can send a message about status and inclusion
        
        Social acceptance can drive consumption
        
        People consume for the social message an object gives
        
        But sometimes people consume for pure functionality
        
        social messages
        
        Places also have social messages attached to them
        
        Some may shop at a market, and others a super market, both are differennt types of people that shop in the places they do for different reasons
        
        Each outlet conveys a different message seen from who typically shops, different prices items available, the status of said items.
    - - (Consumer Society? Identity and Lifestyle' - Open University 2014a)
  - - - In my opinion, I think that people use an industrial identity as a forefront to others, but once you get to know a person, you learn the depths of their consumer habits, and therefore deepen a connection with them as you start to get to know who they aspire to be, and what kind of personality they have.
        
        Moreover, the consumer based society tends to be dominant, as people use fashion for example, as a means to portray their identity to others based on looks
        
        In addition this portrays a sense of belonging to their personal in-group, and who they see themselves as.
        
        Identity Train!
        
        Looks > Occupation > Consumer Habits > Identity
- - - - This throws light on how society shapes the consumption choices people make.
        
        People affect society, and society affects people