Consumerism Lecture

The aim of this Lecture was to understand the concept of consumerism, and how consumerism links with our subconscious desires.

Sigmund Freud - Freud explored the idea that people have hidden primitive sexual forces as well as animal instincts that he believed needed to be controlled. He believed that human's do not make decisions based on human nature, but based on our primitive instincts of sexual and violent desires dating from our evolutionary past. Freud had a lot of concepts and views on human's and society. In his book Civilization and it's Discontents, he explored the fundamental tension between civilization and the individual, and the correlation between human instincts and the well being  of the community. He also came up with the Pleasure Principle, and how human's strive for pleasure for the tempory satisfaction.

"Torches of Freedom" - Edward Berndays, who was Freud's nephew, was a propaganda officer during the war, and also involved with the press. Bernays was employed by cigarette companies to find a way to encourage young women to smoke in order to increase the sales of cigarettes, and fight societies view on how it was taboo for women to smoke. Bernays hired a lot of attractive actresses to walk around during a parade in New York, at at noticeable viewpoints, start smoking. The press photographed this, and eventually Bernays admitted that the women were actually suffragettes, and how the cigarettes symbolised a "Torch of Freedom" and a symbol for the women's independence.

The invention of celebrity endorsement - Playing on the influential mind of the public, Bernays set up a system where President Coolidge would be photographed with famous celebrities in order to change their views.

Henry Ford - Ford basically invented the mass production lines of today. However, the problem of this system is a threat of overproduction. Producing things constantly and giving society the opportunity to purchase these objects, leads to people quickly having everything and not wanting to buy anything any more.

Marketing objects in a way that creates a sense of desire rather than it feeling like a necessity was a huge shift in the marketing industry. By creating a sense of emotional security that links with products influences the mind to feel like it's a necessity, and would make that person more desirable or needed themselves.

Consumerism is still present in society today. Advertisements constantly toy with the concept that products are a stepping stone in making your life better.