Topic > Consumption and consumer theory - 2464

Throughout history the connection between consumption and capitalism has played a fundamental role in the social changes that have occurred. As society changed, so did the theories used to explain why these changes looked the way they did. The sociology of consumption has been rooted in sociological theory since its inception, for example from Karl Marx's ideas on the utilization of use values ​​(Marx, Engels and Arthur, 1972). However, even within these roots, the influx of research has only begun to occur in recent decades. The sociology of consumption provides another avenue through which theorists can study society. Since Marshall (1998) believed that sociological theory had long been eclipsed by theories such as alienation and social class, to name a few, which are constantly used to explain the basis of social order and are in conflict with it . Although consumption has grown in recent years, it is not an easy term to define as there is no standardized definition as many people believe that when we talk about consumption we already understand what we mean by world. However, they are more likely to understand the word in terms of what “consume” means, since most of society consumes on a daily basis. Consumption is often described and defined reductively through the terms "purchasing, obtaining and using goods and services". (Clarke, Doel, & Houslaux, 2003). However, consumption is more than what can be generally defined as what people and families do with their income when they try to increase their social status through specific types of purchases (Veblen, 2005 and Campbell, 1987) . Consumption spills over into many areas of sociological theory as well as providing explanations on h......middle of paper......d topic. The general opinion is that yes, Veblen, Bourdieu and Baudrillard all have some flaws, but that they can still be applied to today's society for decades and even longer in relation to Veblen, even if they may not fit 100% into modern culture of the 21st century. . The most prominent term that has survived and doesn't seem to be going anywhere is "conspicuous consumption", as it has long been relevant within today's communities. It is also an effective way for society to use the term to describe the bias evident when individuals seek status in consumption. Therefore, although consumption is a broad topic and can connect to many other topics other than sociology, it can be understood through the works of Veblen, Bourdieu and Baudrillard. However they are just a stepping stone, there are numerous theories out there and more are being created.