Consumption Society Concept

The expression Consumption Society designates a society characteristic of the developed world in which the offer usually exceeds the search, the products are standard and the consumption patterns are massive. The appearance of the consumption society occurs directly in the industrial development that from a certain time, and for the first time in millenniums of history, lead to have become more difficult to sell products and services then to produce them. This excess of offer, associated to plenty of goods placed in the market, led to the development of marketing strategies extremely aggressive and seductive and to the credit easiness either of the industrial and distribution companies, either of the financial system.

 

Characteristics of the consumption society:

The main characteristics of the consumption society are the following:

. For most of the goods, its offer exceeds the search, leading that the companies resort to aggressive and seductive marketing strategies which induce the consumer to consume, allowing them to drain the production.

. Most of the products and services are standard, its production methods are based on the mass production and resort to strategies of programmed obsolescence that allows the permanent draining of products and services.

. Consumption patterns are massive and consumption assumes the characteristics of mass consumption, in which is consumed what is in vogue only as way of social integration.

. There is a tendency for consumption (a kind of impulsive consumption, uncontrolled, irresponsible and many times irrational).

 

 

Translated from Portuguese by Susana Saraiva, Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese translation specialist. Contact: spams@sapo.pt.