Consumerism and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Consumerism and Identity - Essay Example In this paper I will qualify the statement that the capitalist commercial culture has been blamed for the bad experiences in the society. Argument for the Claim The society has continually faced problems that range from economic to political, and fingers point to the commercial culture of capitalism. Profit motive in the commercial sector plays an important role on food that people eat and to a great extent account for effects of other consumables. Emergence of economic concepts of cost minimization towards optimal profits play a core role as capitalists seeks less costly strategies to productions and marketing strategies for market control. In the food industry, for example, industrialization has transformed eating habits to commercially processed foods that are rich in chemicals and fats and expose consumers to eating disorders such as overweight. Using the media to penetrate into new markets also influences consumers towards the capitalists’ products and increases incidence s of effects of industrial products (Twitchell 1). Economic effects of capitalism also support the claim that the commercial culture is responsible for depression and associated disorders among members of the society. Unlike in socialist culture where the society owns resources and collectivism ensures needs of every member of the society, capitalism concentrates excessive resources on a few individuals while a majority of members of the society remain in poverty and have to struggle for their needs. Human suffering due to lack of basic needs or wants therefore flourish in the society while a non-capitalist system would have resolved such conditions. The condition worsens by capitalists’ selfish interest that seeks to increase the capitalists’ possession at the expense of the working class that mainly lives in poverty. Capitalist commercial culture has also threatened social cultures and cultural figures through undermining cultural values. Competitiveness in the corpo rate sector and the profit orientation of capitalists has for example promoted creativity into cultural shifts in what appears as better practices and utilities. Cultures and their benefits to the society have suffered from the developments as they become inferior and lose value. High level of competition in the market and self-interest has also promoted ills such as corruption and associated consequences in substandard products that risk consumers’ lives and undermine economic growth (Twitchell 1). Established criticisms of the commercial culture also support Twitchell’s position that the culture does not benefit the society. Some oppressive conditions are manageable, especially through collective responsibility as observed in socialist culture, but self-centered interest in the capitalist culture overlooks strategies for resolving the conditions. Widening gap between economic classes is an example and explains why the poor get poorer and the rich continue to amass we alth. Capitalistic culture also undermines efforts for harmonizing living standards in the economy and promotes such acts as discrimination and exploitation to promote suffering and stress.