How do we change culture? Transitions from consumer culture to anti-consumerism

[David Wingate]

Dear all,

My name is David Wingate and I’m currently working on my Masters dissertation, provisionally titled: ‘How do we change culture? Transitions from consumer culture to anti-consumerism’.

I would very much like to speak with people who consider themselves 'voluntary simplifiers' or who lead a non-consumerist lifestyle.

I'm currently based in the north of England, and if anyone lives nearby I'm happy to travel to where you are. Otherwise, wherever you are in the world, I'd be glad to meet you over Skype (or something similar).

If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

Many thanks,

David

PS. In case anyone is curious, I'm studying for an MSc in 'Sustainability: Environment and Development' at the University of Leeds. My main research interests are sustainable consumption and consumer culture.

[pcooley]

I'm not sure that "anti-consumerism" would work on a large scale. It's idyllic to think of a world of agrarian-based communities using what Ivan Illich terms "convivial technologies". And if you're working on a dissertation, you should read his essay, "Energy and Equity" which is available on the internet, and also try to get your hands on a copy of his book "convivial technology." To my mind, he's a vastly important modern philosopher who seems pretty much overlooked.

At any point where you have a significant population, you are going to have some form of trade, ergo, consumerism. Ideally, the world population will come down to sustainable levels. What we do need to do, to my way of thinking, is focus on mindful consumerism, based on building and buying items that will last. We need to work out some sort of ethical market place for labor, move to more local, organic agriculture, and learn to work with the environment rather than in opposition to it. (Why does the Southeastern U.S. have such a dependance on air conditioning? They should rely on relatively small, earth-sheltered houses).

There has been trade and consumerism as long as there has been human communities. It's not just a product of the industrial age. The industrial age simply seems to have accelerated the damage we can do to the planet and has redefined slavery as "sending jobs offshore".

I'd be fine without my computer and iPod, but I would still want my paper and pen, (and I'd like to keep my old Royal typewriter from the 1930's going). And I want my coffee. Get it to me by sailing ship but get it to me. We do need less consumerism. Anti-consumerism is just going a little too far.

I thought I should edit this to add that I'm probably not the person you want to interview. We sort of bumble along as best we can. We almost have our house paid for, which I think will simplify life for us. I try not to buy too much stuff, but we have two kids, and in spite of our best efforts, they always want something. Do I go out to the shop and build them things? Well, sometimes, but mostly I order them from Amazon. We lived without a car for eight years, but with my daughter going to a charter school next year that's some distance from town, we finally bought a car, and then, for good measure, I bought a Vespa, (and while I still bicycle most places, I love riding the Vespa). We had chickens, but something - a raccoon? - ate all of them but one. I don't have a garden.

Still, our lifestyle is probably radical by most North American standards. Your query for people to interview, however, calls to mind someone with a huge garden and a tiny cabin living on $4000 a year while making their own clothes from the wool of their own sheep.

(We also tried to keep goats at one point, but that's another story).

[David Wingate]

Dear pcooley,

Many thanks for replying to my post. I will indeed look for the literature you suggest. Ivan Illich appears in several publications, on both consumerism and development, to which I regularly refer.

Just to clarify, I am not proposing ‘anti-consumerism’ as any kind of catchall solution to all the World’s problems! The term means different things to different people, and part of my research is to learn more about those interpretations. I am really interested in how people changed their own lifestyles; what were their motivations, challenges and insights along the way?

As well as ‘voluntary simplifiers’ I will be looking at other movements such as culture jamming, freeganism, the compact, and slow food—and anyone else that crops up—who all have distinct discourses on what consumerism is and why they wish to resist it.

Judging by your response, I would say that you are an ideal interview candidate! If you would like to participate please let me know and we can make the necessary arrangements.

Thank you again for taking the time to respond.

[chord_ata]

Seems like you are really asking how people decide to break away from their mainstream culture, what self-validation do they do, and how they research the means to do so.

Wouldn't hurt to research historical break away cultures, communes, etc. to develop a baseline, before you go after interviews. Otherwise, I don't see your thesis standing up to academic challenge.

[ToomuchStuff]

I would like to know, how you define consumerism? I ask because some of the best debates I have had, dealt with "consumerism based, verses customer based" sales. Consuming it this form, means using up, and getting the next one. While customerism dealt with more fulfilling needs, while allowing more reuse and repairable type of items. (think of the older days when you got schematics with your purchases)

[awakenedsoul]

David,
I would be interested in participating. It sounds like an interesting project. You can PM me if you'd like to set up an interview. I don't have Skype, but I can do it by phone or email. I grow most of my own food, buy the rest from local farmers, bicycle most places, have a tiny cottage that is paid off, and I knit, mend, sew, etc...
There's a book called Radical Homemakers that also might interest you. It's along the same lines...

[David Wingate]

Dear chord_ata,

Thank you for replying to my post. Certainly those who attempt to break away entirely from mainstream culture would fall within the scope of this research, but it is not limited to them!

My initial impulse was to look to the communes or ‘intentional communities’ that exist where I live (there is a very good online hub at diggersanddreamers.org.uk if you are interested) but my reading of the academic literature led me to broaden my search.

A great many people make an effort to seek fulfilment through simplicity, or reduce their impact on the environment and society at large, without actually ‘dropping out’. Between the extremes of conformity and resistance there is every permutation, and that variation is of considerable interest to me.

May I ask, would you describe yourself as a practitioner of simple living?

David

[David Wingate]

Dear ToomuchStuff,

Thanks for the response and may I say that is an excellent question! The definition of consumerism has been in debate for a very long time and it seems to depend upon one’s background and general worldview.

For the purposes of this research I am using an academic understanding from a cultural studies perspective. The authors who influence my interpretation most of all would be Jean Baudrillard, Pierre Bourdieu, and Thorstein Veblen. For a more textbook oriented reading I would recommend Don Slater and Mike Featherstone.

I would like to offer a quote from Don Slater’s book ‘Consumer Culture and Modernity’ which has aided me immensely in my bid to understand the difference between ‘consumption’ (consuming things) and ‘consumerism’ (consumer culture):

“Consumption is always and everywhere a cultural process, but ‘consumer culture’—a culture of consumption—is unique and specific: it is the dominant mode of cultural reproduction developed in the west over the course of modernity” (Slater, 1997, p8)

Thanks again for your response. If you have any more queries about the project, please feel free to ask.

David

[David Wingate]

Dear awakenedsoul,

Thank you! That would be fantastic. If you don’t mind I would like to do a little methodological research into conducting interviews by email, I think it will be an interesting way to do things!

I shall PM you to arrange the finer details. Thanks again!

David

[catherine]

Here is a great resource on consumerism in America--A book called An All Consuming Century, by Penn State professor Gary Cross. I loved this book, even though it was so disheartening to learn that people always opted in for consumerism. In other words, when asked if they wanted time off for more leisure time they said yes, but when offered overtime, they accepted it. Gary Cross, the author, pointed out that, despite the various countercultures throughout American history, consumerism always won.

Bummer, but a good read and great historical context.

http://www.amazon.com/An-All-Consumi.../dp/0231113137