A History of Consumerism In The United States Essay

A History of Consumerism In The United States - Essay Example According to Professor Peter Stearns at George Mason University a reasonable shorthand definition of modern consumerism can be given stressing two distinct features: "1) a serious commitment to the acquisition, display, and enjoyment of goods and commercial services clearly not necessary to subsistence however generously defined, and 2) participation in the process by social groups outside the upper classes." (Stearns 2003, para. 5). These definitions are very important to consider as they shed light upon the use of the term "consumerism" in the present essay about the history of consumerism in the United States. In order to study the history of consumerism in the United States two different approaches will be taken. First, the rise of consumerism in the United States will be seen from a general point of view emphasizing some philosophical and ideological aspects of consumerism in modern society. Second, a brief history of consumerism in the United States will be undertaken under a chronological point of view making emphasis on some relevant dates and cornerstones of consumer culture in the United States up to the present. All along the way certain significant features of consumerism in the United States will be taken into account in order to give a broader idea of the implications and causations of consumerism in the United States.1 As consumerism and globalization are closely interlinked, it is necessary to understand the present interactions of both in the United States. History Of Consumerism In The United States The rise of consumerism in the United States has been a steady process along the years, especially throughout the twentieth century around World War I. Charles Kettering, from General Motors, put it simply this way: "The key to economic prosperity is the organised creation of dissatisfaction". (FAIR n. d.). In the first quarter of the twentieth century in the United States there were technological advances that helped to enhance production processes. There was overproduction, and consumers couldn't afford what was being produced at such a high pace. A little earlier, back in 1907, economist Simon Nelson Patten had said: "the new morality does not consist in saving, but in expanding consumption". (FAIR n. d.). So the creation of "the dissatisfied consumer" was a necessity of those times. Time passed by and after World War II a new boom period promoted consumerism in the United States. During the sixties with the Hippies and the seventies with the petroleum crisis the consumer habits were strongly questioned. The bold statement by Jimmy Carter in 1979 against consumerism has been pinpointed as one of the reasons for his loss to Ronald Reagan for the Presidency of the United States. It is interesting to note that consumption patterns soared immediately after the Reagan Administration took office. Throughout this period the widespread use of new marketing techniques for the creation of need has been a prominent sign of the times. The rise of cons