INTRODUCTION When considering how culture perpetuates capitalism, one must reflect on key features of capitalist ideology and how it can easily influence groups and individuals once integrated into a societies collective consciousness. The vast literature on capitalist culture describes how it creates a deeply embedded, socially manipulative structure that places emphasis on the cultural and social importance of goods and commodities (Dunn 2008:47), and how individuals’ thoughts and behaviour are influenced by ideas through entertainment and media to produce consent for a capitalist system (Adorno and Horkheimer 1947:35). These inquiries into materialism and capitalism took prominence during the rise of industrialization and technological
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The individualistic ideas and ideology conveyed through mass-produced media place negative feelings in consumers that cause the artificial need to consume for instant gratification (Dunn 2008:35). These imposed tendencies to consume will be referred to as “false needs”, which are not essential to survival and serve only to create the illusion that consumption is cathartic (Ibid). This brings about the prominent notion of the “totally administered society”, as introduced by the Frankfurt school (Ibid:33). This concept posits the passivity of consumers and examines how demand is imposed on individuals through cultural media that stimulates the desire to consume (Ibid). A notable example of consumer passivity and “totally administered society” is the change in social trends from telephone to radio (Adorno and Horkheimer 1947:31). Telephone allows the consumer to participate and take on the role of subject in a telephone exchange (Ibid). Radio, on the other hand, is a one-way interaction that requires no participation from the mass-audience, which is fed broadcasted information (Ibid). This small physical change reflects societal changes in consumer passivity, mass consumption, product standardization, and how technology influences individuals’ …show more content…
As previously discussed, the large-scale production and marketing of commodities combined with the capitalist “way of life” place false needs on the consumer (Ibid:35). The issue herein is on the other side of consumption: the elites whom control the means of production. As consumption becomes a large, more consolidated and unified practice among individual in a society, the corporate elites who produce goods also become unified (Adorno and Horkheimer 1947:32). This can be seen in modern day society with large conglomerates acquiring smaller companies in order to condense the market so that they may sell their standardized products with less competition or alternative options for their consumers, thus centralizing power (Ibid). In short, individuals are the subjects of society who supposedly act freely and rationally while elites whom control production, and consequently the culture industry, cooperate by setting the parameters on what is produced, how much it is worth, and who will consume it
The individualistic ideas and ideology conveyed through mass-produced media place negative feelings in consumers that cause the artificial need to consume for instant gratification (Dunn 2008:35). These imposed tendencies to consume will be referred to as “false needs”, which are not essential to survival and serve only to create the illusion that consumption is cathartic (Ibid). This brings about the prominent notion of the “totally administered society”, as introduced by the Frankfurt school (Ibid:33). This concept posits the passivity of consumers and examines how demand is imposed on individuals through cultural media that stimulates the desire to consume (Ibid). A notable example of consumer passivity and “totally administered society” is the change in social trends from telephone to radio (Adorno and Horkheimer 1947:31). Telephone allows the consumer to participate and take on the role of subject in a telephone exchange (Ibid). Radio, on the other hand, is a one-way interaction that requires no participation from the mass-audience, which is fed broadcasted information (Ibid). This small physical change reflects societal changes in consumer passivity, mass consumption, product standardization, and how technology influences individuals’ …show more content…
As previously discussed, the large-scale production and marketing of commodities combined with the capitalist “way of life” place false needs on the consumer (Ibid:35). The issue herein is on the other side of consumption: the elites whom control the means of production. As consumption becomes a large, more consolidated and unified practice among individual in a society, the corporate elites who produce goods also become unified (Adorno and Horkheimer 1947:32). This can be seen in modern day society with large conglomerates acquiring smaller companies in order to condense the market so that they may sell their standardized products with less competition or alternative options for their consumers, thus centralizing power (Ibid). In short, individuals are the subjects of society who supposedly act freely and rationally while elites whom control production, and consequently the culture industry, cooperate by setting the parameters on what is produced, how much it is worth, and who will consume it