In Sociology is a Martial Art, Bordeieu asserts that the current economy favors increased production and consumption regardless of the social costs. Rather than favoring the happiness of the populace, this economy seeks to maximize gains in any manner possible, so long as it can justify the social costs with increases in production. This creates a paradox of economic benefit and social benefit, and while economic benefit is favored in the current day, the two are not mutually exclusive. The irony in this is that all actions on the economics side impact the social side even if the consequences are not tracked. The threats these actions pose to social wellbeing and happiness exist in three major portions of economics: production, consumption
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They aim to create feelings of inadequacy in order to sell products and prosper economically. The methods employed by advertisers not only endanger social wellbeing with the unrealistic expectations they impose upon men, women, and children, but they undermine happiness by working to convince consumers that they are inadequate as they stand. They endanger social wellbeing with the roles set out for men and women, even in 1979 Goffman noted the “ideal conception of the two sexes and their structural relationship to each other”(Goffman 1979: 84) and the detrimental impact this has on ideas of equality and wellbeing between the sexes. As advertisements have progressed and consumerism has grown, the problem created by these advertisements has only increased. The unrealistic expectations set forth about body image and gender roles that many advertisements reinforce foster unhappiness in impressionable minds and create unhealthy relationships between people, as well as with themselves. The threats to social wellbeing caused by this are also well documented, many young girls have dieted, and almost 8 million women in America suffer from an eating disorder. In an age where consumption is emphasized, the means by which products are displayed are dangerous to health and happiness as well as social wellbeing. These advertisements directly tie to the issues of consumerism, the need to achieve social status is displayed along with picture perfect people. The unhealthy conceptions of body and personality fostered by advertisements clearly detriment happiness and social wellbeing in todays consumeristic
They aim to create feelings of inadequacy in order to sell products and prosper economically. The methods employed by advertisers not only endanger social wellbeing with the unrealistic expectations they impose upon men, women, and children, but they undermine happiness by working to convince consumers that they are inadequate as they stand. They endanger social wellbeing with the roles set out for men and women, even in 1979 Goffman noted the “ideal conception of the two sexes and their structural relationship to each other”(Goffman 1979: 84) and the detrimental impact this has on ideas of equality and wellbeing between the sexes. As advertisements have progressed and consumerism has grown, the problem created by these advertisements has only increased. The unrealistic expectations set forth about body image and gender roles that many advertisements reinforce foster unhappiness in impressionable minds and create unhealthy relationships between people, as well as with themselves. The threats to social wellbeing caused by this are also well documented, many young girls have dieted, and almost 8 million women in America suffer from an eating disorder. In an age where consumption is emphasized, the means by which products are displayed are dangerous to health and happiness as well as social wellbeing. These advertisements directly tie to the issues of consumerism, the need to achieve social status is displayed along with picture perfect people. The unhealthy conceptions of body and personality fostered by advertisements clearly detriment happiness and social wellbeing in todays consumeristic