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AmandaHungerford-SecondPaper 11 - 11 Apr 2008 - Main.AmandaHungerford
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Conspicuous Consumption and the Environmental Movement | |
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< | Comments welcome (and appreciated!) -- please poke as many holes in my argument as you can find; I'd like to know where the weaknesses are. | >
> | READY FOR GRADING | | | | |
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< | First Draft
Premise: if we accept, for argument’s sake, that Veblen’s thesis in The Theory of the Leisure Class is correct, how can the environmental movement hope to survive in a world of conspicuous consumption? | >
> | Premise: if we accept, for argument’s sake, that Veblen’s thesis in The Theory of the Leisure Class is correct, how can the environmental movement hope to survive in a world of conspicuous consumption? | | | History of the Environmental Movement | |
<
< | Although the environmental movement has existed in one form or another for the past 150 years, it long remained a primarily fringe movement. While at times certain issues would capture popular attention, those issues inevitably faded from public consciousness. | >
> | Although the environmental movement has existed in one form or another for the past 150 years, it historically has been a primarily fringe movement. While at times certain issues would capture popular attention, those issues inevitably faded from public consciousness. | | | | |
<
< | In the last few years, however, environmental issues have gained national attention. Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth was (for a documentary) a huge commercial and critical success. Sales of Toyota’s “green” car Prius have stayed high, despite a slow auto market overall. The popularity of organic goods, such as organic coffee, steadily continued to grow. Even Wal*Mart now offers “earth friendly shopping." | >
> | In the last few years, however, environmentalism has gained national attention. Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth was a huge commercial and critical success. Sales of Toyota’s “green” Prius have stayed high, despite a slow auto market overall. The popularity of organic goods, such as organic coffee, steadily continues to grow. Even Wal*Mart now offers “earth friendly shopping." | | | The Taste of Eco-Friendliness | |
<
< | While the increased popularity of eco-friendly products may at first seem to signal a new way of living, in actuality “green consumerism” can be likened more readily to a change in taste than a change in lifestyle. Buying enivornmentally-friendly products require any significant lifestyle change, but it is an effective way to signal one's class through taste. | >
> | While the increased popularity of eco-friendly products may at first seem to herald a new way of living, in actuality “green consumerism” can be likened more readily to a change in taste than a change in lifestyle. Buying environmentally-friendly products requires no significant lifestyle change, but is an effective way to use taste to signal one's class. | | | In his chapter on “Pecuniary Canons of Taste,” Veblen notes that the most "tasteful" objects are those that have added expense, but no added usefulness (50). That description fits many eco-friendly products perfectly. Organic towels , for example, cost more than five times as much as non-organic towels, but they don’t soak up water any better.
Failings of Eco-Friendly Products | |
<
< | While green consumerism has made “environmentally-friendly” a trendy catchphrase, it is up for debate whether it is actually that, well, environmentally friendly. Part of the problem is that the earth isn’t just harmed by certain kinds of consumption, it is harmed by heavy consumption of any product. While environmentally-friendly products may well be better for the environment than other products, they’re still much worse for the environment than buying no product at all. It’s all well and good to get an energy-saving television, for example, but even the most energy-efficient appliances use some energy (even when turned off). Moreover, in a culture of conspicuous consumption, old “green” products must continuously be thrown out so that new ones can be consumed. The earth is helped very little by a landfill that’s filled with couches made from organic cotton. | >
> | While green consumerism has made “environmentally friendly” a trendy catchphrase, it is up for debate whether it is actually that, well, environmentally friendly. Part of the problem is that the earth isn’t just harmed by certain kinds of consumption; it is harmed by heavy consumption of any product. While environmentally-friendly products may well be better for the environment than other items, they’re still much worse than buying no product at all. For example, it’s all well and good to get an energy-saving television, but even the most energy-efficient appliances use some energy (even when turned off). Moreover, in a culture of conspicuous consumption, old “green” products must continuously be thrown out so that new ones can be consumed. The earth is helped very little by a landfill that’s filled with couches made from organic cotton. | | | Harnessing Conspicuous Consumption | |
<
< | So whatever is the environmental movement to do? If green consumerism is not enough to stop global warming and other environmental disasters, how can the environmental movement appeal to a world fixated on conspicuous consumption? In fact, even with the failings of green consumerism it may be possible for the environmental movement to yet channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends. | >
> | So whatever is the environmental movement to do? If green consumerism is not enough to stop global warming and other environmental disasters, how can the environmental movement appeal to a world fixated on conspicuous consumption? What the environmental movement needs to do is channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends. | | | | |
<
< | Veblen notes that, while institutions are reluctant to change, they sometimes must in response to external circumstances (83, 84). Usually, that change is in response to an economic stimulus (85, 86). Such an economic stimulus is on the horizon, if it is not here already. With a rise in the cost of natural gas, it is become increasingly expensive to heat one’s home. The world’s water supply is shrinking, which will cause increased food and water costs. The cost of gas has risen dramatically in the last few years, (little indication that prices will go back down). While Americans have faced some of these economic pressures before, the costs have always been temporary. This time it seems that the high prices may be here to stay. The time is right for the environmental movement to bring about institutional change. | >
> | Veblen notes that, while institutions are reluctant to change, they sometimes must adapt to external circumstances (83, 84). Usually, that change is in response to an economic stimulus (85, 86). Such a stimulus is on the horizon, if it is not here already. With a rise in the cost of natural gas, it is becoming increasingly expensive to heat one’s home. The world’s water supply is shrinking, which will cause increased food and water costs. And the cost of gas has risen dramatically in the last few years. While Americans have faced some of these economic pressures before, the costs have always been temporary. This time it seems that the high prices may be here to stay. The time is right for the environmental movement to bring about institutional change. | | | | |
<
< | Of course, people will shrink from any scheme of life that is alien to them (89). Thus, any change will need to feel as familiar as possible in order to find acceptance. There is a familiar form of conspicuous consumption the environmental movement can attempt to bring back*: the wasting of time. | >
> | People will shrink from any scheme of life that is alien to them (89). Thus, any change will need to feel as familiar as possible in order to find acceptance. Luckily, there is a familiar form of conspicuous consumption the environmental movement can attempt to bring back*: the wasting of time. | | | | |
<
< | Conspicuous leisure has all of the elements it needs to be just as successful as conspicuous consumption of goods. With conspicuous leisure people are able to display their wealth through how much time they can afford to waste, instead of how many useless items they can afford to buy. Community gardening, washing dishes by hand, and ironing shirts (instead of dry cleaning them) all take time, and are not particularly productive (as evidenced by the fact that there is a less time-consuming alternative to all three activities). | >
> | Conspicuous leisure has all of the elements it needs to be as successful as conspicuous consumption of goods (while having the added bonus of relying less on quickly-diminishing natural resources). For example, with conspicuous leisure people are able to display their wealth through how much time they can afford to waste, instead of how many items they can buy. Community gardening, washing dishes by hand, and ironing shirts (instead of dry cleaning them) all take time, and are not particularly productive (as evidenced by the fact that there is a less time-consuming alternative to all three activities). | | | | |
<
< | Conspicuous leisure also allows for hierarchies of taste, since how you spend your time is as much of a marker of your wealth as the fact that you spent it at all. Just as it is a marker of class that you know to buy organic sheets, so, too, can it be a marker of class to wash those sheets by hand. | >
> | Conspicuous leisure also allows for hierarchies of taste, since how you spend your time is as much of a signal of your wealth as the fact that you spent it at all. Just as knowing to buy organic sheets is a marker of class, so, too, can it be a marker of class to wash those sheets by hand. | | | | |
<
< | Conspicuous leisure is a plausible alternative not just because it allows for a way to appeal to people mired in a culture of conspicuous waste. It also is familiar: people have been practicing conspicuous leisure for centuries. The need is not to create a new form of conspicuous waste out of whole cloth, but to put increasing focus on an already-existing form of conspicuous waste. Veblen notes that retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (86). Since conspicuous leisure is already familiar to most people, it won’t be difficult for them to revert back to it. | >
> | Conspicuous leisure is a plausible alternative not just because it can appeal to people mired in a culture of conspicuous waste. It also is familiar: people have been practicing conspicuous leisure for centuries. Environmentalists need not create a new form of conspicuous waste out of whole cloth, but instead put increasing focus on an already-existing form of waste. Veblen notes that retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (86). Since conspicuous leisure is already recognizable to people, it won’t be difficult for them to revert back to it. | | | | |
<
< | Changing the focus from conspicuous consumption of goods to conspicuous consumption of time may not seem like a large change, but even seemingly small changes in the structure can have far-reaching effects (88). And, granted, hordes of people working in community gardens likely won't eliminate global warming any more than hordes of people buying organic produce. But the change in behavior away from consumptions of goods will be a beneficial one. At the very least, it’s a pretty good start. | >
> | Changing the focus from conspicuous consumption of goods to conspicuous consumption of time may not seem like a large change, but even seemingly small changes in the structure can have far-reaching effects (88). And, granted, hordes of people working in community gardens likely won't, on its own, eliminate global warming any more than hordes of people buying organic produce will. But in order to save the environment, the change in behavior away from consumptions of goods is a necessary one. At the very least, conspicuous leisure is a pretty good start. | | | *I don't mean to imply that conspicuous leisure ever left popular consciousness, but rather that it has taken a backseat to other forms of conspicuous consumption.
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AmandaHungerford-SecondPaper 10 - 11 Apr 2008 - Main.AmandaHungerford
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| META TOPICPARENT | name="WebPreferences" |
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Conspicuous Consumption and the Environmental Movement | | | History of the Environmental Movement | |
<
< | Although the environmental movement has existed in one form or another for the past 150 years, it, for the most part, remained a fringe movement. While at times certain issues would capture popular attention, those issues inevitably faded from public consciousness. | >
> | Although the environmental movement has existed in one form or another for the past 150 years, it long remained a primarily fringe movement. While at times certain issues would capture popular attention, those issues inevitably faded from public consciousness. | | | | |
<
< | In the last few years, however, the environmental movement has seemed to have been thrust into the forefront of national attention. Al Gore's environmentalist PowerPoint? presentation, An Inconvenient Truth, was (for a documentary) a huge commercial and critical success. Sales of Toyota’s “green” car Prius have stayed high, despite a slow auto market overall. The sales of organic goods, such as organic coffee, steadily continued to rise. Even Wal*Mart now offers “earth friendly shopping." | >
> | In the last few years, however, environmental issues have gained national attention. Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth was (for a documentary) a huge commercial and critical success. Sales of Toyota’s “green” car Prius have stayed high, despite a slow auto market overall. The popularity of organic goods, such as organic coffee, steadily continued to grow. Even Wal*Mart now offers “earth friendly shopping." | | | The Taste of Eco-Friendliness | |
<
< | The increased prominence of environmentally-friendly products may at first seem to signal a new way of living, but in actuality “green consumerism” can be likened more readily to a change in taste than a change in lifestyle. | >
> | While the increased popularity of eco-friendly products may at first seem to signal a new way of living, in actuality “green consumerism” can be likened more readily to a change in taste than a change in lifestyle. Buying enivornmentally-friendly products require any significant lifestyle change, but it is an effective way to signal one's class through taste. | | | In his chapter on “Pecuniary Canons of Taste,” Veblen notes that the most "tasteful" objects are those that have added expense, but no added usefulness (50). That description fits many eco-friendly products perfectly. Organic towels , for example, cost more than five times as much as non-organic towels, but they don’t soak up water any better. | |
<
< | Eco-friendly products are a popular taste not merely because they are more costly, but also because they are a way of signaling one’s superior values, another element of a successful consumption habit (51). By owning organic towels you’re not only signaling that you have the money to spend on a $30 dollar towel, but also that have the knowledge and savvy to buy such a politically-correct item. | | | Failings of Eco-Friendly Products | |
<
< | While green consumerism has made “environmentally-friendly” a trendy catchphrase, it is up for debate whether it is actually that, well, environmentally friendly. Part of the problem is that the earth isn’t just harmed by certain kinds of consumption, it is harmed by high levels of consumption of any product. While environmentally-friendly products may well be better for the environment than their alternative, they’re still much worse for the environment than buying no product at all. It’s all well and good to get an energy-saving television, for example, but even the most energy-efficient appliances use some energy (even when turned off). Moreover, in a culture of conspicuous consumption, old “green” products must continuously be thrown out so that new ones can be consumed. The earth is helped very little by a landfill that’s filled with organic products, instead of non-organic ones. | >
> | While green consumerism has made “environmentally-friendly” a trendy catchphrase, it is up for debate whether it is actually that, well, environmentally friendly. Part of the problem is that the earth isn’t just harmed by certain kinds of consumption, it is harmed by heavy consumption of any product. While environmentally-friendly products may well be better for the environment than other products, they’re still much worse for the environment than buying no product at all. It’s all well and good to get an energy-saving television, for example, but even the most energy-efficient appliances use some energy (even when turned off). Moreover, in a culture of conspicuous consumption, old “green” products must continuously be thrown out so that new ones can be consumed. The earth is helped very little by a landfill that’s filled with couches made from organic cotton. | | | Harnessing Conspicuous Consumption | |
<
< | So whatever is the environmental movement to do? If green consumerism is not enough to stop global warming, what can be done in a world so fixated on conspicuous consumption? In fact, it may be possible for the environmental movement to yet channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends. | >
> | So whatever is the environmental movement to do? If green consumerism is not enough to stop global warming and other environmental disasters, how can the environmental movement appeal to a world fixated on conspicuous consumption? In fact, even with the failings of green consumerism it may be possible for the environmental movement to yet channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends. | | | | |
<
< | Veblen notes that, while institutions are loath to change, they sometimes must in response to external circumstances (83, 84). Usually, that change is in response to an economic stimulus (85, 86). Such an economic stimulus is on the horizon, if it is not here already. With a rise in the cost of natural gas, it is become increasingly expensive to heat one’s home. The world’s water supply is shrinking, which will cause increased food and water costs. The cost of gas has risen dramatically in the last few years, and there is little indication that prices will go back down. While Americans have seen some of these costs before, the costs have always been temporary. This time it seems that the high prices may be here to stay. The time is right for the environmental movement to bring about institutional change. | >
> | Veblen notes that, while institutions are reluctant to change, they sometimes must in response to external circumstances (83, 84). Usually, that change is in response to an economic stimulus (85, 86). Such an economic stimulus is on the horizon, if it is not here already. With a rise in the cost of natural gas, it is become increasingly expensive to heat one’s home. The world’s water supply is shrinking, which will cause increased food and water costs. The cost of gas has risen dramatically in the last few years, (little indication that prices will go back down). While Americans have faced some of these economic pressures before, the costs have always been temporary. This time it seems that the high prices may be here to stay. The time is right for the environmental movement to bring about institutional change. | | | | |
<
< | Of course, people will shrink from any scheme of life that is alien to them (89). Thus, any change will need to seem as familiar as possible in order to find acceptance. The environmental movement will be most successful if it attempts to reinstate conspicuous consumption of time: that is, try to re-emphasize conspicuous leisure. | >
> | Of course, people will shrink from any scheme of life that is alien to them (89). Thus, any change will need to feel as familiar as possible in order to find acceptance. There is a familiar form of conspicuous consumption the environmental movement can attempt to bring back*: the wasting of time. | | | | |
<
< | Conspicuous leisure has all of the elements to be just as successful as conspicuous consumption. People are able to display their wealth through how much time they can afford to waste, instead of how many useless items they can afford to buy. Community gardening, washing dishes by hand, and ironing shirts (instead of dry cleaning them) all take time, and are not particularly productive (as evidenced by the fact that there is a less time-consuming alternative to all three activities). | >
> | Conspicuous leisure has all of the elements it needs to be just as successful as conspicuous consumption of goods. With conspicuous leisure people are able to display their wealth through how much time they can afford to waste, instead of how many useless items they can afford to buy. Community gardening, washing dishes by hand, and ironing shirts (instead of dry cleaning them) all take time, and are not particularly productive (as evidenced by the fact that there is a less time-consuming alternative to all three activities). | | | | |
<
< | Conspicuous leisure also allows for hierarchies of taste, since how you spend your time is as much of a marker of your wealth as the fact that you spent it at all. Just as it is a marker of class to buy organic sheets, so, too, can it be a marker of class to wash those sheets by hand. | >
> | Conspicuous leisure also allows for hierarchies of taste, since how you spend your time is as much of a marker of your wealth as the fact that you spent it at all. Just as it is a marker of class that you know to buy organic sheets, so, too, can it be a marker of class to wash those sheets by hand. | | | Conspicuous leisure is a plausible alternative not just because it allows for a way to appeal to people mired in a culture of conspicuous waste. It also is familiar: people have been practicing conspicuous leisure for centuries. The need is not to create a new form of conspicuous waste out of whole cloth, but to put increasing focus on an already-existing form of conspicuous waste. Veblen notes that retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (86). Since conspicuous leisure is already familiar to most people, it won’t be difficult for them to revert back to it. | |
<
< | Changing the focus from conspicuous consumption of goods to conspicuous consumption of time may not seem like a large change, but even seemingly small changes in the structure can have far-reaching effects (88). And, granted, hordes of people working in community gardens likely won't eliminate global warming any more than hordes of people buying organic produce. But the change in behavior away from consumptions of goods will be a hugely beneficial one. At the very least, it’s a pretty good start. | >
> | Changing the focus from conspicuous consumption of goods to conspicuous consumption of time may not seem like a large change, but even seemingly small changes in the structure can have far-reaching effects (88). And, granted, hordes of people working in community gardens likely won't eliminate global warming any more than hordes of people buying organic produce. But the change in behavior away from consumptions of goods will be a beneficial one. At the very least, it’s a pretty good start. | | | | |
>
> | *I don't mean to imply that conspicuous leisure ever left popular consciousness, but rather that it has taken a backseat to other forms of conspicuous consumption. | | | |
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AmandaHungerford-SecondPaper 9 - 10 Apr 2008 - Main.AmandaHungerford
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| META TOPICPARENT | name="WebPreferences" |
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Conspicuous Consumption and the Environmental Movement | | | Although the environmental movement has existed in one form or another for the past 150 years, it, for the most part, remained a fringe movement. While at times certain issues would capture popular attention, those issues inevitably faded from public consciousness. | |
<
< | In the last few years, however, the environmental movement has seemed to have been thrust into the forefront of national attention. While Michael Moore has traditionally excited the public much more than Al Gore, Gore’s environmentalist PowerPoint? presentation, An Inconvenient Truth grossed more total than Moore’s Sicko. Sales of Toyota’s “green” car Prius have stayed high, despite a slow auto market overall. The sales of organic goods, such as organic coffee, steadily continued to rise. Even Wal*Mart now offers “earth friendly shopping." | >
> | In the last few years, however, the environmental movement has seemed to have been thrust into the forefront of national attention. Al Gore's environmentalist PowerPoint? presentation, An Inconvenient Truth, was (for a documentary) a huge commercial and critical success. Sales of Toyota’s “green” car Prius have stayed high, despite a slow auto market overall. The sales of organic goods, such as organic coffee, steadily continued to rise. Even Wal*Mart now offers “earth friendly shopping." | | | The Taste of Eco-Friendliness | |
<
< | The increased prominence of environmentally-friendly products may at first seem to signal a new way of living, but in actuality “green consumerism” can be likened more readily to a change in taste than a change in lifestyle. Comparing Veblen’s descriptions of “taste” to green consumerism shows how apt the comparison is. | >
> | The increased prominence of environmentally-friendly products may at first seem to signal a new way of living, but in actuality “green consumerism” can be likened more readily to a change in taste than a change in lifestyle. | | | | |
<
< | In his chapter on “Pecuniary Canons of Taste,” Veblen notes that the most valued objects will be those that have added expense, but no added usefulness (Veblen, 50). That description fits many eco-friendly products perfectly. Organic towels , for example, cost more than five times as much as non-organic towels, but they don’t soak up water any better. | >
> | In his chapter on “Pecuniary Canons of Taste,” Veblen notes that the most "tasteful" objects are those that have added expense, but no added usefulness (50). That description fits many eco-friendly products perfectly. Organic towels , for example, cost more than five times as much as non-organic towels, but they don’t soak up water any better. | | | | |
<
< | Eco-friendly products are a popular taste not merely because they are more costly, but also because they are a way of signaling one’s superior values, another element of a successful consumption habit (Veblen, 51). By owning organic towels you’re not only signaling that you have the money to spend on a $30 dollar towel, but also that have the knowledge and savvy to buy such a politically-correct item. | >
> | Eco-friendly products are a popular taste not merely because they are more costly, but also because they are a way of signaling one’s superior values, another element of a successful consumption habit (51). By owning organic towels you’re not only signaling that you have the money to spend on a $30 dollar towel, but also that have the knowledge and savvy to buy such a politically-correct item. | | |
Failings of Eco-Friendly Products | | | So whatever is the environmental movement to do? If green consumerism is not enough to stop global warming, what can be done in a world so fixated on conspicuous consumption? In fact, it may be possible for the environmental movement to yet channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends. | |
<
< | Veblen notes that, while institutions are loath to change, they sometimes must in response to external circumstances (Veblen 83, 84). Usually, that change is in response to an economic stimulus (Veblen 85, 86). Such an economic stimulus is on the horizon, if it is not here already. With a rise in the cost of natural gas, it is become increasingly expensive to heat one’s home. The world’s water supply is shrinking, which will cause increased food and water costs. The cost of gas has risen dramatically in the last few years, and there is little indication that prices will go back down. While Americans have seen some of these costs before, the costs have always been temporary. This time it seems that the high prices may be here to stay. The time is right for the environmental movement to bring about institutional change. | >
> | Veblen notes that, while institutions are loath to change, they sometimes must in response to external circumstances (83, 84). Usually, that change is in response to an economic stimulus (85, 86). Such an economic stimulus is on the horizon, if it is not here already. With a rise in the cost of natural gas, it is become increasingly expensive to heat one’s home. The world’s water supply is shrinking, which will cause increased food and water costs. The cost of gas has risen dramatically in the last few years, and there is little indication that prices will go back down. While Americans have seen some of these costs before, the costs have always been temporary. This time it seems that the high prices may be here to stay. The time is right for the environmental movement to bring about institutional change. | | | | |
<
< | Of course, people will shrink from any scheme of life that is alien to them (Veblen 89). Thus, any change will need to seem as familiar as possible in order to find acceptance. The environmental movement will be most successful if it attempts to reinstate conspicuous consumption of time: that is, try to re-emphasize conspicuous leisure. | >
> | Of course, people will shrink from any scheme of life that is alien to them (89). Thus, any change will need to seem as familiar as possible in order to find acceptance. The environmental movement will be most successful if it attempts to reinstate conspicuous consumption of time: that is, try to re-emphasize conspicuous leisure. | | | Conspicuous leisure has all of the elements to be just as successful as conspicuous consumption. People are able to display their wealth through how much time they can afford to waste, instead of how many useless items they can afford to buy. Community gardening, washing dishes by hand, and ironing shirts (instead of dry cleaning them) all take time, and are not particularly productive (as evidenced by the fact that there is a less time-consuming alternative to all three activities).
Conspicuous leisure also allows for hierarchies of taste, since how you spend your time is as much of a marker of your wealth as the fact that you spent it at all. Just as it is a marker of class to buy organic sheets, so, too, can it be a marker of class to wash those sheets by hand. | |
<
< | Conspicuous leisure is an plausible alternative not just because it allows for a way to appeal to people mired in a culture of conspicuous waste. It also is familiar: people have been practicing conspicuous leisure for centuries. The need is not to create a new form of conspicuous waste out of whole cloth, but to put increasing focus on an already-existing form of conspicuous waste. Veblen notes that retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (Veblen 86). Since conspicuous leisure is already familiar to most people, it won’t be difficult for them to revert back to it. | >
> | Conspicuous leisure is a plausible alternative not just because it allows for a way to appeal to people mired in a culture of conspicuous waste. It also is familiar: people have been practicing conspicuous leisure for centuries. The need is not to create a new form of conspicuous waste out of whole cloth, but to put increasing focus on an already-existing form of conspicuous waste. Veblen notes that retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (86). Since conspicuous leisure is already familiar to most people, it won’t be difficult for them to revert back to it. | | | | |
<
< | Changing the focus from conspicuous consumption of goods to conspicuous consumption of time may not seem like a large change, but even seemingly small changes in the structure can have far-reaching effects (Veblen 88). And, granted, hordes of people working in community gardens eliminate global warming any less than hordes of people buying organic produce. But any shift away from consumption of goods will help the environment. At the very least, it’s a pretty good start. | >
> | Changing the focus from conspicuous consumption of goods to conspicuous consumption of time may not seem like a large change, but even seemingly small changes in the structure can have far-reaching effects (88). And, granted, hordes of people working in community gardens likely won't eliminate global warming any more than hordes of people buying organic produce. But the change in behavior away from consumptions of goods will be a hugely beneficial one. At the very least, it’s a pretty good start. | | | | |
<
< |
This Time Magazine article, "The Clean Energy Scam," is somewhat tangential, but it reminded me of your paper topic. The demand for farm-grown fuels, it seems, is beginning to have negative environmental impacts.
-- JuliaS - 31 Mar 2008 | | | |
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AmandaHungerford-SecondPaper 8 - 08 Apr 2008 - Main.AmandaHungerford
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| META TOPICPARENT | name="WebPreferences" |
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Conspicuous Consumption and the Environmental Movement | |
<
< | Comments welcome (and appreciated!) | >
> | Comments welcome (and appreciated!) -- please poke as many holes in my argument as you can find; I'd like to know where the weaknesses are. | | | | |
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< | Working outline
- Accepting that Veblen's tehsis is correct, ow can the environmental movement survive in a world of conspicuous consumption | >
> | First Draft | | | | |
>
> | Premise: if we accept, for argument’s sake, that Veblen’s thesis in The Theory of the Leisure Class is correct, how can the environmental movement hope to survive in a world of conspicuous consumption? | | | History of the Environmental Movement | |
<
< | - Gained mainstreem awareness with Silent Spring
- Remained mostly a fringe movement for the next 40 years
- Now, is cool to be eco-friendly (proliferation of eco-friendly household products, cars, organic foods, etc) | >
> | Although the environmental movement has existed in one form or another for the past 150 years, it, for the most part, remained a fringe movement. While at times certain issues would capture popular attention, those issues inevitably faded from public consciousness. | | | | |
>
> | In the last few years, however, the environmental movement has seemed to have been thrust into the forefront of national attention. While Michael Moore has traditionally excited the public much more than Al Gore, Gore’s environmentalist PowerPoint? presentation, An Inconvenient Truth grossed more total than Moore’s Sicko. Sales of Toyota’s “green” car Prius have stayed high, despite a slow auto market overall. The sales of organic goods, such as organic coffee, steadily continued to rise. Even Wal*Mart now offers “earth friendly shopping." | | | The Taste of Eco-Friendliness | |
<
< | - Eco-friendly products are less of an example of a movement, and more an example of upper-middle class taste. Has all of the trappings of what Veblen discussed in his section on taste | >
> | The increased prominence of environmentally-friendly products may at first seem to signal a new way of living, but in actuality “green consumerism” can be likened more readily to a change in taste than a change in lifestyle. Comparing Veblen’s descriptions of “taste” to green consumerism shows how apt the comparison is. | | | | |
<
< | - Makes items more expensive w/o becoming more useful (Veblen 50) | >
> | In his chapter on “Pecuniary Canons of Taste,” Veblen notes that the most valued objects will be those that have added expense, but no added usefulness (Veblen, 50). That description fits many eco-friendly products perfectly. Organic towels , for example, cost more than five times as much as non-organic towels, but they don’t soak up water any better. | | | | |
<
< | - Showing one's values through consumption habits (not a new practice) (Veblen 51)
- Perfect example of what Veblen meant when he discussed the love of hand-crafted items. Now is a sign of not just beauty, but political awareness. Link: Pottery Barn tables (Veblen 55-6) | >
> | Eco-friendly products are a popular taste not merely because they are more costly, but also because they are a way of signaling one’s superior values, another element of a successful consumption habit (Veblen, 51). By owning organic towels you’re not only signaling that you have the money to spend on a $30 dollar towel, but also that have the knowledge and savvy to buy such a politically-correct item. | | |
Failings of Eco-Friendly Products | |
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< | - Environmental problems aren't just caused by consumption of the wrong things, they're caused by consumption in the first place
- Many enviro-friendly products are still worse for the earth than no product at all
--> Eco-friendly cleaners are still a waste of plastic, and not really that necessary to begin with
--> Organic tables still hurt the environment if they wind up in a landfill after 10 years | >
> | While green consumerism has made “environmentally-friendly” a trendy catchphrase, it is up for debate whether it is actually that, well, environmentally friendly. Part of the problem is that the earth isn’t just harmed by certain kinds of consumption, it is harmed by high levels of consumption of any product. While environmentally-friendly products may well be better for the environment than their alternative, they’re still much worse for the environment than buying no product at all. It’s all well and good to get an energy-saving television, for example, but even the most energy-efficient appliances use some energy (even when turned off). Moreover, in a culture of conspicuous consumption, old “green” products must continuously be thrown out so that new ones can be consumed. The earth is helped very little by a landfill that’s filled with organic products, instead of non-organic ones. | | | Harnessing Conspicuous Consumption | |
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< | - How do you get people to consume less if conspicuous consumption is really what makes the world go 'round?
--> It's much easier to change people's taste than to make more fundamental changes (Veblen 88)
- Still, environmental movement may be able to channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends
--> Institutions change in reaction to external stimuli (Veblen 83, 84)
--> That change is usually in response to a stimulus that is economic in nature (Veblen 85, 86)
- Cost of gas is rising | >
> | So whatever is the environmental movement to do? If green consumerism is not enough to stop global warming, what can be done in a world so fixated on conspicuous consumption? In fact, it may be possible for the environmental movement to yet channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends. | | | | |
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< | - When the water tables dry up water will become expensive | >
> | Veblen notes that, while institutions are loath to change, they sometimes must in response to external circumstances (Veblen 83, 84). Usually, that change is in response to an economic stimulus (Veblen 85, 86). Such an economic stimulus is on the horizon, if it is not here already. With a rise in the cost of natural gas, it is become increasingly expensive to heat one’s home. The world’s water supply is shrinking, which will cause increased food and water costs. The cost of gas has risen dramatically in the last few years, and there is little indication that prices will go back down. While Americans have seen some of these costs before, the costs have always been temporary. This time it seems that the high prices may be here to stay. The time is right for the environmental movement to bring about institutional change. | | | | |
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< | - Heating costs will rise | >
> | Of course, people will shrink from any scheme of life that is alien to them (Veblen 89). Thus, any change will need to seem as familiar as possible in order to find acceptance. The environmental movement will be most successful if it attempts to reinstate conspicuous consumption of time: that is, try to re-emphasize conspicuous leisure. | | | | |
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< | - People will decry any shift in behavior that is too alien to them (Veblen 89) | >
> | Conspicuous leisure has all of the elements to be just as successful as conspicuous consumption. People are able to display their wealth through how much time they can afford to waste, instead of how many useless items they can afford to buy. Community gardening, washing dishes by hand, and ironing shirts (instead of dry cleaning them) all take time, and are not particularly productive (as evidenced by the fact that there is a less time-consuming alternative to all three activities). | | | | |
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< | - So let people have their conspicuous waste, but emphasize wastes of TIME, not of goods -- try to shift back to conspicuous leisure | >
> | Conspicuous leisure also allows for hierarchies of taste, since how you spend your time is as much of a marker of your wealth as the fact that you spent it at all. Just as it is a marker of class to buy organic sheets, so, too, can it be a marker of class to wash those sheets by hand. | | | | |
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< | - We've already seen conspicuous leisure. It's not too foreign, and retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (Veblen 86) | >
> | Conspicuous leisure is an plausible alternative not just because it allows for a way to appeal to people mired in a culture of conspicuous waste. It also is familiar: people have been practicing conspicuous leisure for centuries. The need is not to create a new form of conspicuous waste out of whole cloth, but to put increasing focus on an already-existing form of conspicuous waste. Veblen notes that retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (Veblen 86). Since conspicuous leisure is already familiar to most people, it won’t be difficult for them to revert back to it. | | | | |
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< | - Can help the environment by attempting to get people to stay away from buying products they don't need | >
> | Changing the focus from conspicuous consumption of goods to conspicuous consumption of time may not seem like a large change, but even seemingly small changes in the structure can have far-reaching effects (Veblen 88). And, granted, hordes of people working in community gardens eliminate global warming any less than hordes of people buying organic produce. But any shift away from consumption of goods will help the environment. At the very least, it’s a pretty good start. | | | | |
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< | - Can also channel wastes of time to environmental ends: Community gardens, washing clothes by hand, etc. See: No Impact Man | | | |
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AmandaHungerford-SecondPaper 7 - 06 Apr 2008 - Main.AmandaHungerford
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> | Conspicuous Consumption and the Environmental Movement | | | | |
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> | Comments welcome (and appreciated!) | | | | |
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> | Working outline | | | | |
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< | - Possible paper topic: environmentalism and conspicuous consumption - the reality of a movement that wants people to consume less, but may only survive by relying on its own brand of consumption -- AmandaHungerford - 26 Mar 2008 | >
> | - Accepting that Veblen's tehsis is correct, ow can the environmental movement survive in a world of conspicuous consumption | | | | |
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< | Want to talk about paper ideas? Umm, we'll figure something out? | | | | |
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< | There's not enough here to inspire any particular kind of comments. But since you used the word "consume" a lot, it reminded me of a question from class today, which is, How do you identify "waste"? I think (unfortunately) that a big factor is when OTHER people think someone else doesn't have "enough" of that thing. But then, what's "enough," after all? I don't want to fall into the trap of using "wasteful" to describe others, when I really should be calling myself "jealous." [One man's conspicuous consumption is another man's private grudge.] | >
> | History of the Environmental Movement | | | | |
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< | My assumption was that the function of conspicious Wastefulness, since it's a sign of power, sends a signal, "You should be my friend." But that feels mutually exclusive with its creating jealousy -- "I am your enemy; rob me." Uggh. Is it? | >
> | - Gained mainstreem awareness with Silent Spring | | | | |
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< | AndrewGradman - 27 Mar 2008 | >
> | - Remained mostly a fringe movement for the next 40 years | | | | |
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> | - Now, is cool to be eco-friendly (proliferation of eco-friendly household products, cars, organic foods, etc) | | | | |
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> | The Taste of Eco-Friendliness | | | | |
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< | This is an interesting idea Amanda. I'm curious what kind of insights you might come up with by framing the ethos of the environmental movement in the context of Veblen's theory. Like, maybe it's not really about consuming less at all. Environmentalists are conspicuous in their own right; it's seems like green appliances and shade-grown coffee have become status symbols of a sort. I think you're very right that the movement may just be a repackaged brand of conspicuous consumption. I wonder what that means about the future of environmentalism, or how it will affect its ostensible goals?
Anyway, sorry for sort of rambling, but yeah, I think this is a great idea and I'm really interested to see where you take it. | >
> | - Eco-friendly products are less of an example of a movement, and more an example of upper-middle class taste. Has all of the trappings of what Veblen discussed in his section on taste | | | | |
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< | -- JuliaS - 27 Mar 2008 | >
> | - Makes items more expensive w/o becoming more useful (Veblen 50) | | | | |
>
> | - Showing one's values through consumption habits (not a new practice) (Veblen 51) | | | | |
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< | Amanda, I'm curious as to whether Julia is accurately restating your idea as "the movement may just be a repackaged brand of conspicuous consumption." If not, I apologize for getting this Veblen skepticism off my chest on your paper page and I definitely look forward to reading your take. | >
> | - Perfect example of what Veblen meant when he discussed the love of hand-crafted items. Now is a sign of not just beauty, but political awareness. Link: Pottery Barn tables (Veblen 55-6) | | | | |
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< | "Green" is definitely fashionable lately, but that's a broad brush with which to tar the environmental movement. There are certainly still (less commercially-successful) parts of the movement which don't emit clouds of smug. | | | | |
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< | More broadly: Veblen is bombastic and exciting to read, but once he's brought out the shiny hammers of conspicuous leisure and consumption everything starts to look like a nail. This isn't exactly an original thought. | >
> | Failings of Eco-Friendly Products | | | | |
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< | Maybe the environmental movement, in general, if there is such a thing, is just an environmental movement. Maybe there's self-interest or at least self-congratulation at work, on some level, but we already buried that discussion. | >
> | - Environmental problems aren't just caused by consumption of the wrong things, they're caused by consumption in the first place | | | | |
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< | Maybe (at least some) higher learning is for the sake of learning, for the sake of gaining a qualification, or for some other less exciting purpose than showing off. | >
> | - Many enviro-friendly products are still worse for the earth than no product at all | | | | |
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< | As I read your possible topic, though, the environmental movement itself isn't necessarily a conspicuous anything, but it might thrive only because of its attachment to conspicuous new offices and Priuses and fair-trade venti soy lattes. | >
> | --> Eco-friendly cleaners are still a waste of plastic, and not really that necessary to begin with | | | | |
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< | -- DanielHarris - 27 Mar 2008 | >
> | --> Organic tables still hurt the environment if they wind up in a landfill after 10 years | | | | |
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> | Harnessing Conspicuous Consumption | | | | |
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< | Hi All, | >
> | - How do you get people to consume less if conspicuous consumption is really what makes the world go 'round? | | | | |
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< | Sorry I wasn't more specific earlier, I just jotted the above down as a note to myself between classes so I didn't forget what I was thinking by the end of Con Law. | >
> | --> It's much easier to change people's taste than to make more fundamental changes (Veblen 88) | | | | |
<
< | More specifically:
Based on our class discussion yesterday, I was thinking about trying to use Veblen to analyze the "successes" and "failures" of the environmental movement (although I share Daniel's concerns about the dangers of applying Veblen to every situation). | >
> | - Still, environmental movement may be able to channel the forces Veblen describes to its own ends | | | | |
<
< | Based on my (admittedly limited) knowledge of the environmental movement, environmental concerns reached widespread popular knowledge in the sixties with Silent Spring. Despite that, environmentalism remained a fringe movement until recently, when suddenly it's very cool to be "Green." So what changed? Sure, the environment is rapidly deteriorating, but it was fifty years ago, too. I think one explanation is that environmentalism has recently become consumable. You can pay double for your organic food and your free-trade coffee, signalling to others both moral superiority and economic superiority. | >
> | --> Institutions change in reaction to external stimuli (Veblen 83, 84) | | | | |
<
< | Possible places I might go with this:
- Look at how conspicuous this consumption might be. E.g., Do people buy recycled envelopes, or recycled envelopes with "made from recycled paper!" written on the back.
- Should the environmental movement embrace this phenomenon? Isn't a large goal of the environmental movement getting people to consume less? In order to be successful, should it try to get people to consume, not less, but differently?
- How does this tie into Veblen's ideas about who reacts to change (the middle class) and who resists (the upper and lower classes)? Who is willing to pay more to be green?
- Perhaps tie this back to Veblen's discussion of charitable donations, although that might be biting off more than I can chew. | >
> | --> That change is usually in response to a stimulus that is economic in nature (Veblen 85, 86) | | | | |
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< | While writing this paper, I also want to keep in mind the fact that the environmental movement is not a unified movement (by any means), and that in a lot of areas it's not even environmentalists who are pushing Green products. Clorox is coming out with a new line of "green" products, but I don't think anyone will accuse them of loving the earth. | >
> | - Cost of gas is rising | | | | |
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< | Thanks for all the comments. If anyone else has ideas with where I can go with this, or criticisms of the places I'm thinking about going, I'd welcome all comments. Also, you all should know that I consider myself an environmental activist (whatever that means), so let me know if I'm not keeping my biases in check. | >
> | - When the water tables dry up water will become expensive
- Heating costs will rise
- People will decry any shift in behavior that is too alien to them (Veblen 89)
- So let people have their conspicuous waste, but emphasize wastes of TIME, not of goods -- try to shift back to conspicuous leisure
- We've already seen conspicuous leisure. It's not too foreign, and retrogression is easier to achieve than progression (Veblen 86)
- Can help the environment by attempting to get people to stay away from buying products they don't need
- Can also channel wastes of time to environmental ends: Community gardens, washing clothes by hand, etc. See: No Impact Man | | | | |
<
< | -- AmandaHungerford - 27 Mar 2008 | | |
This Time Magazine article, "The Clean Energy Scam," is somewhat tangential, but it reminded me of your paper topic. The demand for farm-grown fuels, it seems, is beginning to have negative environmental impacts. |
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