COP2 - Consumerism notes

Sigmund Freud - known as the father of  psychoanalysis -

Reading/research Material:

The Interpretation of Dreams 1899
The Unconscious 1915
The Ego and the Id 1923
Beyond the Pleasure Principle 1920
Civilization & its Discontents 1930

New theory of human nature, how and why we behave the way we do - this theory basis - the hidden primitive sexual forces and animal instincts which need controlling. Once the individual is asleep the unconscious desires begin to manifest themselves - ID is the base of these animal desires. Argued that there is a fundamental tension between civilization and the individual - each individual absorbs a sense of violence, aggression and sexual instincts which all piece and entwine together to form our biological make up. Theory - Pleasure Principle - in which we repress and don't fill our desires, leading built up frustration and depression - this is the primary process thinking with in the ID (wish fulfillment) - a biological component that incorporates instincts that are associated with the unconscious mind and the ID. - The unconscious mind - difficult to retrieve material as it is below the surface of awareness - seeps through into our dreams - the need to displace these desires elsewhere - consumerism.

Edward Bernays - pioneer in public relations and propaganda -

Was a press agent employed by public information during WW1 - Post war set up 'The council on Public Relations' - based his ideas on Freud's interpretations, interestingly he was Freud's Nephew - Bernays made people believe that their desires could be fulfilled by the collections of things - creating demand for products - he created this mass market for products by using adverts to appeal to the audience, making products seem more desirable - for example advertisements for cigarettes were created, making the toxic product appealing to both sexes in which helped women become more independent with associated smoking with social status - becoming more about appearance to other people - The use of pseudo scientific reports - more appealing - began to use doctors with in the product advertising, giving a sense of false security in how these cigarettes actually attack your health -  these product placements began to engulf this attachment of instinctual desires, it became irrational.

Fordism - closely linked to the development of PR - worked well together to sell these desired products through the use of well placed advertisements -

Henry Ford - Transposes Taylorism to car factories of Detroit. Taylorism - a system of scientific management advocated by Fred W Taylor, production management, machine like system.
Standard production models built as they move through factory - requires large investment - increasing in productivity, high wages can be paid allowing the workers to buy the product they are making - The more these companies created products, eg more than one car company competing in selling their wares - they needed something that would make them stand out from the other competitors, the idea and creation of branding was born. Cars were seen to be masculine - making the man more desirable - knowing the man can afford it with his wages - becomes the head of family - controlling - male dominance.

Forming a need culture into a desire culture - a culture where individuals buy things in which they do not necessarily need, becoming more of a luxury than a necessity.
Hidden needs that sell:
Emotional security - is it good for your health? - calories intake - safety for family - security blanket
Reassurance of worth - feeding emotional states
Ego-gratification - to satisfy desires
Creative outlets - hobbies
Love objects - relationships - to be desirable
Sense of power - social status - dominance - ego
Sense of roots - belonging
Immorality - leaving something behind - a legacy - to be remembered - beauty

Walter Lippman 1920 - A new elite is needed to manage the bewildered herd - manufacturing consent - researched into what people want and desired - the illusion of freedom - Stock market crash - Great Depression .

The illusion of free will - you are not what you own - does what you own identify you?