Consumismo y Sociedad: Una visión crítica del "homo consumens"

Abstract

In advanced societies consumption, especially consumption of goods not needed for survival, has become such an important activity that we speak of a "consumerist society". The objects are consumed not only because of their material value and functionality, but also because of their symbolic value. Nowadays, the act of consuming is a way of building and emphasizing individual and social identities. This article reviews, in the first place, some classical sociological approaches in relation to consumption as a symbolic act. Secondly, we will pay attention to the development of the mass consumption system. Later, we will try to criticize and propose alternatives to the current consumer system.