Chapter 5: Economic Theory, Marxism,
and Material Culture
Annotations:
By Silvana Rodarte
Citation
Berger,A. A. (2016) What Objects Mean: AnIntroduction to Material Culture (2nd ed.). NY, NY: Routledge.
Methodology: Needs Versus Desires: Traveling Light and Arriving Heavy
Definition and Characteristics: We tend to
accumulate more than we need or can use.
The brands of objects are of major
significance in the analysis of material
culture.
Method: We all spend a good deal of time
shopping, and when we shop we buy
things which is one way we define
ourselves, and often develop strong
emotional attachments to our
possessions.
Methodology: Marxist Theory
and Alienation
Definition and Characteristics: Karl Marx developed a
number of economic and psychological theories to
explain the role of capitalism in the modern world.
Alienation is a separation or estrangement of man’s
true nature from his sense of self. The objects and
artifacts we possess are signifiers of the alienation we
feel.
Method: Everyone tries to establish over
others an alien power in order to find
there the satisfaction of his egoistic
need.
Method: These “needs” are not real,
Marxists argue, but are artificially imposed
on us by advertising agencies and
marketers, who convince us we need to
purchase a product to be happy.
Method: The more artifacts we feel we
need to have, the more we are signifying
our alienation and the more alienated we
are.
Example: Big diamond rings worn by wealthy women
are indicators of alienation and estrangement. You
worry about losing them or people trying to take
them away.
Methodology: Class Conflict
Definition and Characteristics: Class
conflict is the unequal distribution of
goods.
Method: Bourgeoisie (ruling class) and Proletariat (workers exploited).
Bourgeoisie use “false consciousness” as a notion that everyone can
succeed if they are willing to work hard enough. They also avoid class
conflict by having proletariat purchase goods and services that distract
their attention from class makeup of society and unequal distribution
of wealth.
Methodology: The Role of Advertising
Definition and Characteristics: Advertising is for many Marxists the main
engine of consumer culture in capitalist societies. Wolfgang Haug
mentions that the advertising industry has learned how to attach
sexuality to objects and artifacts and to “aestheticize” them, enabling the
ruling classes in capitalist societies to more fully exploit the masses.
Method: Marxist Wolfgang Haug says advertising’s goal is to
sell artifacts and various kinds of objects. Long range goal:
turn people’s attention away from their exploitation and
justify the existence of a capitalistic system.
Method: Marxist Henri Lefebvre says advertising has
induced people to buy objects and products to give
them value and status in people’s eyes. To inform
purchases and their lives.
Method: As advertising executives often explain,
“”our job is to convince you to buy things you
didn’t know you needed.”
Methodology: Thorsten Veblen and
Conspicuous Consumption
Definition and Characteristics- Veblen was a radical
American economist offering a different perspective
on the role of consumption in the U.S. Conspicuous
consumption, conspicuous leisure, conspicuous
display of symbols of high standing are to Veblen
some of the means by which men attempt to excel
their neighbors and so attain heightened
self-evaluation.
Method: Coser argues that Veblen uses functional
analysis in dealing with conspicuous consumption.
For example: Manifestly, candles are meant to
provide light. The latent function of lighting a candle
at dinner indicates that the host makes claim to a
style of gracious living that is peculiar to the upper
class.
Method: Veblen suggests to look for the
hidden latent functions of objects to fully
understand the role they play in our lives.
The problem is that we can never feel
satisfied with what we have.
Methodology: Max Weber and
Calvinist-Protestant Thought
Definition and Characteristics: Max Weber and
important German sociologist argues that the Calvinist
theology is behind the development of capitalism and
the attitudes people have towards their possessions.
Method: According to Weber, the “Protestant ethic” is
behind the development of capitalism. It loosened the
grip on people’s minds of medieval notions about the
value of poverty and justified consumption as
something that God wants people to do, something
that has a divine significance.
Method: Weber explains: “The power of religious
asceticism provided him [the bourgeois
business man]… with sober, conscientious, and
unusually diligent workmen, who clung to their
work as to a life purpose willed by God.” This
justifies the ruling class’s position and lifestyle.
Methodology: Georg Simmel on
Fashion
Definition and Characteristics: How fashion plays a
role in the economy. Every growth of a fashion
drives it to its doom, because it thereby cancels out
its distinctiveness.
Method: Once the exclusivity of fashion becomes mass
adopted, fashionistas have to move on to something new.
Example: capitalist economies are more than willing to
create new products like new versions of the iPod (leads to
more consumption).
Method: Because of their social and political subservience
women pay attention to fashion. With the weaknesses of
social position, women arise their close relationship to all
that is “custom”, to that which is “right and proper” to the
generally valid and approved form of existence.
Methodology: Walter Benjamin and the Work of Art in the
Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Definition and Characteristics: Benjamin a German Marxist was
interested in the impact of mass production on objects. Man-made
artifacts could always be imitated by man. “Auras” is what makes
original works original.
Method: Reproduced objects or imitations are separated from the
auras of original works. It’s not unique anymore. Once authenticity
becomes irrelevant, art is no longer based on ritual with its focus on
the creative artist and the creative process.
Method: He points out that authenticity relies upon
the presence of originals, which leads to an object
being authentic (as seen with photography).
Method: When people purchase name brand products, they are purchasing the aura, the good
name that becomes attached to the creator of the product or brand.
Methodology: Authenticity and
Postmodern Thought
Definition and Characteristics: Jean-Francois Lyotard says that
postmodernism is characterized “incredulity toward
metanarratives”. It dissolves boundaries between elite and
popular culture, and original works of art and reproductions.
Authenticity is not important in here.
Method: American culture is postmodern because around 1960 there was
a cultural swing from modernist though (valuing metanarratives and
authenticity) to postmodern thought (mixes styles and adopts the pastiche
as a cultural dominant).
Method: Knock offs are acceptable and even desired because they
are less expensive that name brand originals.
Methodology: John Berger on Advertising and
Material Culture
Definition and Characteristics: Publicity is a language in
itself which is being used to make the same general
proposal. Choices are offered (this and that). Buying more
makes us richer (self-esteem and pleasure) even though we
will be poorer (economically).
Method: The objects we purchase play an important
role in our social relations and that advertising is the
engine that gives the objects we purchase their
significance for us. For example: buying a car (if you
buy a sports car it’ll lift your self-esteem and it will
literally take you places- two benefits).