Consumption Culture

Course description

Given the enormous importance that the consumption phenomenon has acquired in contemporary times, this course approaches consumption culture as a clear expression of today’s world tendencies. For this, a detailed review of consumption is made as a symbolicentity of the so-called consumer societies. The concept of consumption culture is then examined in depth, emphasizing not only its basic components and principles, but also analyzing the critical streams that have openly opposed its promotion and consolidation.

Having achieved a first theoretical-conceptual approach to consumption culture in its modern dimension, we study some manifestations of consumption such as the sacred, the profane, the emulation, the symbolism of consumption, rituals, materialism and possessions, to end by pointing out certain types of consumption cultures with which it is intended to see in reality the circumstances of each of them.

Justification

Today’s circumstances, typical of the current and overwhelming consumer societies, impose the obligation to know, study, analyze and interpret the enormous complexity immersed in the consumption phenomenon with which the day-to-day life has been characterized.

It is undeniable that the particular nature that dominated the decision processes that were carried out in not very remote times, has undergone abrupt and drastic modifications where freedom -given to certain groups and allowed for others-has been imposed as criteria for autonomy and of individual responsibility. Consumption, as apredominant phenomenon in human groups has not escaped these shocks that we have experienced in recent decades.

In the context of these relevant changes in Western societies, it is the marketing professionals -not only those of the social sciences -who have the imperative task of understanding their potential consumers in order to detect the arguments to persuade them and with it, to conquer them as buyers and keep them as customers.

General objective of the course

This course will be oriented to: Present consumption cultures as a symbolic expression of the consumption phenomenon experienced by today’s societies, and to comprehend the importance those societies have in the design and implementation of marketing strategies and programs.