The consumer society : myths and structures

221 Pages·1998·3.59 MB·English

by  Baudrillard

The
Consumer
Society
Wr:��:res
JeanB audrillard
TheC onsumSeorc yi et
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TheoryC,u ltur&e S ociety
TheorCyu,l et& u Srociceattyef rotsrh ree surgoefin nctee irnec sutl ture within
contemposroacrsiycai le anncdte h heu maniBtuiielsd.oi ntn hghe e ritoafg e
classsioccatilha el,o t rhybeo oske ries ewxaaymisinw n heisc h this tradition
habse erne shabpyea dn e wg eneraotfi otnh eIowtri ilsaltl ssp.ou blish
theoreticalalnya liynosffeeo vsre mreydld iafpyeo ,p ulcaurl taunrden, e w
intellmeocvteumaeln ts.
EDITOR:M ikFee atherNsottiontngeh,Ta rme Unnti versity
SERIESE DITORIALB OARD
RoyB oynUen,i veorfsD iutryh am
MikHee pworUtnhi,v eorfsA bietryd een
ScoLtats Lha,n caUsntievre rsity
RolaRnodb ertUsnoinv,e orfsP iittytg shb ur
BryanT uSr.nD eera,k Uinni versity
THE TCS CENTRE
TheT heoCruy,l t&u rSeo cibeotoysk e ritehsje,o r unaTlheso rCyu,l et& u r
SociaentdBy o d&y S oc,ia entdry elactoendf erseenmciena,an rdp ostgraduate
programompeesr fartoem TtChSCe e ntartNe o ttingThraeUmnn ti verFsoirt y.
furtdheetra oiftl hsTe C SC entraec'tsi vpilteiacesosen tact:
CentArdem inistrator
TheT CSC entRroeo,m 1 75
FacuolftH yu manities
NottingThraeUmnn ti versity
ClifLtaonnNe o,t tingNhGalml8, N SU,K e -maticls:@ .natcu.uk
Recevnotl uimnecsl ude:
TheB odya ndS ociety
ExploraitnSi oocniTsah le ory
Secoenddi tion
BryaSn.T urner
TheS ociaClo nstructoifNo ant ure
KlaEudse r
Deleuzaen dG uattari
AnI ntrodutcott hiPeoo nl iotfiD cess ire
PhiGloiopd child
PierrBeo urdieaun dC ulturTahle ory
CritIincvaels tigations
BridFgoewtl er
Re-Formitnhge B ody
ReligCioomnm,u niatnydM odernity
PhiAl.iM pe llaonrCd h rSihsi lling
TheS hoppinEgx perience
edibtyePd a sFia lakn Cdo lCianm pbell
UndoinAge sthetics
WolfgaWnelgs ch
Simmelo n CulturSee:l ectWerdi tings
edibtyeDd a vFidr isabnyMd i kFee atherstone
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TheC onsumeSro ciet
y
Mythasn dS tructures
JeaBna udrillard
SAGE Publications
Lond.o Tnhousand OaDkesl.h iN ew
Copyrighted Material
Englitrsahn slatcioopny ri©g Shatg eP ublicat1i9o9n8s
Introduc©t Gieoonr gRei tz1e9r9 8
Originaplulbyl isahseL da s ocideect oen somma©t Eidiotni ons
Denoe1l9 70
Thiesd iti1o9n9 8R,e prin1t9e9d9
Thitsr anslaitspi uobnl iswhietdfih n ancial sfurpopmto hret
French MinoifCs utlrtyu re
Publisihnea ds sociawtiitoThn h eoCryu,l t&u rSeo ciety,
NottinghTraemn Utn iversity
Allr ighrtess ervNeod p.a rotf t hipsu blicamtaiyobe n
reproducsetdo,ri enda retriesvyaslt etmr,a nsmiotrtu etdi liizne d
anyf ormo rb ya nym eanse,l ectromneicch,a nicpahlo,t ocopying,
recordoirno gt herwiwsiet,h opuetr missiinow nr itifnrgo mt he
Publishers.
SAGE PublicatLitodn s
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SAGE PublicatIinocn.s
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SAGE PublicatIinodniPsav tL td
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BritLiisbhr aCrayt alogiunPi unbgl icdaattiao n
A catalorgeuceo frodr t hibso oki sa vailafbrloem
theB ritiLsihb rary
ISBN0 76195 6913
ISBN0 76195 692I ( pbk)
LibraorfCy o ngrceastsa claorgnd u mbe9r7 -061881
TypesbeytP hotoprTionrtq,u aDye,v on
PrintienGd r eaBtr itabiynR edwooBdo oksT,r owbridWgiel,t shire
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Showheirm wailtelha rtbhellsys ipnlgusn,hg iems od eeipn thoa ppi­
ness ntohtahtii nsvg i sibbultteh beu bbles troti hsseiu nrgf oafch ei s
happinaesis ifst , wwearteeg ri;vh ei ms ucehc onopmriocs petrhiahttey
wilhla vneo thlinegf td obt uost l eeeapgt,i nbgrereaadn,dw orrayb out
thceo ntinuoafwn ocrelh di story.
FyodDoors tosykeyNv,o tfersoU mn dgerurond
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Contents
Foreword ix
Tranlsat'oAsrc knowledgements xi
Introduction 1
GegoerR itzer
PartT hIeF ormLailtg uyor ft hOeb ject
1 Profusion 25
2 TheM iracuSltoautosuf Cs o nsumption 31
3 TheV iciCoiursco lfGe r owth 37
ParItIT heT heyoo rfC onsumption
4 TheS ociLaolg oifcC onsumption 49
5 TowardasT heoorfCy o nsumption 69
6 Personaloirtz haSetm iaolnlM easrtg iDniaflf erence 87
ParItI IM asMse diSae,x Laenids ure
7 Mass-MeCduilat ure 99
8 TheF ineCsotn sumer TOhbeBj oedcyt : 129
9 TheD ramoafL eisourrt ehI em possiobfWi alsittiyn g
One's Time 151
10T heM ystioqfuS eo licitude 159
11A nomiient hAef felnuSto ciety 174
ConclusOinoC no ntempoArlaireyn aotrti hoEenn do f 187
the Pact Dweivtihl the
Notes 197
Index 204
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Foreword
JeaBna udrilbloaorTkdh C'eso nsuSmoeectriiy sa m astecrofnutlr ibution
toc ontemposroacrigyoy lI.o tc ertahiansil typs l acet hietn r adition
whicihn cluDduersk heiTmh'es DiovfLi asbioiounnSr o tcyiV,ee lben's
Theorofyt hLee iesC ulraasnsdD aviRdi esmaTnh'es LCornoewldy.
Baudrialnlaalrydos uercs o ntempoWresatreysr onc ieitnicelsu,d ing
thaotft hUen itSetda tTehsia.sn alyfsoicsuo snet shp eh enomeonfto hne
consumpotfio obnj ewchtisch heh asa lready itnTa chkSely esdto ef m
Obcjte(sG alli1m69a8rt;dr, a nslVaertsioo1,n9 ,9 I6n)h i.cs o nclutsoi on
thavto lumheef, o rmultahtpeel sao nft hper esweonrtk ':Ih ta st ob e
madec lefarro m otuhtes tehtac to nsumpitsia onan c tive off orm
relati(onnsoohtni ltpyoo bjebcutatsl ,st oos ociaentdy tthowe o rlad ),
mode soyfs temaacttiicavn idgt lyo braels pownhsiecf ho unoduser n tire
cultusyrsatl:e m
Hes howwsi tghr epaetr csapciihtoywt hgei atnetc hnoccroartpiocr a­
tiofnoss tierrr epredsessiibcrlreees a,t insgo cnhieiawel r archies which
havree platcheoedl c dl adsisf fnecrees.
A nemwy thology hiants h iasr iAwssaBe yan.u driwlrliatreds ,
Thew ashimnagc hisneer avsea sna ppliaanndac ceat ssa ne lemeonfpt r estige,
comfoerttIc,t. sitsri tchtilsy fliaetwlthdei rc ht hifesi eolfcd o nsumption. All
kindosfo thoebrj emcatysb es ubstihteurtfeeo dtr h we ashimnagc hianse
signifeylienmgeI nntt h.le o goifsc i gnassi, nt haotf symbolsa,r neoo b jects
longer ilnai nnysk eendts oea d efinfiutnec toirno ene Pdr.e cibseeclayut hseey
arree sponhdeirntegos omethqiunigdt ief fewrheincth, ist heesi otchiearl
logoicrt hel ogoifcd esifroerw, h icthh efyu nctaisoa n s hiftainndg
unconscfiioeoulfssd i gnification.
Consumptaisao nn,e twr imbyatlh h,a sb ecomteh em oraloifot uyr
presweonrtl Idti. sc urrednetsltyr otyhifeno gu ndatoifto hnhesu man
beintgh,ai tst os a,ty hbea lawnhciec Ehu roptehaonu hghamtsa intained
sintcheGe r eeks boeutrmw yetehno lorgoiocatansldt hweo rlodft he
logoBsa.u driilsal waarrodef t hrei swkea re runnuisnqg u.o htLieem t
oncaeg ain:
Jusatsm ediesvoacli etyb alwaansoc neG do da ndt heD evisloo, u riss
balanocnec do nsumpatnidio tnds e nunciTahtoiuognah.t laeraosuttn hde
Devhielr esainedbs l amcakg ic csoeuclotdrsg anOiuzrem .a giicsw hitNeo.
hereisspy o ssiabnlyle o ngienr sat aotfea fflueIntic ste h.pe r ophylactic
whitenoefas s sa tursaotecetidya , s ociweittynh o h istaonrdy dnioz zying
heighats osc,i weittynh o m yth other than itself.
The ConSsoeuctmiwyer,ri ttiena n c oncsitsyel seh,o ubledc arefully
studibeytd h ey ounger generattihoenwy.i ltlPa ekreh tauhppes
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