HI125 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Consumerism, Industrial Revolution, Consumer Protection
Document Summary
People being encouraged to consume and spend their money. Concept of consumerism can be defined in two ways: consumerism as an ideology or theory. Higher and higher level of consumption is beneficial to the individual, society, and nation. Pursuit of material goods beyond need: consumerism as a movement. Believed that it is a good thing. Leads to a movement of consumer protection. Consumerism begins previous to industrial revolution in europe. Similar factors appear in us in late 1800s to encourage consumerism: growth of individualism and decline in influence of religious living living a simple lifestyle, expansion of trade and railroads lead to population growth, industrial revolution. Late 1800s to 1920s as second stage of consumerism. Related to the industrial revolution: industrialization led to high production and variety of goods, low costs so available to most people, industrialization required consumerism, need people to buy beyond necessities".
