510
Y. Zhang
to produce identical products to largely improve productivity. Third, an industrial
vision is limited to the relation between man and things without much heed to the
more complicated interactions between man and nature. These characteristics decide
the logic of industrial expansion and its consequences.
Industrial mass production results in high material productivity, which requires
mass consumption. However, in the age of farming and handicraft of low productivity before industrial revolution, people had formed the habit and cultural and religious tradition of frugality. Although industrialization is centered on material wealth
production, there is a limit to how many products people need, so unlimited expansion
is impossible. If there isn’t a market for mass production, the modern economy built
on industrialization cannot sustain. As a result, the traditional consumer psychology
and consumption mode poses the biggest obstacle to mass industrial production.
2. Mass consumption entails systematic reshaping of consumer psychology
What should be done then? The way out is to reshape the frugal habits formed
in the long period of farming and handicraft into mass consumption that fits mass
production, so as to enlarge market demand. This requires a new wealth narrative
matching the mass industrial production—It seems that people’s material demand
is limited, but if material wealth becomes a sign of career success and social status,
then, there would be no material limit since people’s pursuit for career success and
social status is unlimited.
The American Dream is a representative of this new wealth narrative, where
wealth is the sign of professional success and social status. In the 1930s, the capitalist
Europe and America had a major crisis never seen before, which marked a milestone
in reshaping the social psychology and people’s consumption mode. To resolve the
surplus crisis, Keynesianism and easing monetary policies were adopted on the macro
level to stimulate effective demand, while ad marketing and financial measures like
consumer credit and credit card were adopted on the micro level. This gave rise to
a whole set of institutional arrangements in support of mass consumption for the
purpose of reshaping the relation between man and commodities and reshaping the
social psychology of consumption. In the end, consumerism became the cornerstone
of modern economic operation and consumer society became the sign of industrial
society (e.g. Ng 2003; Scitovsky 1992; Skidelsky and Skidelsky 2012; Goodwin
et al. 2008; Mukerji 1984; Atkinson 2012; Veblen 1899). As late-comer countries
join the camp of industrialization and globalization one after another, material desire
and consumerism spread across the globe, as represented by the “November 11”
shopping carnival in China.
3. The formation of a consumer society is a long-term and conscientious social
reform
Industrial society of high productivity has to be built on consumerism, and the rise of
consumerism is the systematic action of the entire economic system rather than the
behavior of an individual entity. Only when everyone “buys more and sells more” will
there be a market for all producers—and everyone is happy. Such a massive reform of
Y. Zhang
to produce identical products to largely improve productivity. Third, an industrial
vision is limited to the relation between man and things without much heed to the
more complicated interactions between man and nature. These characteristics decide
the logic of industrial expansion and its consequences.
Industrial mass production results in high material productivity, which requires
mass consumption. However, in the age of farming and handicraft of low productivity before industrial revolution, people had formed the habit and cultural and religious tradition of frugality. Although industrialization is centered on material wealth
production, there is a limit to how many products people need, so unlimited expansion
is impossible. If there isn’t a market for mass production, the modern economy built
on industrialization cannot sustain. As a result, the traditional consumer psychology
and consumption mode poses the biggest obstacle to mass industrial production.
2. Mass consumption entails systematic reshaping of consumer psychology
What should be done then? The way out is to reshape the frugal habits formed
in the long period of farming and handicraft into mass consumption that fits mass
production, so as to enlarge market demand. This requires a new wealth narrative
matching the mass industrial production—It seems that people’s material demand
is limited, but if material wealth becomes a sign of career success and social status,
then, there would be no material limit since people’s pursuit for career success and
social status is unlimited.
The American Dream is a representative of this new wealth narrative, where
wealth is the sign of professional success and social status. In the 1930s, the capitalist
Europe and America had a major crisis never seen before, which marked a milestone
in reshaping the social psychology and people’s consumption mode. To resolve the
surplus crisis, Keynesianism and easing monetary policies were adopted on the macro
level to stimulate effective demand, while ad marketing and financial measures like
consumer credit and credit card were adopted on the micro level. This gave rise to
a whole set of institutional arrangements in support of mass consumption for the
purpose of reshaping the relation between man and commodities and reshaping the
social psychology of consumption. In the end, consumerism became the cornerstone
of modern economic operation and consumer society became the sign of industrial
society (e.g. Ng 2003; Scitovsky 1992; Skidelsky and Skidelsky 2012; Goodwin
et al. 2008; Mukerji 1984; Atkinson 2012; Veblen 1899). As late-comer countries
join the camp of industrialization and globalization one after another, material desire
and consumerism spread across the globe, as represented by the “November 11”
shopping carnival in China.
3. The formation of a consumer society is a long-term and conscientious social
reform
Industrial society of high productivity has to be built on consumerism, and the rise of
consumerism is the systematic action of the entire economic system rather than the
behavior of an individual entity. Only when everyone “buys more and sells more” will
there be a market for all producers—and everyone is happy. Such a massive reform of