Search

Copyright of Sociologia del Lavoro is the property of FrancoAngeli srl and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is a reciprocal approach to production and consumption in progress. Therefore the progressive orientation and attention of consumers to the purchasing of prospective goods, but also to the production of these goods, is largely due to the opportunities offered by new communications technologies. In short, the consumer is seen more and more as an actor, without being conscious of that process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a conceptual framework for understanding the development of the cultural constraints that the society puts on consumption phenomena. The author considers first the ideological criticism which had characterized the sociological thought, focusing on the exponents of the School of Frankfurt. Issues such as false need, alienation, standardization of culture and manipulation by the capitalistic system come under review. Other social constraints are then identified in the growth of consumer protection associations (consumerism) and no global pressure groups. Implications on the social role of brands and the ethical dimensions of consumption are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processes of change towards immaterial aspects plays an important role in contemporary society. This is particularly clear if we think of the evolution undergone, in the latest years, by cultural models that influence the image and social use of the body. The human body, in fact, has traditionally been considered as the most physical and concrete object that individuals had at their disposal; but, in the current era, it tends to become increasingly intangible as well. Such phenomenon is taking place as a consequence of a process - called "spectacularisation" - faced by western societies from the Eighteen century onwards. What we will try to demonstrate, therefore, is how the current cultural models of the body have their origins in such process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]