Western Marxist Consumer Culture

Western Marxist consumer culture inherits Marx's critical stand and research perspective. Meanwhile, it also absorbs trends of thought in modern western philosophy, studying and introspecting western consumer society .This dissertation aims to do a systematic research on the western Marxist consumer culture and explore its theoretical source, analyzing views of the representatives to supply useful reference for our modernization.The first part is about discussion on the theoretical sources of western Marxist consumer culture. The author regards Marxist ideology and Autonio Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony; Marxist theory of alienation and Georg Lukes's theory of reification as two important theoretical perspectives and foundation stone to do research on western Marxist consumer culture.It starts with ideology. Western Marxist ideology mainly contributes to Marx. It is Marx who accelerates research on ideology theory. In the earlier stages of Marx and Engels ideology has densely negative implications. In their opinion, the class occupying a dominant position in economy must occupy the same position in culture too. In order to defend for their dominant interest, the ruling class makes up lies that their own interest is equal to the interest of all the classes in society. Marx and Engels's ideology makes a tremendous impact on western Marxist's values of consumption. Marxist regards consumer culture as an ideology which is applied by the ruling class to preserve their interest. It is a lie and false awareness useful for the whole ruling class.After Marx and Engels, Antonio Gramsci puts forward the idea of culture hegemony. In Gramsci's opinion, the class in superior position would safeguard their dominance not only by the means force and violence, but also by the moderate means of morality in field of mind. It is so called culture hegemony. He thinks that culture hegemony has made the ruling class approve of the ideology of ruling class in the depth of their heart consciously. So controlling the culture hegemony is critical in the final success of revolution. Culture hegemony is characterized by positional warfare which is enduring and it can not be achieved in one morning or evening. Gramsci's theory culture hegemony influences the Birmingham culture study school deeply. Fisk absorbs the theory and thinks that ideology is not a calm field. Consumers do not believe what they said without doubt and they fight against the ruling class fiercely in the field of consumption. It is affected by the theory that one should achieve the initiative.Nest is alienation. This concept is not first used by Marx, but he develops it advanced. Marx often uses the concept of labor. In his opinion, the previous object and process of labor have been forces of alienation beginning to control humans. Later on, Marx adopts the concept of religion of goods admiration, thinking that the relations of material hide the true relationship of people. It is the specific embodiment of alienation caused by goods, and a further development of previous theory of alienation.After Marx, it is Lukacs who makes the theory of alienation known. He discovers that alienation does not limit in the field of production, but it extends to the whole field of life and consumption, being a common destiny of the whole people. Alienation does not exist in our mind of conscious level but also the unconscious level. Marxist theory of alienation and Lukacs's theory of reification become another theoretical foundation of research on western Marxist consumer culture. Frankfurt School's representative Fromn is deeply affected by theory of alienation and consumption. While Baudrillard finds that humans are not only controlled by specific materials but also by semiotic systems.The second part is devoted to study Frankfurt School's Consumer culture. Frankfurt School is a very important school among those who do research on consumer culture. Their critique of consumer culture is closely combined with critique of art and literature for the masses, critique of the government, scientific critique, critique of ideology and modern critic. They find that consumer society isn't the ideal social formation, and the abundant material doesn't get rid off the inequality of people, bringing no happiness and democracy. T.W.Addorno criticizes the uncivilized, following cultural industry, the marketing art and shortcomings of the degradation of life of individuality. Herbert Marcuse thinks that consumer culture safeguards the ruling class's ideology as well as science and technology. It not only makes the whole consumer society be a unidirectional society without reflectional and critical ability, but also has people indulge in the promised happiness and illusion of self-expression through consumption, which makes people lose subjective quality. Fromn discovers that in the consumer society of developed countries, alienation becomes rampant but not be lessened or eliminated, and humanity becomes even more twisted but not develops healthily. Consumption causes human beings'alienation and makes them reduce to consuming machines. Benjamin also points out that connotation of art has disappeared and artists'souls have been corroded.Frankfurt School's research on consumer culture is profound and significant, but there are still many obvious inadequacies. Firstly, they focus too much on the impact of ideology and neglect consumers'fight and rebellion against it. Secondly, they regard consumers as a disorderly band of atoms, overlooking the complex ability initiative of consumers. Finally, they equate cultural texts with simplified, standard cultural production without individuality, excluding the complex ability of cultural text and the receivers'explaining ability.The third part is about Fisk's research on the consumer culture, who is a representative of Birmingham School-a famous school after Frankfurt school and France thinker Jean Baudrillard's ideas. Fisk puts forward his doubt about Frankfurt School intensely. In his opinion, consumers are not individuals of atom which has nothing to do with each other, but they have initiatives and strong fighting consciousness. Ideology is not simplistic but complex and changeable. The process that the ruling class pursue ideology by consumer culture is also the process that the ruled class avoid or fight against ideology, a process they constructing their own cultural significance and search for the delight. This kind of explanation marks a great turning point of research on Western Marxist consumer culture. The research approach changes from historical materialism to micro-politics, the observation model from economic base-supper structure to ordinary men daily life. They also pay attention to the force of the ruled class but not the strength of the ruling class, emphasizing the ruled class avoiding and fighting against ideology of the ruling class. Though Fisk puts forward emphasis on the right of initiative of consumers, his opinions are overcorrected, overstressing force of the masses and under-evaluating bourgeois strength. They can only to fight against moderately and gradually in the field of micro-politics, being unable to change the current systems. They have to confirm the system and their opinions lose critical force. Baudrillard's basic opinion is that: human beings are not alienated by specific materials but also by the signs when they are besieged in strong nets of material in consumer society. Consumers trapped in endless system of signs and individual request will be not satisfied forever when this system become a new force controlling human being. This means another turning point in research on the Western Marxist consumer culture. That is, they put emphasis on alienation caused by signs but not by materials.Baudrillard's early"semiotic politics economics"provides a new perspective to consuming requirement, media communication and social integration. He advocates that consumer society endangers our spirit, because he sees the spiritual erosion caused by media and semiotic clearly. These views and explanations have great theoretical and practical significance. While his over-reality, inter-explosion, imitation, simulation and semiotics hide the unfair economic system, social relationship and social evils. They also hide the truthfulness and interest behind the semiotics, making them mysterious.Finally, the dissertation presents the summary about experience and lessens of Western Marxist cultural research. The author thinks that on one hand Western Marxists hold up to the theory of ideology and alienation and absorbs Marxist critical essence; On the other hand they are not conservative but adopt a flexible and pluralistic research strategy. It brings mew blood into their research, making great contribution to the health of human beings'consumer culture.Nowadays, though our country doesn't step into consumer society, but we are strongly affected by consumer culture. In order to build healthy value of consumer culture, we must do a further research on Western Marxist consumer culture and absorb their essence positively.