Navigating Materialism & Consumerism
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[edit] Definitions and Overview
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[edit] Related GoodWiki Pages
[edit] Often-Cited or New Studies with Accompanying Summaries
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Luthar, S.S. (2003). The Culture of Affluence: Psychological Costs of Material Wealth. Child Development, 74(6), 1581-1593.
Children of affluence are generally presumed to be at low risk. However, recent studies have suggested problems in several domains—notably, substance use, anxiety, and depression—and 2 sets of potential causes: pressures to achieve and isolation from parents. Recognizing the limited awareness of these issues, the objectives in this paper are to collate evidence on the nature of problems among the wealthy and their likely causes. The first half of the paper is focused on disturbances among affluent children and the second half is focused on characteristics of their families and neighborhoods. Widespread negative sentiments toward the rich are then discussed, and the paper concludes with suggestions for future work with families at the upper end of the socioeconomic spectrum.
Kasser, T. and K. Sheldon (2002). “What Makes for a Merry Christmas?” Journal of Happiness Studies 3: 313-329.
Despite the importance of Christmas within many cultures, research has not examined the types of experiences and activities that are associated with holiday well-being. Thus, we asked 117 individuals, ranging in age from 18 to 80,to answer questions about their satisfaction, stress, and emotional state during the Christmas season, as well as questions about their experiences, use of money, and consumption behaviors. More happiness was reported when family and religious experiences were especially salient, and lower well-being occurred when spending money and receiving gifts predominated. Engaging in environmentally conscious consumption practices also predicted a happier holiday, as did being older and male. In sum, the materialistic aspects of modern Christmas celebrations may undermine well-being, while family and spiritual activities may help people to feel more satisfied.
[edit] Related Sites and Writings
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Graff, J.D., Naylor, T.H., Wann, D. (2001). Affluenza. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
Kasser, T. (2002). The High Price of Materialism. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Schor, J.B. (2004). Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture. New York: Scribner.
[edit] References
