Consumption & Materialism in American Life

Lasch contends that Americans have taken the culture of competitive individualism to the extreme of conflict against all others, resulting in a sickly preoccupation with the self (1978, p. xv). The mainstream American society is no longer preoccupied with the basics of food, clothing, and shelter. The industrial age and the past agrarian way of life have given way to a current preoccupation with things of a psychological nature. According to Lasch, American people are plagued with anxiety. The social movements of the 1960s freed the Americans from puritanical mores and folkways, but the typical person tends not to experience a great deal of peace, even though he is freed from ancient taboos.

It seems that our culture harbors hidden conflicts. On the one hand, we claim to be relaxed and tolerant, free of racial bias and bigotry, but at the same time the average person holds strong feelings of competition, perhaps e

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purposeless and useless life (Lasch, 1978, p. 37). Often these patients exhibit hypochondria, an interesting parallel to a society that is constantly examining itself with various therapies and awareness movements. The current type of narcissistic person expects others to satisfy his needs, be instantly intimate, and alleviate his boredom. The tendency toward hypochondria is not surprising, as this type of person feels a natural inclination towards all kinds of medical specialists and therapeutic movements. Why does this type of individual feel so little satisfaction with life? Tibor Scitovsky believes that income alone is not enough to bring happiness, although level of financial well-being is a factor. Research shows that what is more important is the relative level of income--the social standing as compared to others. It seems that rising income and the accompanying novel decisions about what to do with the money are more closely correlated with satisfaction in living than the actual level of income. There are very rich people who are chronically unhappy, and there are poor people who are relatively contented. According to Scitovsky, the relative rank is important and the steady movement upward. Many comforts may be s
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Leisure Class, American Dream, According Lasch, Lasch American, Stuart Ewen, Tom Wolf, Abraham Maslow, Diminishing Expectations, Tibor Scitovsky, President Kennedy, lasch 1978, american life, ewen 1976, culture narcissism, linder 1970, american society, life age diminishing, american life age, level income, industrial age, mass society, 1960s 1970s, harried leisure class, narcissism american life, age diminishing expectations,
Approximate Word count = 1995
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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