ABSTRACT
The progression of consumption in society makes it interesting to reflect upon the development of consumer culture over time (see Featherstone 1991; Sassatelli 2007). Featherstone (1991, 84) describes consumer culture as follows:
In the Western world, the development of consumer culture has been particularly noticeable during recent decades. Slater (1997) argues, however, that consumer culture arose in a recognizable form in the eighteenth century, not as a consequence of industrial modernization and cultural modernity, but as part of the making of the modern world. Since the 1950s, the progression of consumer culture has occurred parallel to the development of welfare with an increasing number of goods in larger and still-full wardrobes, houses and garages. Also, a stronger emphasis has been put on symbolic consumption reflected both in consumption for social comparison as well as distinction (see Bourdieu 1984; Ekström and Hjort 2009). Social comparison has probably always existed, but becomes more prevalent in a consumer culture where consumption is highly manifested. Consumption has become an increasingly important social marker. Some researchers (for example, Bauman 1998) even claim that consumption has taken over the role that work previously had in reflecting social success.
