The truth is in here ... somewhere

Book Review: Consumption and Its Consequences by Daniel Miller

To most of the world the United States represents the epitome of unbridled materialism, the archetype of a consumption based society. Author Daniel Miller would prefer that instead we think of Norway, whose tightly regulated economy conforms to his ideal of egalitarian social welfare and economic responsibility. Whether or not one agrees that the arguably capitalistic Norwegian model is ideal, it is not typical (if anything actually is) and has not proven scale-able.

Miller likewise has an idealistic view of consumption as the market seeking to fulfill the deep-seated and often subconscious needs of consumers. He uses case studies of two distinctly American products (Coca-Cola and blue jeans) to support this idea; portraying them as localizing forces rather than a globalizing ones, and that serve to reinforce consumers' sense of self. He likens these products to Darwin's finches, evolving to fill a niche of demand. I would rather characterize them as chameleons, changing their appearance in response to local conditions while remaining the same animal. The makers of blue jeans have one concern: to sell blue jeans. They care not one whit whether we wear them or use them for automobile seat covers, as long as we buy them. Coke resolutely maintains the homogeneity of its product in all markets; whatever localized image it has is solely in the mind of the consumer.

It is regarding the mind of the consumer and its impact on consumption behavior that Miller finally finds the mark. The reason we consume, the reasons we select one product over another have very little to do with product value or cost.

Even while we aver one set of values (such as shopping at the corner store), we practice quite a different set. Our shopping and buying behavior hinges on personal, psychological, and cultural imperatives that we ourselves often do not understand. Miller contends that the fulfilling of those needs is the goal of the beneficent invisible hand of the marketplace, rather than a base profit-making activity. Perhaps in Norway it is.

[Note: This review concentrates on the core chapters of "Consumption and Its Consequences". The fictional conversations between three differing views of the author which 'bookend' the work I found to be tedious, rather pointless, and occasionally incomprehensible. That two facets of the author's personality are married to one another reveals a Freudian aspect to the exercise best left to professionals.]