Boorstin Proposes New ConceptConcept-OfOf Communities Of Consumption

By MICHAEL DAVISDAVIS-Daniel

DAVIS-Daniei

DAVIS-DanielDanielDaniei Boorstin introducedintroduced-

thethe idea of the consumptionconsumption-community

consumption-commuI

consumption-communitycommunitycommuI ity as a newn and meanmean-ingful

mean-

ingfulmean-

ingful

ingful wayw y to view human relarela-tionships

rela-tionsMps

rela-tionships

tionshipstionsMps to a small assemblageasseriJblagassemblage-Wednesday

asseriJblag-Wednesday

assemblage-WednesdayWednesday nightclght in the ChemChem-istry

Chem-istry

Chem-istry

istry LectureLectur HallHall-Boorstin

Hall-Boorstin

Hall-BoorstinBoorstin professorpIofe sor of historyhistory-

inin the UniversityQniversity of ChicagoChicago-defined

Chicago-defined

Chicago-defineddefined aconsumptionaconsumption communcommun-ity

commun-ity

commun-

ity

ity as all those feeling a mumu-tual

mu-

tualmu-

tual=

tual interest and concerncon ern arisaris-ing

aris-Jngirom

aris-ingfrom

=

ingJngiromingfromfrom the commoncommonco nmon consump-tion

consumpconsump-tion

tion ofcl a commodityommo ty A> setset of-all

of-all

OfOf-allall cigarettegarettec smokers for exex-ample

ex-

ampleex-

ample

ample would constitute suchsuAsuch-a

suA-a

sucnsucn-

aa consumption communitycont11lunitYj aa-subset

a-

subsa-

subsetsubsetsubs t of allallTareytonTareyton smokerssmokers-would

smokers-would

smokers-wouldwould make upvup anann even moremore-intimate

more-

intimmore-

intimateintimateintim te communitycommunity-Boorstin

community-Boorstin

community-BoorstinBoorstin suggested thatthatthatcons-umption concon-sumption con-sumption sumptionconsumption communities are notnot-

uniquenot-

uniquenot-

uniqueunique to America butarebut are moremore-highly

more-highlydeveloped

more-

highlyhighlyhighlydevelopeddeveloped here becase ofof-aa peculiarpec liaJ combinationombinat ori ofdf circir-cumstances

cir-c

cir-cumstances

cumstancesc mstan es existingexistin9 in thethe-United

the-United

the-UnitedUnited States Among thesethese-circumstances

these-circumstances

these-circumstancescircumstances hee included thethe-desire

the-desire

the-desiredesire of Americans for comcom-munal

com-

munalcom-

munal

munal living a relative abunabun-dance

abun-dance

abun-dance

dance of resources and thingsthings-to

things-tqtotqto people and a positive attiatti-tude

att-itudet

atti-tude

tudetudettowardsw rds the necessity andand-beneficence

and-beneficence

and-beneficencebeneficence of changechange-

TheChchange-

Thengenge-

TheThe ChicagoChicagc> historian adad-dressed

ad-dressed

ad-dressed

dressed himself to theth questionquestion-is

question-isisis there a distinctivedisti ctive AmericanAmerican-

attitudeAmAmerican-

attitudericanrican-

attitudeattitudeattitude toward material wellwell-being

well-bei

well-beingbeingbei g He posited two concon-tending

con-

tendingcon-

tending

tending theories regarding thethe-acquisition

the-acquisition

the-acquisitionacquisition of material things

The first is the essentiallyessen ially mermer-cantile

mer-

cantilemer-

cantile

cantile idea ofcl a world of fixedfixed-wealth

fixed-wealth

fixed-wealthwealth in11 Whichwhich one acquiresacquires-things

acquires-things

acquires-thingsthings only at the expense ofof-others

of-

othersof-

othersothersothers-The

others-The

others-TheThe second is based on thethe-

ideathe-

ideathe-

ideaidea of a standard of livingliving-that

living-that

living-thatthat the usable treasures of thethe-world

the-world

the-worldworld are expandingexpalding and thatthat-a

thatthat-aa man may enrich himself withwith-out

with-ou

with-outoutou impoverishingimpoveris1i g his fellowsfellows-In

fellow-sInthe

fellow-sIntheInInthethe static world ofqf wealthwealth-poverty

wealth-poverty

wealth-povertypoverty is expected and toltol-erated

tol-erated

tol-erated

erated in the progressive econecon-omy

eecon-omy

onon-omy

omy that1that supports a standstand-ard

Stand-ard

stand-ard

ard of living poverty is unun-natural

un-

naturalandun-

natural

naturalnaturalandand can bee eradicatederadicated-The

eradicated-The

eFadicated-The

eFadicatedThe great contribution ofof-

Americaof-

Americaof-

AmericaAmerica says Boorstin is thatthat-she

ththat-she

tt-sheshe demonstrated the truth ofof-the

of-

theof-

thethe standard ofcl living ideaidea-America

idea-America

idea-AmericaAmerica is characterizedharacterized notnot-

bynot-

bynot-

byby her high standard of livingliving-but

living-but

living-butbut by the fact of a standardstandard-ofof living itselfitself-

InIn this progressive economiceconomic-lay

economic-iay

economic-laylayiay the seed pfof the consumptionconsumption-community

consumption-community

consumption-communitycommunity Mass productionproduction-rapid

production-rapid

Production-rapidrapid communication mass meme-dia

mm-di

me-

dia

diadi advertisingdvertising brand nameslamesnames-mail

names-

maillames-

mailmail order houses and chainchain-stores

chain-stores

chain-storesstores have facilitated thethe-growth

the-growth

the-growthgrowth of these communitiescommunities-

Boorstincommunities-

Boorstincommunities-

BoorstinBoorstin suggests that thethe-appeal

the-appeal

the-appealappeal of consumptionconsumptJon communcommun-ities

commun-

ltiescommun-

ities

itieslties may lieIre in the need forfor-human

for-human

for-humanhuman relationshipsrelationshi > s in a massmass-imperspnalized

mass-

impersonalizedmass-

impersonalizedimperspnalizedimpersonalized society AssociaAssocia-tion

AssAssocia-tion

ciacia-tion

tion with other Tareyton smoksmok-ers

smok-er

smok-ers

erser means sharing a personalpersonal-experience

personal-experience

personal-experienceexperience howeverhoweyer inconseincoIJseinconse-quential

incoIJse-quentiaI

inconse-quential

quentialquentiaI fI