On AlterNet: consumer culture

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "consumer culture"

Vision -- Homemade Prosperity: How to Get Out of the Consumer Trap

Shannon Hayes, YES! Magazine. December 17, 2010.

Radical Homemaker Shannon Hayes discovered that producing what she needs at home lets her live on a fraction of what she thought she needed.

Researchers Find Key to the Hipster Worldview: Denying Hipsterdom While Consuming "Indie" Products

Matt Palmquist, Miller-McCune Magazine. November 2, 2010.

“This iconic category has evolved from its countercultural roots, originally aligned with beat sensibilities, to a trend-seeking über-consumer of the 2000s.”

Mall Riots: Why Are Some Americans Becoming Violent Shoppers?

Seth Sandronsky, AlterNet. February 11, 2010.

Americans used to protest in the streets; now some have resorted to fighting each other in shopping malls. What happened?

Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are

Emily Wilson, AlterNet. September 18, 2008.

Rob Walker, author of a new book on consumer culture, explains how consumers embrace brands as part of their identities -- often without knowing it.