Discuss the means of consumption, as theorized by Karl Marx and George Ritzer. Include an explanation of enchantment, reenchantment, and disenchantment.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Means of consumption: commodities that possess a form in which they enter individual consumption of the capitalist and working class (Marx). Means of consumption: those things that make it possible for people to acquire goods and services and for the same people to be controlled and exploited as consumers (Ritzer). Weberian perspective: premodern societies were more “enchanted.” Modern capitalism lacks enchantment because it is highly rationalized. Ritzer argues enchantment is important for controlling consumers. Disenchanted structures must be “reenchanted” through spectacle and simulation.
KEY: Learning Objective: 15.5: Describe historical and contemporary trends in U.S. consumption and consumer debt.
REF: Cognitive Domain: Analysis
Answer Location: Theorizing the Means of Consumption
Difficulty Level: Hard