All Consuming
16th Jul 2009; 18:00
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As a society, has our fondness for conspicuous consumption left us not only financially bankrupt, but spiritually too? Having spent our way to financial and environmental disaster it now seems imperative to reassess our habit of responding to false ‘needs’, taking part in useless ‘positional arms races’, and associating the ‘good life’ with the gratification of consuming and acquiring. Our culture of abundance has spoiled us into wanting more, more, more, and complex social pressures suggest that opting out will result in social exclusion and pariahdom.
But is there a flipside to this seemingly straightforward tale of the evils of greed and excess? Healthy levels of trade and consumption are necessary for a thriving economy, and the subsequent rise of consumer associations emphasise the importance of consuming responsibly, fairly and ethically. Have consumers and consumerism actually operated as a ‘third force’ in society – liberating, politicising and empowering women and the working classes?
Join our panel as they assess the relative perils and merits of our ‘all consuming’ obsession.
Speakers: Neal Lawson; Matthew Hilton, Professor of Social History, University of Birmingham; John Naish, journalist and author; Daniel Ben-Ami, journalist and author specialising in economics and finance; and Joseph Wan, chief executive, Harvey Nichols
Suggested hashtag for Twitter users: #rsalawson
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