Tesnoba izobilja in sodobni nihilizem kot posledici moderne potrošniške družbe : diplomsko delo

Furlani, Patricija (author), Škamperle, Igor (mentor)

Moderna potrošniška družba in njen družbeno nujni subjekt – individuum sta obliki, ki pomembno definirata trenutno moderno dobo. Povod za oblikovanje moderne dobe z vsemi svojimi značilnostmi sta obdobje protestantizma in romantike. Protestantizem je pomembno preoblikoval krščanstvo; preoblikovana religija je začela spodbujati odgovornejšo delovno etiko, kar je pozitivno vplivalo na ekonomsko ekspanzijo. Obdobje romantike je bistveno vplivalo na spremembo mentalitete ljudi; pomemben je postal poudarek na večjem individualnem izražanju. Ekonomska ekspanzija in želja po individualnem izražanju sta pozitivno vplivali na oblikovanje potrošniške družbe. Moderna potrošniška družba koncept potrebe zamenjuje s konceptom želje, produkcija modernih potrošnih dobrin pa je zasnovana tako, da potrošnike spodbuja k trošenju. Delo ne omogoča več stabilnega življenjskega položaja, individuumi pa so prav v nenehno spreminjajočih se zaposlitvah prisiljeni prepoznati možnost oblikovanja edinstvene identitete in samoizpolnitve. Za moderno dobo značilen pluralizem vrednot skupaj z možnostjo neskončnih interpretacij resničnosti vpliva tudi na zasebno življenje posameznikov; na lastno dojemanje njih samih ter medosebne odnose. V moderni dobi prihaja do uveljavljanja koncepta samouresničitve, ki ima podobno vlogo, kot jo je v preteklosti imela religija; gre za malo transcendenco, ki omogoča in spodbuja delovanje institucij moderne potrošniške družbe. V moderni potrošniški družbi prihaja do spreminjanja koncepta javne sfere, kjer je vedno več prostora namenjenega zasebnim težavam ljudi in vedno manj javnim problematikam družbe. Izpostavljanje zasebnega življenja v javnem prostoru je vidno predvsem pri pojavu družbenih omrežij, ki vzpostavljajo nove oblike življenja. Družbene vezi v moderni dobi so zaradi racionalnega delovanja institucij potrošniške družbe in kapitalističnega trga dela vedno šibkejše, glavni gradnik družbe postaja družbeno nujni subjekt individuum, ki zaradi svojega negotovega življenjskega položaja stremi k iskanju stabilne identitete. Ponujeno izobilje na vseh področjih življenja naj bi posameznikom pomagalo do stabilne identitete, v resnici pa prav to izobilje ustvarja tesnobne posameznike. V moderni dobi prihaja do pojava sodobnega nihilizma, ker družba in njeni posamezniki menijo, da izobilje institucij, namenjenih ustvarjanju stabilne identitete, odnosov in iskanju smisla ljudi, rešuje pred nihilizmom, kljub temu da ga pravzaprav samo še poglablja. Problemov moderne potrošniške družbe ne morejo rešiti institucije, ki jih je ustvarila prav ta družba, ker so ustvarjene zato, da jo ohranjajo. Sodobni nihilizem nastopi, ker individuumi menijo, da so se nihilizma že rešili, v resnici pa prav nepravilen »poizkus reševanja nihilizma« – s pomočjo institucij moderne potrošniške družbe – posameznike postavlja v tesnoben in še bolj nihilističen položaj.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: moderna potrošniška družba, individuum, moderna doba, želja, potrošništvo, produkcija, samoizpolnitev, pluralizem vrednot, mala transcendenca, družbena omrežja, družbene vezi, tesnoba izobilja, sodobni nihilizem
• Work type: Bachelor thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.11 - Undergraduate Thesis
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Place of publishing: Ljubljana
• Publisher: [P. Furlani]
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 33 f.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-119566
• UDC: 316.7:[172:330.567.22](043.2)
• COBISS.SI-ID: 60205571
• Publication date in RUL: 10.09.2020

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: The abundance anxiety and the modern nihilism phenomenons as the consequences of the modern consumer society

Abstract

The modern consumer society and its products – individuals are important factors of modern era. The modern era was defined by other historical eras, most importantly by reformation and romanticism. Reformation changed the Christianity principles and enforced economic expansion by encouraging better work ethics. Romanticism influenced people’s mentality around individualism as expression of individuality was becoming more important. Economic expansion and desire for expression of individuality had a positive effect on modern consumer society formation. Modern consumer society changed the concept of need and replaced it with the concept of desire which have positive impact on modern capitalist production that is also designed in a way to constantly encourage consumers’ consumption. Furthermore, labour in modern era cannot provide stable life, however individuals are forced to see this unstable position as a potential for identity development and self-realization. Pluralism of values and possibility of innumerably interpretations of reality, both distinctive for the modern era are affecting peoples’ personal lives – they are affecting individual’s perception of themselves and also their relationships with others. The concept of self-realization is an important concept of the modern era because it holds similar role that the religion had in the past. The self-realization contains transcendent characteristics which enable practices of the modern consumer society institutions. The concept of public sphere is also being changed in the modern era as more and more public spaces and platforms are used to promote personal lives instead of focusing on the public social issues. The social media phenomenon is distinctive example of private life being exposed and promoted on public platforms. The social ties of modern era are becoming weaker because of the rational modern consumer society institutions and the capitalist labour market. The individuals who are constantly striving to fulfil and form stable identity are becoming the most important cornerstones of society which is actually forming uncertain life situations for them. Individuals are supposed to form stable identities and lives by engaging in capitalist institutions and their practices, although individuals are ironically anxious because of consumer abundance that is product of modern consumer society. The modern era is producing new type of nihilism – the modern nihilism – that occurs when individuals and society believe that the consumer abundance and the abundance of institutions created to fulfil and form stable identities and lives are actually saving individuals from nihilism. In contradictory those believes are just intensifying the nihilism itself. Problems created by the modern consumer society cannot be saved by institutions and practices formed by the same society, because the institutions and practices were formed to maintain and improve the capitalist’s practices and the modern consumer society itself. The modern nihilism takes its place, when individuals are incorrectly solving the problem of nihilism with the help of institutions and practices of the modern consumer society that are in fact making individuals and society more anxious and nihilistic.

• Keywords: modern consumer society, individual, modern era, need, consumerism, production, self-realization, pluralism of values, transcendence, social media, social ties, abundance anxiety, modern nihilism