Question 1

Which writer argued that consumption is a practice of manipulating signs and symbols to send messages to oneself and others?&#10;A) Nikolas Rose&#10;B) Jean Baudrillard&#10;C) Michel Foucault&#10;D) Theodor Adorno

Accepted Answer

Jean Baudrillard is known for his work on consumer culture, arguing that consumption is about the communication of signs and symbols, not just the use of goods and services.

Question 2

What term can be used for having a strong, harmful obsession with a particular thing or consumer object?&#10;A) Fetishisation&#10;B) Commodification&#10;C) Materialism&#10;D) Consumerism

Accepted Answer

Fetishisation refers to the excessive and irrational commitment or obsession with an object or a concept, which in this context aligns with having a strong, harmful obsession with a particular thing or consumer object.

Question 3

Which sociologist first noted the paradox of being fashionable, whereby being 'in fashion' allowed people to feel as though they were a vital and central member of their culture, while at the same time such a feeling was based on thoughtless imitation of others?

A) Karl Marx
B) Jean Baudrillard
C) Roland Barthes
D) Georg Simmel

D

Accepted Answer

Georg Simmel was the sociologist who first noted the paradox of being fashionable, highlighting how fashion allows individuals to feel both connected to their culture and simultaneously engaged in imitation.

Question 4

Which theoretical perspective is most closely associated with a view of consumption as a form of play involving unfettered individual choice and a preoccupation with newness, beauty and status?&#10;A) The semiotic perspective&#10;B) The Marxist perspective&#10;C) The post-modern perspective&#10;D) The anthropological perspective

Accepted Answer

The post-modern perspective is most closely associated with viewing consumption as a form of play that emphasizes individual choice, novelty, beauty, and status. This perspective often highlights how consumer culture is characterized by a constant search for new experiences and the construction of identity through consumption choices.

Question 5

What is the term for a cultural drive to buy more and more things and define oneself in terms of one's possessions?&#10;A) Fetishisation&#10;B) Commodification&#10;C) Materialism&#10;D) Lifestyle

Accepted Answer

Materialism is the term that describes a cultural drive or attitude emphasizing the importance of physical possessions and wealth as a means to achieve happiness or social status.

Question 6

The definition of self in terms of an assemblage of consumer goods is referred to as:&#10;A) The commodified self&#10;B) The post-modern self&#10;C) Materialism&#10;D) The desiring self

Accepted Answer

The commodified self refers to the concept of defining one's identity and value through the consumption and possession of consumer goods, essentially viewing oneself and others as collections of commodities.

Question 7

The way people are able to interpret or work out the myths and meanings built into objects is referred to as:&#10;A) Encoding&#10;B) Decoding&#10;C) Semiotics&#10;D) Symbolism

Accepted Answer

Decoding refers to the process of interpreting or working out the myths and meanings built into objects.

Question 8

What is the process that refers to the increased role of how a consumer object looks in guiding consumer choice, as much as the way the object works?&#10;A) Postmodernisation&#10;B) The cultural turn&#10;C) Encoding&#10;D) Aestheticisation

Accepted Answer

Aestheticisation refers to the process where the appearance and design of products play a significant role in consumer choices, often as much as or more than the functionality of the products themselves.

Question 9

What is the term used by Jean Baudrillard to refer to the capacity of a consumer object to reference something completely unrelated to its functional value?&#10;A) Sign value&#10;B) Exchange value&#10;C) Symbolic value&#10;D) Functional value

Accepted Answer

Jean Baudrillard refers to the capacity of a consumer object to reference something completely unrelated to its functional value as "sign value." This concept is part of his broader critique of consumer society, where objects are valued not just for their practical use but for the social and personal meanings they signify.

Question 10

In Simmel's theory of fashion, which element of the social strata were the leaders who demonstrated and defined fashionability for all other classes?&#10;A) The working classes&#10;B) The upper classes&#10;C) Young people&#10;D) Government and the military

Accepted Answer

Simmel's theory of fashion posits that the upper classes are the leaders in defining and demonstrating fashion trends, which are then emulated by lower social strata in an attempt to attain social upward mobility or mimic higher status.

Deck 8: Consumption and Lifestyles