Define and relate commodity culture, the commodity self, and commodity fetishism, with examples. Commodity Culture, the Commodity Self and Commodity Fetishism

Commodity Culture, the Commodity Self and Commodity Fetishism

Commodity culture is a term used to describe how consumerism has become engrained in today’s society. It is defined as the “social world of commodities, a world of buying, selling, and consuming” (Kilbourne, 2020). In this culture, commodities, or consumer goods, are seen as a way of expressing one’s identity and status. This leads to the idea of the commodity self, which is the idea that individuals now view themselves through the products they consume (Lury, 2019). People strive to create a unique identity through their choice of consumer goods, and use them to signal their social standing to others. In addition to commodity culture and the commodity self is the concept of commodity fetishism. This is the idea that consumer goods are imbued with special powers, and lead to a false sense of security and comfort (Kilbourne, 2020). For example, people may think that buying a luxury car will give them a sense of prestige, when in reality this is just an illusion. Overall, commodity culture, the commodity self, and commodity fetishism are all interconnected. They are all related to consumerism and how… Cont…