Review article
https://doi.org/10.46640/imr.11.20.4
Luxury – a Metastasis of the Concept of Consumerism
Vjekoslav Đaić
; University of North Varaždin, Croatia
Abstract
Apart from deconstructing the concept of luxury in it’s basic lines, this work dominantly deals with this concept in the context of cosumerism. The paper gives some ethical norms that in search of happiness confirm luxury as a philosophy whose primary task is social distance. Therefore, luxury should not be discussed from a purely economic-consumer perspective. It is primarily a sociological issue through which we read aspects of identity, cult of beauty and social status. Comparing consumerism and the search for happiness, the paper presents examples of ethically disgusting business moves aimed to preserve brand’s reputation and defending it in front of a narrow circle of consumers, while at the same time increasing lust, dreaming and desire among those who are not. The author also deals with the topic of sustainability which supports the image that luxury brands want to create about themselves as a leaders in this field. At the same time, it is debated whether the new ecological perspective is more a context of public relations than what should be its primary purpose.
Keywords
luxury; consumerism; happiness; ethics; consumer
Hrčak ID:
278164
URI
Publication date:
26.5.2022.
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