Entry 3: Respond to "Why the Self Is Empty"

“Eventually [the economy] found a way into postwar prosperity through the creation and use of universal, easy credit… Credit made the new economy go: personal credit business credit, and government credit” (from the top of the right-hand column on page 21 of the reader).

The concept of credit started off as a logical idea. Around the turn of the century, it made economic sense to offer people a way of making purchases for expensive items without them needing to take years to save money to do so. People who were financially stable deserved (and still deserve) to be able to make large purchases such as a house or car.

In the 1980’s, the US government deregulated the credit/credit card industry. This encouraged easy access to money, and by extension encouraged consumerism. The US economy became so dependent on consumer spending, that it was necessary to offer people money they didn’t have- credit. It became the norm for people to purchase less-expensive goods on credit (such as household appliances or expensive vacations). Credit has now gone too far. It’s too easy to get, and there’s no societal rules on how it should be used.

Would you go to McDonald’s and buy a hamburger on credit? Probably not, but there are many who do. If you don’t pay off your monthly bill, it’s costing you at least 19% interest on something that was a one-time disposable good. Credit is something that needs to be better regulated; both in how much credit people can receive, and who can receive credit in the first place.

“Because emptiness is, in part, an absence of communal forms and beliefs, individuals in the postwar era are thus particularly vulnerable to influence from cultural forms such as advertising that emanate authority and certainty.”

I found the author’s approach to analyzing the post World War II western self interesting due to an introductory sociology class I am taking this quarter. Instead of isolating the idea of the “empty self” as the result of human individuals’ actions, the author seeks explanation from the time period, society, and economic situation surrounding the individual. In this sense, the author is using what my introductory sociology class calls “social imagination” to analyze the phenomenon of the empty self through a broader perspective of the institution, rather than through a single individual.

I had not thought about the relationship between advertising and the public as a chicken and egg phenomenon until I read this article. Just as the empty self depends on the lure of advertisement and consumption to compensate for the “community, tradition, and shared meaning” it has lost, advertisement relies on the empty self to continue to exert influence on the American people.

A sociologist cannot rely solely on individual perspective to understand a society; he or she must also take into account the institutions that surround the individual. The advertising industry’s manipulation of the American people’s need to consume is important to the overall argument of the nature of the empty self, because it is not the result of 1 person. It is the “…consequence of how the modern nation state must currently regulate its economy.” The individual is shaped by the modern state, advertising industry, and self-improvement industry, and these institutions rely on the very individuals they shaped to thrive and exist. It is a give and take coexistence where one cannot be explained without the other.

“Many authors have described how the bounded, masterful self has slowly and unevenly emerged in Western history. This is a self that has specific psychological boundaries, an internal locus of control, and a wish to manipulate the external world for its personal ends. I believe that in the post-World War II era in the United States, there are indications that the present configuration of the bounded, masterful self is the empty self. By this I mean that our terrain has shaped a self that experiences a significant absence of community, tradition, and shared meaning. It experiences these social absences and their consequences "interiorly" as a lack of personal conviction and worth, and it embodies the absences as a chronic, undifferentiated emotional hunger. The post-World War II self thus yearns to acquire and consume as an unconscious way of compensating for what has been lost: It is empty.” (18)

The other day, I was watching Doctor Phil, and there was this woman featured on the show who admitted that she idolized the Hilton sisters so much, that she would abandon all of her friends just so she could live a life similar to theirs. I’m guessing that this woman’s ideals are not far from the norm. Our country has become one that is obsessed with celebrities. The lives of the rich and famous are showcased in magazines, in the newspapers, on television, and on the radio. We are infatuated by celebrities and their spending power. We idolize these people who doesn’t even deserve it. Most celebrities have done nothing to better society, so why do people admire and look up to them as idols? Why did this woman on Doctor Phil want to become girls who have only left a legacy of saying “That’s hot!”, spending their fathers money, and pathetic sex tapes?

The media likes to bombard us with idea that our lives are normal, commonplace, boring, and thus empty. In most cases, the emptier a person feels, the more likely they are to idolize and follow others. In a way, our uniqueness is being taken away from us. We turn to television and magazines as a model for how we should look and act. People see their favorite flawless bodied celebrity in a magazine and strive to attain the same, disregarding the fact that these are false images, Photoshopped to such an extreme. Focusing on celebrities gives people a mental escape from reality and their own supposedly empty lives. We see their extravagant lifestyles and yearn to be able to live like them. However, we focus so much on the positive aspects of their lives, that the negative facets are masked. Take Lindsey Lohan for example. She has been in and out of rehab, and has been in a number of accidents, attributed to excessive drinking. Still, countless young girls look up to her and strive to be just like her. We have a tendency to place celebrities on such a high pedestal, that they can do no wrong in our eyes.

“Culture “completes” humans by explaining and interpreting the world, helping them to focus their attention on or ignore certain aspects of their environment, and instructing and forbidding them to think and act in certain ways. Culture is not indigenous clothing that covers the universal human; it infuses individuals, fundamentally shaping and forming them and how they conceive of themselves and the world, how they see others, how they engage in structures of mutual obligation, and how they make choices in the everyday world.”

This quotation was intriguing because every culture is different in some way or another, and therefore each one views themselves and the world in their own way. It is interesting how drastically our culture molds who we are and how we think due to the influence of others. Although we are all individuals, we still end up following the trend, and doing what is considered normal to us, but may not be to foreigners. Even when it comes to our government, some of us are privileged to have more opportunities and free speech that others are prohibited from having, and these type of standards verifies how consumerism shapes our identity compared to everyone else’s. Each culture therefore, establishes how we will respond to the consumer market that can depend on the era we are in, or our origins and thus it is a major determinant on the formation of our self-identity.

"The thesis of this article is that the current self is constructed as empty, and as a result the state controls its population not by restricting the impulses of its citizens, as in Victorian times, but by creating and manipulating their wish to bee soothed, organized, and made cohesive by momentarily filling them up. The products of the social sciences and of psychology in particular, have often worked to the advantage of the state by helping to construct selves that are the subjects of control and to develop techniques that are the means of control." (Page 18)

I find this quote interesting because it points a stern finger at the social sciences, specifically psychologically; implicating it in what I would describe as the fall of humanity. Psychology is at the core of the entire sales industry. By studying our own mind, we have learned to control it and manipulate it and it the corporations who capitalized on this social science, and truly made it a "social science." It is "social" insofar as it involves numerous people and it is a "science" because psychological theories are applied to systematically exact feelings, actions, and beliefs from humans. Through the field of psychological, the modern corporation has successfully destroyed the old ideas of family, community, and religion, and filled this void with various objects and other mass-produced goods. Advertisements reinforce the idea of an empty self that must be filled up through the consumption of goods. In this way, the corporations create and point out the empty self, only to immediately demonstrate a way to soothe the emptiness. The key word here is "soothe." The advertisements do not offer a permanent resolution to this emptiness, but rather a quick fix, making a consumer society strikingly similar to a group of crack fiends. From this point, it becomes clear, that real issue is one of pleasure vs. satisfaction. Pleasure is something that can be achieved easily, but just as quickly goes away. Pleasure comes from a new pair of shoes, a video game, and a new car. These objects provide people with an easy way to cheer themselves up, if only at a superficial level. Satisfaction, on the other hand, is much more complex, and not so easily attained. Satisfaction comes from life experiences, close relationships, and the achievement important life goals. Thus, satisfaction is much harder to achieve because it actually requires people to be proactive, engage life, and often times, and be patient. Patience is often times key in attaining satisfaction, and that provides further support for this idea of the empty self because we live in an instant-gratification society where everything is mass produced, and easily within reach thanks to the invention of credit (also established in the early 1900's to encourage people to buy more even if they could not afford it at the time). As one can clearly see, the difference between pleasure and satisfaction truly makes all the difference. Thus, I challenge people to look beyond the superficial pleasure offered in magazines and on television, and instead aim to achieve some sort of satisfaction in your life. Do not let large impersonal corporations control your happiness, rather take control of your feelings and your "self" and make yourself happy.

It is now clear to me, that the rise of social science allowed large corporations in conjunction with America's banking industry to redefine the American people and create the consumer society we are now all a part of.

"Authors have observed that Americans in the post-World War II era came to need self-improvement in a form and to a degree unknown before. As the individual's growth, enjoyment, and fulfillment became the single most valued aspect of life, several industries grew up to minister to this newly created need. The cosmetics industry, the diet business, the electronic entertainment industry, preventive medical care, and the self-improvement industry all came into prominence." page 21-22

I found the author’s interpretation that the general public’s personalities reflect the social and political aspects of their era very intuitive. The author’s description of Americans after World War II as empty fits perfectly for the type of personalities commonly found in that era. This worked out well for industries and advertising because without this sense of emptiness, it would not have been as easy to manipulate the public into believing they need something. It was the perfect timing to use the public’s vulnerability as a group to persuade them into buying a product. Anything shown in an advertisement is supposed to generate the feeling of desire in the viewer, and with the public’s blank slate to work with, advertising took full advantage. People were subconsciously being shown the type of “model” life they wished for by seeing the enjoyment and pleasure of the models in the ads. The public’s values began morphing into exactly what was being advertised to them in order to give them things to desire. For example, physical appearance became a great concern, and with advertising types of diets, cosmetics, clothing and other accessories, it became easy for people to “improve” their lives. All of the self-improvement industries became very popular because improving life with material goods became a common value as a result of advertising and the empty public self.

"Credit is only necessary when the individual's wish to buy outstrips his or her capital. Individuals do not wish to buy if they do not perceive a need for a product. But with an empty self, people always need.”

I thought this quotation was interesting for two reasons. First, the belief that America’s consumerism is based on the concept that the self is “empty” and therefore we seek to fill it with material items in order to fulfill a need is contradictory to elements of last week’s reading. One of the main points of the previous article was how our society has shifted from buying purely what we need, towards buying what we want. Improved advertising targeted consumers’ desires in efforts to increase production, pulling away from advertisement strategies that focused on customer needs.

On the other hand, I thought this quote was interesting also because it touches on how our society has developed these previously thought as desires into modern day needs. As the rest of the article illustrates, our society today relies heavily on material items to symbolize status, develop relationships, and in some cases, fill voids that were previously sufficed with community and family values. Although the era after the war introduced a type of economy that thrived on the sales of luxuries and frivolous products, it can now be argued that society has evolved to a point where these indulgences are now necessary to complete one’s self. It is a common known psychological fact that humans seek acceptance and belonging, whether it be to peer groups or social classes, which is often facilitated in modern day times through purchases.

So although the previous article centered on America’s consumption of luxury items based on desire, modern day society has now developed to the point where these luxuries are now often looked at as necessary.

"Individuals do not wish to buy if they do not perceive a need for a product. But with an empty self people always need."

In this post WW2, 'age of the Ipod,' the advertising and marketing of products defines and controls the societal standards of every aspect of life. What you eat, how you dress, what music you listen to...these supposed expressions of self are merely the tangible manifestations of specifically planned out marketing strategies. As a means to keep consumerism thriving, marketing companies created a sense of dissatisfaction with one's own self and a fear of "not being good enough" through their advertisements. They were able to sell products because they countered these subtle and powerful undertones with a solution, the product.

We are constantly being bombarded with advertisements of the things we need to make us better. The repetition and consistency of these airbrushed, perfected images create a feeling of inadequacy and therefore a constant need to fill the void, through buying more and more things. It is this very paradox that sustains the American consumer economy that we have all learned to in some ways love. I mean, what would we all do without our Ipods and Blackberries?

"The self of our time is expected to function in a highly autonomous, isolated way. To accomplish this it is thought that the individual must develop an ability to be self-soothing, self-loving, and self-sufficient. And yet in order to develop this type of self, many psychologists argue that one must have a nurturing early environment that provides a great deal of empathy, attention, and mirroring. Who is to provide this environment? If adults are self-serving, highly ambitious, heavily bounded individuals, why would they choose to undergo the self-sacrifice and suffering necessary to be nurturing parents?” (23)

In this particular quote, Cushman seems to be arguing the fact that since adults are essentially self-serving people, there would be no logical reason for them to provide a nurturing environment for their children, thus creating a generation in which the empty self is prevalent among its members. I found this quotation to be interesting because while it is true that we may not logically understand what drives parents to be self-sacrificing and nurturing towards their children, it seems as if this motivating factor is less important than the fact that the phenomenon, itself, actually occurs. Sometimes phenomena cannot be explained. However, this does not mean that they do not occur. Despite the fact that Cushman may believe that there may be no logical explanation as to why parents would choose to act in such a way, this does not mean that nurturing parenting does not exist.

Furthermore, what Cushman fails to see is that there is, in fact, a logical explanation as to why parents choose to be nurturing to their children. Not being a parent, myself, I can only speculate on this, however, based on my understanding of parental tendencies, parents often see their children as extensions of themselves. Often times, we hear parents describing having children as having their hearts present outside of their own bodies. Because of this, parents choose to be nurturing toward their children because they want what is best for themselves and their children are an extension of themselves. If Cushman's entire theory of the empty self is based on this argument that the family does not provide a nurturing enough environment for the self to develop completely, perhaps Cushman's theory of the empty self is completely flawed and in fact, does not exist.

"Three beneficiaries of this narcissistic dynamic are the modern state, the advertising industry, and the self-improvement industries (including psychotherapy). All three perpetuate the ideology of the empty self, and all three profit from it" (p. 26).

This quote struck me because of how the author lays out those who benefit from a materialistic society. He identifies not only those who profit on the surface (producers and consumers), but also the industries that indirectly see the advantages of a consumer driven society. Consumerism's consequences trickle down and play right into the hands of some of the professions we would least expect.

Psychologists and other health professionals fit in the category of those who quietly benefit from consumerism. I had never before considered the extent to which these people depend on the disservice that consumerism does to the public. In a sick way, these people live off the very principles they work hard to eliminate in their clients' lives. The author notes that, "while psychologists have been treating the empty self, they have, of necessity, also been constructing it, profiting from it, and not challenging the social arrangements that created it" (p.27). This quote brings to light the kind of irony that exists in this profession; in a twisted plot, the author argues that the healthcare industry creates the very same problems that it conveniently fixes for a profit. Consumerism's impact is far felt, but perhaps some are quietly happy with that.

“Advertising certainly does not address itself to the political causes of the customer's problems (e.g. alienation and the loss of community); therefore, it must turn to the refuge of what I will refer to as the lifestyle solution. Unable to effect lasting change by developing political solutions to the problems of modern life, advertising must offer an illusory cure.” (23)

While Cushman offers a particularly convincing and detailed argument into the essence of the human experience, I couldn't help but feel that the paper came off as decidedly limited. To me, the generalization of the self as a cultural definition rather than a profound personal epiphany of sorts is misguided. How can the question “what it means to be human?” have a cultural significance if as he argues we now live in a highly individualistic society. I think the very audacity of the question begs the soul searching, and maybe the inability in today's world to accept an universal answer leads to the empty self Cushman sees. But that would hardly be a new phenomenon, with advertising simply replacing the religious dogma and class structure that preceded it. I think the more interesting challenge is to accept the uncertainty and impossibility of identifying humankind's place in the cosmos, and to attempt to discover oneself in an entirely personal light.

"The self embodies what the culture believes is humankind's place in the cosmos: its limits, talents, expectations and prohibitions. In this sense the self is an aspect of what Heidegger called the horizon of shared understandings or "the clearing" carved out by the particular practices of a particular culture. There is no universal, transhistorical self, only local selves; no universal theory about the self, only local theories."

The abstract of the article noted the abuse of filling of the empty self by "exploitive therapists, cult leaders and politicians". In class we have described a general popular human theory that people are by nature greedy. We have also clearly identified our culture as a consumer society. The obvious conclusion from these three observations is that our society is seemingly stuck in a very vicious cycle where even those that are "healing" our greedy empty self are in fact perpetuating our own need and greed to fill it for their own greedy reasons that tell them they must "heal" their own self. This articles describes the locality of our concept of self, arguing that each culture creates its own unique construct. While each culture's construct is unique, the similar human trend is that we innately conform to societies demands and the construct that we are currently living with is controlled by greedy human leaders. The conflict of human greed and desire seemingly leaves us helplessly stuck in our quest to fulfill our "self".

"This is a powerful illusion. And what fuels the illusion, what impels the individual into this illusion, is the desperation to fill up the empty self.... It must consume in order to be soothed and integrated; it must 'take in' and merge with a self-object celebrity, and ideology, or a drug, or it will be in danger of fragmenting into feelings of worthlessness and confusion." (page 24)

I find this quote interesting because this idea used to be reflective of my life. It is very true that consuming sometimes fills an emptiness. For example, shopaholics do not feel fulfilled unless they have satisfied that urge. They even have rehab type programs for shopaholics. For them it is a drug and indulging in that consumption produces a high. For a number of years I had to buy something new to de-stress or to feel better about my self. This quote hits close to home because I did not realize I was buying to fill up my empty self.

"The late 20th century has thus become an advertising executive's dream come true: Life-style has become a product that sells itself, and the individual has become a consumer who seeks, desperately, to buy" (24).

I agree completely with Cushman's statement. But to elaborate on Cushman's view, I think that a fast-paced, lazier lifestyle is the product being sold today. Our society is always on the go, always looking for shortcuts and ways to get around things with as little effort as possible. For example, drive-thru Starbucks are now seen almost as often as a normal Starbucks. Products such as the Roomba vacuum, with the push of a button, will vacuum an entire house without so much as a lift of the finger. Everyone is always looking for the next best thing, the next best product to enhance their lifestyle.

This further exemplifies Cushman's idea that because the self is empty, it searches for ways to be fulfilled. Purchasing products is a way for this empty self to become something. Although, this something may be as sad as a lazy consumer society that seems to be growing with every new short cut.

" Again, I am speculating that it is the formation of the empty self that has made this situation possible; a sense of meaninglessness and absence feeds these businesses. The Western world and America in particular constructed a new type of bounded self that was the perfect complement to the postwar economy built on a system of universal, worldwide credit. Credit is only necessary when the individual's wish to buy outstrips his or her capital. Individuals do not wish to buy if they do not perceive a need for a product. But with an empty self people always need."

I had never really though about the idea of the empty self being cyclical, regarding the use of credit. Average consumers see items which are out of their means, all day everyday. On billboards, television commercials, or even just walking down the street and looking at people who are driving a better car, wearing better clothes and drinking more expense coffee. This feeling of always wanting more fuels the effect of the empty self and to this person the only way to feel "full" is to buy, buy, buy. However, for the average consumer most of these things would have to be purchased on credit. At the end of the day, this empty self is left with a room full of useless things, a large credit card bill, and feels no less empty than before. And the cycle of buying, and feeling the satisfaction for at least a few moments occurs over and over again. This is why, as Cushman argues, the cure for the empty self should not be retail therapy but rather "structural societal change" (25). The empty self is in need of a long term step by step reshaping, rather than a quick fix.

"During the beginnings of the modern era in the 16th century, the Western world began to shift from a religious to a scientific frame of reference, from an agricultural to an industrial means of production, from a rural to an urban setting, and from a communal to an individual subject."

Before reading this article it had never occurred to me that the technological, environmental and mental/emotional advancements of mankind were achieved for any other reason but curiosity. However, Cushman has made me consider that these advancements could be related to the human's need to feel independent from anything that may have control over their freedoms.

For example, it has been theorized that groups of people have tried to distance themselves from the concept of religion because they no longer want to be associated with a spiritual being that is clearly and ultimately much more powerful than they are. It is the partial fear and pressure they feel from a higher being that makes them want to educate themselves about other religions and in most cases, science. Science puts people in the masterful position of having answers to questions and being able to run their own lives free from an all knowing and mysterious God.

In addition, during the time of the Industrial Revolution when people moved from their rural farmlands to the big city, they were searching for a chance of making more money and thereby being more self sufficient. They wanted to quit the farm life in which their livelihood depended on good weather and livestock and take their futures into their own hands. By doing this they decided to work in factories and large industries where they would be entirely depended on their own skills to make a decent living.

Cushman explains that the peoples' escape to make their lives more about the individual subject rather than the communal is true, but in some cases that escape backfired. Even though they tried harder and harder to make it to the big city where they solely depended on themselves, they still belonged to a community of people who had the same dream. When a nice God-fearing farmer decides to move to the big city with his family and become a common assembly line worker in the factory, he becomes part of a bigger community than the one he left because he belongs to the boss now. He is just one of the many many opinionless employees who depend on the boss for an income because he doesn't work for himself anymore. At the end of the day this man's "self" is empty because he sacrifices himself for the sake of being ultimately independent. He tries to escape a community so he can make his life all about him but instead he moves to another community where he is forced to sacrifice more of his freedoms.

"After the turn of the century, popularized forms of psychology and religion began to offer advice on how to impress others, become popular, and achieve monetary success and peace of mind. Advertising began developing a highly effective strategy: By identifying the product with an "imaginary state of being," the ads sought to allay the customer's personal fears and feelings of inadequacy."

I was intrigued by this quotation because not only is it very true, but it is a technique that is still apparent in our consumer society today. Companies like Axe body spray portray men being bombarded by women after having applied their product. This particular ad projects the "state of being" of being sexually appealing and wanted, which could attract customers who feel sexually inadequate or lonely. There are also gum companies such as Dentyne ice that use similar strategies. In the commercial, a crowd of women flock to a man who has just popped a piece of Dentyne gum into his mouth.

Whether a consumer feels sexually insufficient or other types of incompetence, advertising companies can use these insecurities to their advantage by offering what seems to be a "remedy." This all traces back to the central message of the article: that our society today is overpowered by the empty self. These feelings of emptiness drive people to consume products in hopes to become more fulfilled. Whether it's a new dress, an exercise class, or piece of cake- goods and services seem to give people a sense of fulfillment in our society.

"...the consumer's life can be transformed into a glorious, problem-free life -- the 'life' of the model who is featured in the ad. This can be accomplished by purchasing and 'ingesting' the product, which will magically transfer the life-style of the model to the consumer. By surrounding themselves with the accoutrements of the model, by ingesting the proper liquid while wearin gthe proper clothing, all the while exhibiting the proper shape, customers seek to 'become' the model."

Wait... so if I wear Axe Body Spray, a mob of beautiful women won't accost me in the street and take off all my clothes? I want my $4 back.

"This is a powerful illusion. And what fuels the illusion, what impels the individual into this illusion, is the desperation to fill up the empty self" (p. 24)

What interests me most about this quote from Cushman is the idealization of illusion and how it acts as a parasite for society. More often than not we are flooded with images; men must be strong while women must be thin and made up all the time. These images that constantly flood our heads instill the idea that everyone must attain this made up perfection. As a consumer, I too am guilty of doing this because often times I will see something in an advertisement and try to mimic it. However, in my personal defense, I will say that I do not purchase things on account of feeling empty. Which leads me to my next question: does feeling empty justify society's consumerism? Clearly, according to Cushman it does but what about the people that purchase for self-enjoyment or pleasure? I would like to suggest that this argument presented by Cushman is an oversimplification of consumerism. Consider for instance the 1920s example he used throughout the article. Yes, it is true that the consumerism at the time was highly influenced by propaganda and people purchased things to fulfill their emptiness. However, consider big capitalists such as Ford and Rockafellar. I would like to argue that they did not purchase on account of self-emptiness but they bought things because they legitimately wanted to out of their enjoyment. Purchasing then is not entirely a bad thing. What makes it a negative aspect in society are the illusions it creates in people's heads to make them feel inadequate.

“Because advertising cannot cure by invoking a workable web of meaning, I believe ads substitute the concept of life-style: the experiences and material possessions that are identified with the celebrity or model. It is a kind of mimicry of traditional culture for a society that has lost its own. In this way life-style is used as a pseudoculture—a pseudoculture that promises an instant, illusory cure, a ‘transformation.’” (23)

While exploring the effects of advertising on the post WW-II era, Cushman argues that corporations market the idea that material objects or consumer items will fill the emptiness within the self. Cushman explains the concept of life-style as an attempt to sell an image of perfection or what Cushman refers to as an “illusory cure.” Corporations persuade individuals, through crafted advertisements, that consumers “need” the company’s product so that they will feel better about themselves and their overall well-being. Advertisements offer a tempting yet, misleading lifestyle through a company’s products. A product may claim to enhance a person’s physical appearance, mental state, or social relationships by eliminating an individual’s personal problems. Companies seem to sell the idea that products are not only convenient but also solutions to emotional inconveniences.

This concept of life-style, however, has left individuals with an insatiable appetite for goods which they believe will transform their lives into the idealized lives of models who are featured in advertisements. Consumer goods are almost like drugs; they provide an instant high but always leave individuals wanting more. Because products fail to solve life’s problems and to provide individuals with perfect lives, consumers are left dissatisfied and forced to seek solace in new products. Individuals in the postwar era seem to be on a never ending quest to satisfy the empty self but because they seek refuge through “things” which cannot possibly solve life’s emotional troubles, corporations profit from the urgent desires of the consumer society.

“One of the disquieting results of this constructionist perspective is the realization that our current era had constructed a self that is, fundamentally, a disappointment to itself.... Now a new paradox has arisen: One of the wealthiest nations on earth is also one of the emptiest.”

This quote struck a chord with me because I believe we do live in a society where the majority of the population is unsatisfied most of the time. We have become an exceedingly superficial society in which people take pleasure in showcasing their wealth and/or status to others through exterior venues. People are judged by the car they drive and the jeans they wear rather than their moral character. Of course morality plays a role in how one acts, but Cushman makes the distinction between character and personality stating that, “Unlike character, which is centered on personal moral integrity, advice manuals of the time taught that personality was synonymous with becoming liked by others.” If one goes into Barnes and Noble I’m sure they will find hundreds of self-help books on how to impress people and become more socially confident (think Dale Carnegie’s "How to Win Friends and Influence People").

This salesperson attitude has drastically changed how we view one another and how we view ourselves. Cushman argues that the increasingly popular “disorders of the self” are socially constructed and reinforced by psychology professionals who often profit from their treatment. This is an irrefutable offense in my opinion and while there are many disorders that require medication, I also believe our society is seriously delusional in thinking that one simple pill will take care of all our problems.

"The Thesis of this article is that the current self is constructed as empty, and as a result the state controls its population not by restricting the impulses of its citizens, as in Victorian times, but by creating and manipulating their wish to be soothed, organized, and made cohesive by momentarily filling them up" (Pg 18).

What this quote is saying is that the new form of social control on an individual is consumerism. This control then leads to a person not knowing who he/she really is, and the only way that we can become an individual in today's society is by buying a certain brand of goods. Throughout history there have been many forms of social control to put common people in their place, serving ones king or living ones life as it says in religious scripture. This quote demonstrates to me that we no longer know who we are, and the only way for us, as a population, to feel a sense of complete or belonging, we must consume goods that help us gain identification within a certain group.

I believe what Cushman is really trying to say is that the choice of goods one consumes does not make him/her a complete being or help gain knowledge of who we really are. He is saying that our possesions are just superficial, and all that we gain from them is a false sense of security.

pg 19 (601): "Humans do not have a basic, fundamental, pure human nature that is transhistorical and transcultural. Humans are incomplete and therefore unable to function adequately unless embedded in a specific cultural matrix. Culture completes humans by explaining and interpreting the world, helping them to focus their attention on or ignore certain aspects of their environment, and instructing and forbidding them to think and act in certain ways."

I chose this quotation because after reading it I paused, re-read it, and seriously questioned the point of the author. However, after thinking about this statement, I found myself not only understanding the point being made but agreeing with it as well. I wanted to argue that yes, in fact, humans do have a pure, fundamental human nature, but instead I realized that culture is imperative to humans. I forget how important and influential culture can be and I think this also relates to the theory of nature vs. nurture... what is intrinsically us-aka human, or what is caused by our surroundings (culture).

“…the quest for developing a secular personality came to take precedence over building religious character. Unlike character, which is centered on personal moral integrity, advice manuals of the time taught that personality was synonymous with becoming liked by others” (20).

The transition from the sexually restricted Victorian self to the fragmented post World War II self occurred with the decline of moral integrity as the prominent aspect of a typical role model of society. Perhaps this decline of importance of character and rise of the precedence of personality can explain the emptiness of the post WWII self. To fill this emptiness, we indulge in the illusory lives of models and celebrities that appear and are portrayed through advertisement, longing to be beautiful, famous, and loved by many. Those who we aspire to be are no longer heroes with moral character, but celebrities with personality. To climb the societal ladder, one must be impress others with beauty or talent rather than with courage and loyalty. In the past, we could work to change our moral character to become like the models and heroes of society. Now, however, we can only change our physical appearance to a certain extent to try to feel as beautiful as celebrities and models we see in advertisements. This limit to change causes insecurity and leads to the fragmentation and emptiness that Cushman describes. I agree with Cushman that our priorities have changed for the worse. I haven’t thought about whom or what is to blame, which Cushman believes is the historical context. It saddens me to believe this, however, because it may mean that we are not entirely capable of changing this problem since we cannot change our historical context.

"By surrounding themselves with the accoutrements of the model, by ingesting the proper liquid while wearing the proper clothing, all the while exhibiting the proper shape, customers seek to "become" the model. The customer's problems will simply disappear when the magical transfer takes place." (23)

This quote speaks about a new type of advertising that swept the United States during the 1950’s. The massive industry that was necessary to fight WWII was converted to peace-time uses, and Americans for the first time began to have money. They were not necessarily making a whole lot more, but credit became the word of the day, with consumers buying houses, cars, and even furniture before they had the means to pay for them. At the same time the new lifestyle advertising began to give the new consumers ideas about what they can spend their newly found money on. Any void in one’s life can be filled by buying products, the ads tried to convince the people, and if it doesn’t work then you’re just not spending enough money. These advertising techniques have become the status quo, and today models still sell themselves, claiming that a particular fragrance or brand will give you the happiness that is missing from American culture.

“These customers buy life-style in a vain attempt to transform their lives because their lives are unsatisfying and (without massive societal change) ultimately unfixable. But without the option of providing a viable solution through the vehicle of structural change, advertising can only offer the illusory exchange of one life for another” (24).

Consumerism has not just become a way of life, it is life. Consumerism is embedded in every aspect of our daily lives, it drives our personality, health, money, etc. I understand that services and goods appeal to the individual emotionally, but it should not have the power to change your entire life. Consumerism is a very persuasive art that I feel will continue to evolve with new additions, inventions, or advances as long as life exists so that people may have the opportunity to ignore the real world. This in turn, of course will lead to more consequences. When will everyone step from behind the consumerist goods and services and confront the problems at hand? People should not automatically think to buy something aesthetically pleasing for someone they have conflict with to solve the problem; instances like these demonstrate that consumerism is hurting people socially as well. I can’t imagine life without such a consumerist society, and that in itself is terrifying. But who can we blame for this consumerist illness, ourselves or society?

"One of the disquieting results of this constructionist perspective is the realization that our current era has constructed a self that is, fundamentally, a disappointment to itself." pg. 26

The empty self, something created by depriving people of proper culture and historical contexts. I agree with this quote because our era is almost purely a superficial era. People try to fill voids in their lives with materialistic things. These materialistic things combined with a no longer repressed self creates this monster we now call the consumer.

The consumer has almost no option but to satisfy him/herself with the things they buy. Materialistic things can only provide temporary satisfaction and thus the advertising industry constantly comes out with something new. However these new things actually make it worse. Companies compete to launch the best phone or fashions causing the self to no longer appreciate what it has and in return disappointing itself once again.

Modernization is not a new concept and keeping up with fashions and the latest of gadgets is not foreign to people hundreds of years ago, however the lives of the modern empty self revolve around consumerism rather than having the materialistic things revolve around them like before. We can almost say that consumerism is like a chronic disease make worse by a doctor who only treat the symptoms not the actual problem.

"It is empty in part because of the loss of family, community, and tradition...It is a self that seeks the experience of being continually filled up by consuming goods, calories, experiences, politicians, romantic partners, and empathetic therapists in an attempt to combat the growing alienation and fragmentation of its era." (p. 600)
I chose this quote because I felt like it encompassed every part of Cushman's argument. After WWII the value of our self changed and we started valuing our own value based on how much more stuff we had then our neighbors, or friends. Our “empty self” causes us to just want to buy so that we can show that we are better than our acquaintance, sadly, whether it be a relative or a random person on the street. It is the fact that we don’t have any reason not to indulge in ourselves. The media and commercials continually tell us that we don’t look like the model on TV and so the only way to look like the model and be as happy as he/she is is to buy a certain product.
It is insane to look back and see the damages, or changes, that have come about in the human race in recent years. There is always a disappointment or dissatisfaction that we feel and it follows us in every aspect of our life but we don’t do anything about it because it is okay; it is how everyone around us is. Although it seems obvious after reading this article, the current problems in the human race stems from the fact that we can never be filled up no matter how many cheeseburgers we eat, how many shirts we buy, or how many people we sleep with. Clearly, the only way we are going to start evolving back into a happy species is if we stop trying to fill ourselves up with products, and for the first time in centuries, attempt to fill ourselves up with pride, family and tradition; things that should really be the sole purpose of our life.

“Culture is not indigenous clothing that covers the universal human; it infuses individuals, fundamentally shaping and forming them and how they conceive of themselves and the world, how they see others, how they engage in structures of mutual obligation, and how they make choices in the everyday world.”
I disagree with this quote because I do not think it applies to the United States. Culture used to be an idea unique to different areas of the world, each with its own characteristics used to enrich and distinguish a person so they had a sense of self. In the U.S., however, it seems we have created a central culture focused on consumerism and materialism. It has also made us more self-conscious, more strict to obeying the rules, and less expressive. The culture in the U.S. today consists of societal norms. The norms are things and actions that individuals partake in everyday life that seems second nature to them. Anything outside the norm is shunned. People who express their opinions or those “weirdos” who smell bad and sit in the street because they have no home are alienated and considered outcasts in society. People in the U.S. tune these people out, virtually ignoring their existence. We have created a culture in which we are shaped by the opinions of others and the social norms, and we are not free to express ourselves freely for fear of being seen as an outcast. We have become more independent individuals and have lost the emphasis that used to be placed on the family and relationships with others. We have become very self-conscious; advertisements are always coming up with new ways to improve ourselves. Our dependence on technology has caused us to distance ourselves from these relationships because our attention is focused elsewhere, on the computer or our phone. This, I believe, has led America into adopting a selfish attitude and has influenced the way others see us. The United States is known for being disliked and labeled as ignorant and selfish by other countries. It’s unfortunate that this consumer-driven society has allowed us to transform from a needs-based to a wants-based culture.

"The Western world and America in particular constructed a new type of bounded self that was built on the perfect complement to the postwar economy built on a syste of universa, worldwide credit. Credit is only necessary wen the individual's wish to buy outstrips his or her capital. Individuals do not wish to buy if they do not perceive a need for a product. But with an empty self people always need."

After reading this quote, I tried for a moment to imagine a world without credit and found I was unable to. Americans, as well as many others I'm sure, finance everything from houses, cars, swimming pools, furniture and clothing. Anything can be charged to your piece of plastic, as long as you commit to paying the amount back plus exorbitant amounts in interest. In fact, for the average American, borrowing money for something like buying a house or car is the rule, and is rarely the exception. The issue is we Americans feel like we need items such as houses, cars, and swimming pools.
A huge industry has emerged which helps feed our consumer lifestyles. Not only are there credit cards for every type of person or purchase, there are businesses who agree to consolodate your bills and provide you with your credit score. There are endless incentives like airline miles, zero percent interest to start up, no annual fees and complementary "gifts" to encourage you to get yourself into debt.
Managed responsibly, lines of credit can be useful tools in this consumer society. For others, it is their financial downfall. I was always instructed by my parents to live within my means, but now that I have a Visa, why is that so damn hard?! Relying on credit seems to be an almost inescapable reality. Let's just hope I don't end up like those pitiful individuals sung about on freecreditreport.com commercials.

"Individuals do not wish to buy if they do not perceive a need for a product. But with an empty self people always need."

This quote struck me as both interesting and extremely insightful into to the goals of advertisements. In all societies of all times advertising has been present in some obscure form or another. However in the 20th century advertisers have found a way of approaching making its product appeal to the general public. Prior to the 20th century the only way to advertise an item would be to let the consumer know truly how useful and efficient their product is in rather straight forward terms. Now advertising executives have realized that this type of advertising is not nearly as effective as making the consumer feel like the product they are selling will some how define them in a more positive light. I do not have a problem with people defining themselves in a more positive light for whatever reason, however I do have a problem with the bi-product of this neo-advertising system which is that if a consumer is not able to afford or decides not to purchase the item then it subsequently causes the consumer to feel inadequate in comparison to the people around them that have the means to purchase the product. As a result people are becoming so consumed with buying as a means of feeling adequate that we are left with no sense of self-identity independent of our immediate surroundings.

"The Western world and America in particular constructed a new type of bounded self that was built on the perfect complement to the postwar economy built on a system of universal, worldwide credit. Credit is only necessary wen the individual's wish to buy outstrips his or her capital. Individuals do not wish to buy if they do not perceive a need for a product. But with an empty self people always need."

After reading this quote, I tried for a moment to imagine a world without credit and found I was unable to. Americans, as well as many others I'm sure, finance everything from houses, cars, swimming pools, furniture and clothing. Anything can be charged to your piece of plastic, as long as you commit to paying the amount back plus exorbitant amounts in interest. In fact, for the average American, borrowing money for something like buying a house or car is the rule, and is rarely the exception. The issue is we Americans feel like we need items such as houses, cars, and swimming pools.
A huge industry has emerged which helps feed our consumer lifestyles. Not only are there credit cards for every type of person or purchase, there are businesses who agree to consolidate your bills and provide you with your credit score. There are endless incentives like airline miles, zero percent interest to start up, no annual fees and complementary "gifts" to encourage you to get yourself into debt.
Managed responsibly, lines of credit can be useful tools in this consumer society. For others, it is their financial downfall. I was always instructed by my parents to live within my means, but now that I have a Visa, why is that so damn hard?! Relying on credit seems to be an almost inescapable reality. Let's just hope I don't end up like those pitiful individuals sung about on freecreditreport.com commercials.

“Disorders of the self are thought by theorists … to be caused by an interpersonal environment that is disrespectful, psychologically avoidant, unempathetic and punitive”
This is an interesting quote to me because individuals have become hard on themselves due to advertisements in the media. There is a plethora advertising in our faces – especially as Americans – to be thin, healthy, with perfect skin, a great job, a fabulous car, not to smoke and the list goes on and on. However, to have all this would be impossible. I think this quote embodies that fact that this is a narcissistic culture where everyone is obsessed with themselves and how they appear to others.
“From slavery to manifest destiny to Vietnam to the struggle over reproductive rights, we are often a nation at odds with itself. Now a new paradox is often a nation at odds with itself: Now a new paradox has arisen: one of the wealthiest nations on earth is one of the emptiest”
This quote also stood out to me. It highlights my first point that society has become overwhelmed with today’s advertisements resulting in an impersonal emptiness. The article discusses that in the post WWII world, people used to focus on their family, living a more Victorian mentality lifestyle. Today, our world is selfish and consumed with the fear of not being the person we see in ads on TV, the web and in magazines. Fashion editorials are often shouting “Lose 10 pounds and feel fabulous” or “Have a tight tummy for summer”, but is this the answer to happiness? Not only is this not the answer, but it has also created a society that is “at odds with itself”. We are taught through consumer culture that we will not achieve happiness unless we attain the impossible. With the economy dwindling, this harsh advertising and desire to fill a void through consuming will only continue. Instead of saving money, many Americans continue to spend in order to feel better about themselves and their economic situation, which is an empty feeling at that.

"Humans do not have a basic, fundamental, pure human nature that is tanshistorical and transcultural. Humans are incomplete and therefore unable to function adequately unless embedded in a specifiic cultural matrix. Culture "completes" humans by explaining and intrepreting the world, helping them to focus their attention on or ignore certain aspects of their environment, and instructing and forbidding them to think and act in certain ways."

I think this idea is interesting because I learned in my biosocial anthropology class that humans have a basic nature that evolved around reactions to the environment and interactions with other humans (survival of the fittest). My teacher believes that this human nature is transhistorical and transcultural and that it evolved based on other humans and the outside world, not invidually. I like that the author also explains culture in this way, that it defines our ideals, traditions, and shared meanings. It is true that a human on its own and outside of the cultural context of his/her time would be lost and would not know how to react. These ideas explain how our "self" is constructed based on culture and the historical setting.

"Humans do not have a basic, fundamental, pure human nature that is tanshistorical and transcultural. Humans are incomplete and therefore unable to function adequately unless embedded in a specifiic cultural matrix. Culture "completes" humans by explaining and intrepreting the world, helping them to focus their attention on or ignore certain aspects of their environment, and instructing and forbidding them to think and act in certain ways."

I think this idea is interesting because I learned in my biosocial anthropology class that humans have a basic nature that evolved around reactions to the environment and interactions with other humans (survival of the fittest). My teacher believes that this human nature is transhistorical and transcultural and that it evolved based on other humans and the outside world, not invidually. I like that the author also explains culture in this way, that it defines our ideals, traditions, and shared meanings. It is true that a human on its own and outside of the cultural context of his/her time would be lost and would not know how to react. These ideas explain how our "self" is constructed based on culture and the historical setting.

"In the decades immediately following World War II, the Unites States developed an economy that depended on the continual production and consumption of nonessential and quickly obsolete products, celebrities, and experiences” (p. 21).

I find this particular phenomenon interesting because it highlights a major shift that occurred in the paradigm of Americans in the post-WWII era. This paradigm shift – from consumption for necessity to consumption for luxury – translated into sweeping changes in the US economy. In a broad sense, the “empty self,” and its desire to acquire meaning through commercial means (consumption), caused a notable macroeconomic shift. Taking risks in pursuit of large rewards became more desirable than safe, steady returns. Purchasing ostentatious luxuries became more important than purchasing basic goods.

Cushman argues that this shift was brought about by an increase in urbanization and industrialization. This argument is reasonable, considering the vast economic increases brought about by postwar industrialization. Nonessential industries, such as the music and movie businesses, became a much more powerful economic force than they had ever been previously. The rise of the ‘entertainment corporation’ can be attributed to the combined forces of the ‘empty self’ and the economic surplus of postwar America. The postwar American self became a meaningless vessel searching for substance in department stores, showrooms, record shops, and movie theaters.

“Inner emptiness may be expressed in many ways such as low self esteem (the absence of a sense of personal worth), values confusion (the absence of a sense of personal convictions), eating disorders (the compulsion to fill the emptiness with food, or to embody the emptiness by refusing food), drug abuse (the compulsion to fill the emptiness with chemically induced emotional experiences), and chronic consumerism (the compulsion to fill the emptiness with consumer items and the experience of “receiving” something from the world)” (page 22).

Even within our small community of students attending UCSB, the aforementioned societal ailments are everywhere one looks. This is especially alarming in light of the fact that we are all educated University students who in theory should be able to see through advertisements aimed at our self-emptiness. Yet, I personally know multiple people suffering from all the expressions of inner emptiness. I would venture to say I am not the only one with numerous friends suffering from such problems. Why is it that so many of my friends and peers, let alone the rest of society, cannot find meaning when so many outlets are made available?

Last night I was at dinner with a friend and her family. A portion of the conversation came to mind while reading this article. The mother was concerned about their 13 year-old daughter. The daughter plays competitive volleyball, models, does well in school, and is also on the soccer team. Almost every minute of her time is planned out well in advance – she is the epitome of a modern middle class teen-ager. She does everything, and she does it well; despite this she is an unfulfilled bundle of stress who feels she is never doing well enough. The mother succinctly stated the heart of the problem, “Her fear of failure is going to create failure.” Her group activities are not generating enough self worth. Like so many of my peers, she is an empty-self.

"Coincident with the decline of the large, extended family unit, the individual self came to be seen as the ultimate locus of salvation: the evolving, constantly changing self, on a never-ending search for self-actualization and "growth"."(21)

Indeed, the economy of post WWII era shaped American consumers' lifestyle and personality. The concept of the "empty self" is definitely a best fit for the psychological state of mind of people during this time. As stated in the quote, the first step in this huge shift is individuality. With a higher standard of living than the rest of the world and huge decline in the number of people per household, each individual was able to extend his desires and was constantly looking for improvements. It is this concept of empty self and the "need-searching" character that ultimately fueled advertisement and self-improved industry. This idea can also draw a parallel with the most trivial economic phenomenon: when people receive more, they also spend more.

Why the Self is Empty
“Americans in the post- World War Ii era seem to have become a people who have a deeply felt need to spend money and indulge their impulses. The thesis of this article is that the current self is constructed as empty and as a result the state controls its population not by restricting the impulses of its citizens, as in Victorian times, but by creating and manipulating their wish to be soothed, organized, and made cohesive by momentarily filling them up.
I feel the desire for balance and fulfillment is deeply rooted into the human nature. Even I often long for a sense of usefulness and purpose. I want my life to count for something and I believe many other people feel the same way. Until this article I had never really thought of consumerism as a way of filling the void. I have never thought of shopping as something we utilized to shape ourselves and our environment Outside of shopaholics ,I had not connected the psychological desire for fulfillment and our consumer dominated society.
This article made me further examine the effects of consumerism upon ones identity and social position. I had never thought of consumerism as a way of creating structure. Yet consumerism is at the core of our societal structure in many way. I had never thought of consumerism as a way of controlling the way people perceive you. However in America material possession carry great weight to some people. However it also does create a problem of people impulse buying in order to feel they have achieved higher status. The linking of status to goods and property has greatly affected America in both negative and positive lights. I feel that our previously great economy and international status comes a great price, because while our nation is number one individual American citizens are saddled with an enormous amount of debt. In some ways, I feel that consumerism is good for the national and bad for the personal.

“It is a kind of mimicry of traditional culture for a society that has lost it's own.” (p.23)

Cushman here describes the result of a consumer culture allowed to determine the values of a nation. Traditionally the self was determined by parenting and community; Cushman argues that this has been replaced by a consumer economy which, instead of filling the self with traditional values, deprives the individual of any substantial image of the self. As a result the self is forced to wander through a sea of consumerism in a desperate attempt to temporarily find solid ground.
Seeing where this system of governance has lead this nation, it seems as if a new definition of the self is needed in the United States. A debtor's economy is an economy destined for failure. However this is easier said than done when the interests of big business outweigh the value of human health and development. Even now the University of California is slowly becoming a private commodity. At what point does a society understand and react to a detrimental and rampant consumer culture ?

"Inner emptiness may be expressed in many ways, such as low self-esteem (the absence of a sense of personal worth), values confusion (the absence of a sense of personal convictions), eating disorders (the compulsion to fill the emptiness with food, or to embody the emptiness by refusing food), drug abuse (the compulsion to fill the emptiness with chemically induced emotional experiences), and chronic consumerism (the compulsion to fill the emptiness with consumer items and the experience of "receiving" something from the world). It may also take the form of an absence of personal meaning. This can manifest as a hunger for spiritual guidance, which sometimes takes the form of a wish to filled up by the spirit of God, by religious "truth," or the power and personality of a leader or guru (Crushman, 1984).
This quote almost blew me away. It reminded me so much of my life, a reflection of my past experiences. This emptiness being discussed, was a core part of my life in high school. I was dissatisfied with everything and was satisfied by nothing. The first time I tried any sort of drug was probably due to the feeling of emptiness, brought on by my society, my TV, and my therapist, a triple threat.
I was a chronic consumer, but never satisfied. I desired things, but once I bought them, I grew bored of them. I was never fully satisfied with any purchases I made. The emptiness I felt within myself was so prevalent, I even tried Jesus. It did not work out.
These feelings within us enable the advertisers to control us and further manipulate our consumption choices.