Conspicuous consumption in postwar Japan: The case of a rite of passage

Human Affairs ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda Papp
Keyword(s):  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Conspicuous Consumption ◽  
Specific Aspect ◽  
Rite Of Passage ◽  
Postwar Period ◽  
Commercial Sector ◽  
Postwar Japan ◽  
Consumption Practices ◽  
The Media ◽  
Premodern Japan

AbstractThis paper focuses on a specific aspect of a Japanese rite of passage called Shichigosan. Although its origins go back to premodern Japan, its contemporary pattern truly reflects the modern living conditions of the Japanese. Today the ritual is one of the most popular family celebrations. Commercialization has significantly influenced the pattern of celebration in the postwar period and as a result, consumption practices have become inherent parts of the ritual. The paper examines this development from a historical perspective. Furthermore, it discusses the process through which consumption practices contribute to the event’s significance, not diminishing but rather enhancing its importance in the observers’ eyes. Conspicuous consumption thus becomes a creative two-directional process, one which is sustained by families’ aspirations and desires, and one which is informed by forces emanating from the commercial sector and from the media.

Mixed Blessings Reactions of Two Japanese NRMs to Postwar Media Portrayals

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Dorman
Keyword(s):  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Postwar Period ◽  
Media Portrayals ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media Attention ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media ◽  
Press Criticism

This article concerns print media reporting in Japan surrounding the first NRMs——Jiu and Tenshôô Kôôtai Jingûû Kyôô——to be covered in the postwar period. First, I discuss the media from a historical perspective, arguing that images of NRMs formed pre-1945 were applied to these groups during the postwar period of religious freedom. Second, I examine their reactions to the media attention, and explore reasons why Jiu's growth was hampered substantially after its leaders were arrested in a highly publicized incident, while Tenshôô Kôôtai Jingûû Kyôô grew to become a prominent NRM despite facing strong press criticism. While Jiu attempted unsuccessfully to utilize its celebrity members to gain credence with the media and the public and displayed a lack of awareness of the social arrangements, Tenshôô Kôôtai Jingûû Kyôô used press criticism to its advantage and averted the commonly held perception about NRMs that it was involved in criminal activity.

scholarly journals Medieøkologien i SKAM

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-66
Author(s):  
Ruth Grüters ◽  
Knut Ove Eliassen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
New Media ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Media Ecology ◽  
The Other ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
The Media ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Media Practices

AbstractTo understand the success of SKAM, the series’ innovative use of “social media” must be taken into consideration. The article follows two lines of argument, one diachronic, the other synchronic. The concept of remediation allows for a historical perspective that places the series in a longer tradition of “real time”-fictions and media practices that span from the epistolary novels of the 18th century by way of radio theatre and television serials to the new media of the 21st century. Framing the series within the current media ecology (marked by the connectivity logic of “social media”), the authors analyze how the choice of the blog as the drama’s media platform has formed the ways the series succeeded in affecting and mobilizing its audience. Given the long tradition of strong pedagogical premises in the teenager serials of publicly financed Norwegian television, the authors note the absence of any explicit media critical perspectives or didacticism. Nevertheless, the claim is that the media-practices of the series, as well as the actions and discourses of its followers (blogposts, facebook-groups, etc.), generate new insights and knowledge with regards to the series’ form, content, and practices.

scholarly journals Measuring the Ecological Impact of the Wealthy: Excessive Consumption, Ecological Disorganization, Green Crime, and Justice

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Lynch ◽  
Michael A. Long ◽  
Paul B. Stretesky ◽  
Kimberly L. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Ecological Impact ◽  
Conspicuous Consumption ◽  
Environmental Sociology ◽  
The United States ◽  
Green Criminology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Consumption Practices ◽  
Excessive Consumption ◽  
Footprint Analysis

Ecological disorganization stemming from conspicuous consumption practices is understudied in the social sciences. In this analysis, we study conspicuous consumption and its implications for environmental sociology, ecological footprint analysis, and green criminology. We examine the issue of conspicuous consumption through the study of items that increase the ecological footprint considerably, that is, through the consumption of “luxury commodities.” Specifically, we draw attention to assessing aspects of ecological footprints of super yachts, super homes, luxury vehicles, and private jets. Taken together, the construction and use of these items in the United States alone is likely to create a CO2 footprint that exceeds those from entire nations. These results are not necessarily surprising but suggest that excessive consumption practices of the wealthy may need to be reinterpreted as criminal when they disrupt the normal regeneration and reproduction of ecosystems by generating excessive ecological disorganization.

scholarly journals Leveraging the London 2012 Paralympic Games

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 499-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Brittain ◽  
Aaron Beacom
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Disabled People ◽  
Disability Sport ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
London 2012 ◽  
The Media ◽  
Partial Success ◽  
Paralympic Games

The International Paralympic Committee, U.K. Government, and the Organizing Committee for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games all contended that the London 2012 Paralympic Games would positively impact the lives of disabled people in the United Kingdom, particularly with regard to changing nondisabled attitudes toward disability. All three have claimed partial success during the course of the 4-year period (Olympiad) separating the London and Rio Paralympic Games. However, this is at odds with the findings of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) and the experiences of disabled individuals. This article considers the claims of both sides against a backdrop of public policies that are targeting large-scale benefit cuts, the media coverage of which actually appears to be hardening attitudes toward anyone on benefits and negating any positive impacts from the Games themselves. It argues that the continued predominance of “ableist” perspectives on disability underpins many of the challenges faced by disabled people. The article adopts a historical perspective on the development of legacy-based foundations upon which the disability sport and Paralympic movements originated. It contends that the gradual move toward an elite “Olympic” sports model of competition has actually served to undermine these foundations.

A Historical Perspective on the “Mental Illness as Motive” Narrative

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-62
Author(s):  
Cassandra Kearney
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
News Media ◽  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Mass Shootings ◽  
The Public ◽  
Historical Significance ◽  
Mass Shooting ◽  
The Media

In an effort to better understand the historical significance of the “mental illness as motive” narrative, this essay investigates what has been recognized as the first mass shooting in the modern United States—Howard Unruh’s 1949 mass shoot¬ing in Camden, New Jersey. Given that mass shootings were an unprecedented phenomenon, the news media played an important role in explaining the event. As will be shown, many Americans felt uncertain about how mental illness man¬ifested and who was vulnerable. Given the often undisclosed, albeit perceived threat of schizophrenia, the public needed reassurance that there would be some indicator of insanity. Accordingly, the media used evidence of religious fanaticism and unfavorable physical descriptions of Unruh to cast him as separate, outside, or an “other.” Ultimately, the media’s rhetorical choices differentiated Unruh and attempted to make mental illness easier to identify for an audience afraid of its influence.

Predictors of young consumer’s green purchase behaviour

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 452-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yatish Joshi ◽  
Zillur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Predictive Power ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Deterministic Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Consumption Practices ◽  
The Media ◽  
Environmental Messages

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that predict green purchase behaviour of young educated consumers in Delhi. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was carried out on a sample of 1,502 young educated consumers. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the predictive power of considered variables towards green purchasing. Findings – Results indicate that the variables under study predicted green purchase behaviour of young educated consumers of Delhi in the following descending order: social influence, attitude towards green purchase, perceived environmental knowledge, recycling participation, ecolabelling and exposure to environmental messages through the media. Research limitations/implications – The sample considered in the study was restricted to Delhi only. Further, the predictive power of only a few variables was examined. Practical implications – The paper identifies key predictors of consumers’ green purchase behaviour, enabling practitioners to understand which factors influence young educated consumers in their decision making regarding green purchases. This knowledge will help marketing managers design effective strategies to encourage green purchase behaviour among such consumers. Social implications – Policy makers and government organizations may use the findings of this study to run awareness campaigns for disseminating information and promoting green purchase behaviour among larger sections of society. Such initiatives may help in minimizing the negative consequences of irresponsible consumption practices on environment and society. Originality/value – The present study is the first which applies reciprocal deterministic theory to predict green purchase behaviour of educated young consumers in India. Moreover, this is the first study to investigate the influence of consumers’ exposure to environmental messages through the media on their green purchase behaviour.

scholarly journals Mediatized participation in European media systems

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-165
Author(s):  
Zrinjka Peruško ◽  
Dina Vozab
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Media System ◽  
Consumption Practices ◽  
The Media ◽  
Extensive Information ◽  
Media Systems ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Cross National

This article explores patterns of mediatized participation of European citizens and the way they differ across different media systems, in a multilevel, cross-national comparative research design. Mediatized participation is operationalized as audience practices on the Internet. The media system is conceptualized through the theoretical model of digital mediascapes, which applied to 22 European Union countries produced three clusters/media systems. The audience data are from representative online surveys in 8 eastern and western European countries N = 9532 collected by the authors and their research partners. Factor and cluster analyses were performed showing types and patterns of mediatized participation. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis and ANOVA were performed to relate the individual level variables to the macro-level clusters of digital media systems. The article shows audiences in the more mediatized, Western cluster are more engaged in participatory practices in comparison to audiences in the Eastern/Southern cluster of European countries which show more extensive information consumption practices.

Social Reading? On the Rise of a “Bookish” Reading Culture Online

Poetics Today ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-172
Author(s):  
Dorothee Birke
Keyword(s):  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Internet Culture ◽  
The Media ◽  
Reading Culture ◽  
Contemporary Media ◽  
Media Practices ◽  
Book Culture

Abstract While the internet is often seen as having destroyed book culture, this article is interested in those areas in our contemporary media environment where book and internet culture actually converge. Focusing on the example of BookTube, the author examines how book culture is “done” on the internet and analyzes the values attached to the media practices involved. In particular, in millennial book culture, social aspects of reading are often emphasized. This trend is usually associated with the new affordances of social media and either assessed positively (e.g., by proponents of the internet as a democratizing force) or negatively (e.g., by detractors of the internet as fostering superficiality). The author argues that such a simplistic binary view can be transcended if one takes a historical perspective, reflecting on how sociality and self-fashioning have been integral aspects of book culture for centuries. At the same time, she shows the extent to which BookTube provides new opportunities to socialize around reading.

Symbols and Myths of the Great Patriotic War That Shape the Image of the Contemporary Armed Conflict in Donbas

2020 ◽  
pp. 11-24
Author(s):  
Татьяна Юрьевна Власкина
Keyword(s):  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Public Image ◽  
Postwar Period ◽  
Semantic Relationships ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Events ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Great Patriotic War ◽  
Expert Assessments ◽  
The Media

В статье рассматриваются механизмы порождения исторических ассоциаций и аллюзий, благодаря которым становится возможной семантическая перекличка между важными общественными событиями и процессами. Автор обращается к феномену Великой Отечественной войны, аксиологические доминанты и смысловые маркеры которой продолжают воспроизводиться во множестве событий и форм на протяжении всего послевоенного периода. Особенное значение героические символы Великой Отечественной войны приобрели в поиске идеологической опоры для провозглашения ЛДНР, а также в последующем конструировании образа народных республик в общественном и информационном пространстве. Указывая на множественность факторов и оснований для генерации ассоциативных связей, автор останавливается на рассмотрении форм представления данного явления в различных сферах жизни населения Донбасса. Источником исследования являются экспедиционные материалы 2018-2019 гг.: аудиозаписи интервью, экспертная оценка ситуации на основании включенного наблюдения, фотографии и др. Кроме того, широко привлекаются публикации в СМИ и социальных сетях, авторские художественно-публицистические и поэтические тексты. The article analyzes the mechanisms that generate historical associations and allusions, which makes it possible to trace semantic relationships between important social events and processes. It focuses on the Great Patriotic War, whose axiological dominants and semantic markers continue to be reproduced in a variety of contexts throughout the postwar period. For example, the heroic symbols of the Great Patriotic War took on special ideological significance for the LDPR (the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s republics), as well as in the construction of the public image of the people’s republics. The author discusses the multiplicity of factors and reasons for generating associative relationships and focuses on this phenomenon in various spheres of life in Donbas. The research is based on materials of an expedition in 2018-2019, including audio recordings of interviews, photographs, and expert assessments. In addition, publications in the media and social networks are cited.

The “PERFECT” Call: Congressional Representation by Tweet in the Midst of the Ukraine Whistleblower Scandal

2021 ◽  
pp. 1532673X2110419
Author(s):  
Seth C. McKee ◽  
Heather K. Evans ◽  
Jennifer Hayes Clark
Keyword(s):  
Historical Perspective ◽  
Phone Call ◽  
Party Affiliation ◽  
Congressional Representation ◽  
The Media

In this article we examine every tweet congresspersons sent from the time the media broke the news of President Trump’s fateful July 2019 phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky up to a week after House Speaker Pelosi announced a formal impeachment inquiry. Our aim is to understand the type of rhetoric Members of Congress (MCs) engaged in with respect to what we call the Ukraine Whistleblower Scandal (UWS). It is evident from our analysis that Democrats were more likely to sound off on the UWS, which comports with the fact that it was a Republican President who got into trouble. Further, there are characteristics of MCs that make them more likely to frame and discuss the UWS in certain ways, like House Representatives holding law degrees or serving on one of the House committees investigating the UWS. Finally, in this age of hyper-polarized parties, party affiliation was consistently the most important factor shaping representatives’ Twitter statements on the UWS. In historical perspective, the overriding importance of party affiliation is lamentable since the charges against President Trump were solemn and serious.

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