Consumerism: Whereto?

As an important component of the study on the consumer‘s behaviour is social factors that influence such behaviour, and all experts agree that family, social groups, social classes and social status have a significant role, it is highly necessary to analyse consumption from the social economics perspective. Also called “solidarity economy” or “the third sector” (among economies between the private and public sectors), social economy developed from the need to find new, innovative solutions to the social, economic or environment issues of communities and to meet the needs of the community members which are ignored or inadequately fulfilled by the public or the private sector. The primary objective of the social economy, as compared to the purpose of the market economy, is not to obtain profit but to improve the living conditions and to offer new opportunities to disadvantages people or to the vulnerable category people. Although a series of demutualisations of major cooperatives and mutual societies has taken place in some European countries in recent decades, overall, the social economy sector (cooperatives and mutual societies) has seen considerable growth, as recognised by the European Commission's Manual for drawing up the Satellite Accounts of Companies in the Social Economy. The more expensive the goods are when purchased and then are scarcely used, the more profitable the new type of consumption is for the customers who consider that it is more important to use a product than to own it. The social role and status define the position of an individual within the group he belongs to (family, club, organisation). The role means the series of activities that are expected to be carried out by that person in relation to those around him, while the status reflects the general esteem he enjoys in that society. The consumer‘s behaviour reflects both his role and his status, often people choosing products that highlight their status. The “social economics” phrase makes anybody think of economics and of sociology at the same time. More than three decades ago, German sociologist Kurt Braunreuther pointed out in his main study “Economics and Sociology” that “nobody doubts the need to elaborate deeper theoretical links between economics and sociology”, which is “a task that will still take some time”. Therefore, the inter-disciplinary relationship between economics and sociology is fully demonstrated, the latter having “a significant role mainly whenever problems of the entire society have to be solved, the general social relationship between many social detailed problems being often closer than one might think when addressing a new problem. A too narrow conception of the economic aspects of the entire society leads quite easily to the disregard for the obvious relation between economic and sociological issues. Being aware of the fact that numerous sociological issues are, ultimately, economically important allows for a more exact delineation of the sociological syllabus.” ( Emilian M. Dobrescu, Economic Sociology, 2nd edition, Fundatia Romania de Maine Publishing House, Bucharest 2007, p 24 - After Kurt Braunreuther, Economics and Sociology in Contemporary Sociology, works presented at the 6th World Sociology Congress, Evian, 1966, in the volume Theory and Method in Social Sciences, vol. V, Bucharest, Political Publishing House, 1967, p. 388- 389 (selectively)). For a layman, the skimming of the various definitions of “social economy” has the same result: the main objective of the social economics is the production of goods and services to the benefit of the community, with the aim of promoting the social inclusion of the persons under such circumstances that can generate social marginalisation or exclusion. “The social economy term may sound like a strange phrase. The last decades have been dominated by many liberalist extremisms: economy must operate according to a pure logic, immune to any interference of social events. Of course, the society benefits after the economy operates and offers its yields. Therefore, the economy must be separated as much as possible from the social sphere. The current crisis has called into question many liberalism dogmas. We are more and more conscious of the limits of pure economics. But whereto should a new direction, which I would call post-liberalist, develop? I think the launch of the European social economy programme should be placed in this new context. Obviously, the social economy is not The Solution but only the preamble of a package of solutions that have to be formulated.”(Catalan ZAMFIR, Director of the Life Quality Research Institute, member of the Romanian Academy, Foreword to “Social Economy in Europe” published under the coordination of Sorin Cace - Expert Publishing House, Bucharest, 2010).