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Introduction
Consumer behavior is dictated by American identity, while at the same time being an identity-shaping force. Petersons article analyzes the change in behavior during the pandemic, demonstrating that the consumption paradigm is shaping American identity. The dictated civic responsibility was a force that provoked overconsumption, since it was believed that high purchasing power was a sign of the stability of the economy (Peterson). The pandemic proves otherwise, shaping a new American identity that dictates the value of each citizens individual contribution. Evans article aims to analyze how American identity influences purchasing behavior. The desire to maintain social status, the valuable cultural attribute of the American, has led to overconsumption (Evans 1). Living beyond ones means and overconsumption have become part of the American identity.
I Dont Feel like Buying Stuff Anymore
Ann Petersons article I Dont Feel like Buying Stuff Anymore was written after several weeks of total lockdown. The author concludes that American consumers began to behave differently during the lockdown. This change is mainly caused by the standard reaction of the population to the socio-economic crisis. On the one hand, people feel the need to regain a sense of control through shopping. On the other hand, consumers are aware of the increased social responsibility, they are trying to support small businesses and minimally endanger store employees. In the new customer behavior paradigm, Americans demonstrate their identity. People are now aware of their own personal contribution to the fight against a global problem and try to minimize the spread of the disease. At the same time, the identity of the Americans as a consumer nation is beginning to shift. The pandemic has exposed growing economic inequality and the inability of purchasing power to create a sense of stability.
Petersons Economic Lens
Peterson seeks to analyze the economic shifts like the global pandemic and their impact on American identity and purchasing behavior through an economic lens. The idea that a responsible citizen should keep the economy stable by consuming and buying goes back to the Great Depression (Peterson). Approximately during this period, a new view of the world is being formed, in which the buyer becomes more important than the worker and producer. A similar mindset is seen in the post-World War II, 9/11, and 2008 economic crisis (Peterson). In the post-war period, increased consumption helped shape superpower status. In newer periods, over-purchasing has allowed Americans to feel as if their lives are under control. The idea that spending money to keep the economy going has become part of the patriotic rhetoric.
The pandemic has exposed a contemporary economic problem: inequality. The idea that shopping is a form of civic responsibility has influenced the way Americans spend money. Promotion of the form of behavior as the responsibility of everyone to get everything they need for themselves so that others can afford it, has led not only to overconsumption, but to consumption beyond the means available. This is another point, concerning economic stability: if Americans can afford everything, then the countrys economy is under control. It turns out to be fundamentally wrong: Americans not only spend more than they have, but normalize such behavior (Peterson 1). Maintaining an illusory well-being has become a feature of identity, despite the fact that this illusion requires more investment with rising inflation. This phenomenon leads to growing inequality and the normalization of life in debt, which is also a national trait.
For many decades the economy was built on the illusion of well-being, supported by an excessive form of consumption. The hallmarks of this economy were the indebtedness of the population, the exploitation of workers, and growing economic inequality (Peterson). The pandemic has proven that the identification of a decent citizen as an over-consumer is fundamentally wrong. Purchasing behavior has begun to move towards more conscious consumption, which should be the basis for a new understanding of the responsible American. This positive trend is likely to continue even after the pandemic is over.
Evans Idea of American Customer Behavior
Through the economic lens provided by Peterson, Evans article on how identity affects what and how much Americans buy can be examined. The researcher relies on the economic crisis of 2008 to substantiate his point of view. During this period, home loans were designed to provoke buying activity (Evans 2). For many people, exorbitant loans were the result of a desire to realize the inherent national identity of the American dream, to recognize themselves as accomplished members of society, and to prove their status.
Buying a big house out of a desire to live up to ones self-identity leads to more expenses that are usually beyond the reach of the average American. Identity forms the idea not only of where an American should live, but on what to move around (Evans 3). In fact, most people do not need a big car, but identity dictates this need, making trucks and pickups the most popular choice (Evans 3). The American economy and living conditions do not leave citizens with an option for non-consumerism: most of the population lives in rural areas, and transportation routes are not well established. The only available strategy is to buy goods in advance, which leads to unconscious overconsumption. However, any crisis proves the failure of the capitalist model, in which the population steadily becomes poorer while trying to maintain external well-being.
Consumption, Formed by Identity and Forming Identity
Having studied the two presented opinions, it can be concluded that consumption both forms identity and is formed under the influence of identity as an external factor in purchasing behavior. In the pre-pandemic period, the desire to conform to social status has led to the fact that a significant part of Americans live beyond their means and spend much more than they earn. Such purchasing behavior was formed under the idea of the need for each person to contribute to the stability of the national economy. The general trend towards maintaining external prosperity has contributed to the growing economic inequality. Identity as belonging to a certain social, economic or cultural class required new means of expression, which was subject to excessive purchasing behavior. The desire for external confirmation of ones own identity resulted in a life beyond ones means against the backdrop of rising inflation and falling incomes of the population.
The pandemic has shown that neither the health care nor the economy is stable enough to quickly recover from the crisis. Experiencing a turning point in history has affected the way Americans perceive themselves. Individualism began to fade into the background under calls for unity to fight a common threat. New problems of the capitalist world have been revealed, in which corporations are trying to hold on to profits, not caring about the well-being of their employees. National identity has dictated new forms of social responsibility: everyone needs a personal contribution to ensure future well-being. Americans have become concerned about the well-being of employees working in quarantine, minimizing living home and the need to save funds to maintain future stability.
The understanding of identity has taken on a more global dimension and forced citizens to take joint efforts to minimize the effects of the pandemic. Maintaining social status faded into the background during the crisis. The reorientation from unconscious consumption to the tendency to buy only what is needed occurred due to this new self-awareness. An example of such tendency is the behavior of Americans in the period of panic about the shortage of essential goods. Gradually, the panic subsided, and people realized the need to buy only what they really needed so that others could also afford the goods. The global shift towards conscious consumption is likely to continue even as the economy recovers from the crisis.
Conclusion
The identity of the modern American consumer has evolved over the past century. The idea that economic stability requires customer support has fueled inequality and overconsumption. The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has proved the failure of this model. Currently, under the influence of this identity, new buying behavior is being formed. Concern for workers, local producers and other citizens formed the basis of the new attitudes. Americans are still striving to maintain stability, but now they do it by moving towards more conscious consumption. The trend that appeared during the time of uncertainty will continue to develop.
Works Cited
Evans, G.S. The Age of the American Consumer is Over. In What Is the Future of the US Economy?, WD Press, 2012.
Peterson, Ann Helen. I Dont Feel like Buying Stuff Anymore. BuzzFeed.News, 2020. Web.
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