Abstract

MATTOS, Amana Rocha  and  CASTRO, Lucia Rabello de. To be free to consume or to consume to be free?. Psicol. rev. (Belo Horizonte) [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.1, pp.151-170. ISSN 1677-1168.

This article discusses the meanings acquired by freedom in the contemporary consumption culture, which incites new choices in face of the multiplicity of objects, goods and experiences. It argues that, in the articulation between freedom and consumption, one must pay attention to the ways individuals appropriate interpellations from the market to choose their lifestyle. It analyzes narratives of young people from Rio de Janeiro, developed in discussion groups, in which the issue of consumption appears as a central point in the construction of their subjectivities. Analyzing those narratives, it argues that, although the insignias offered by different lifestyles are fundamental to determine their choices, the young point out the traps created by unlimited consumption and the innumerable options of choice. A world of pure appearance and constant experimentation promoted by consumption would lead to the subject’s submission to external demands.

Keywords : Psychology; Youth; Freedom; Consumption; Meanings.

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