Abstract

GUITART, Moises Esteban. The consumer capitalist society and Its effects on identity: a macro cultural approach. Rev. psicol. polít. [online]. 2011, vol.11, n.21, pp. 159-170. ISSN 2175-1390.

According to macro cultural psychology we need identify the macro-cultural factors (social institutions, cultural concepts and artifacts) in order to understand the psychological phenomenon. This theoretical paper aim to elucidate which ways of life and identity produced current capitalism as a macro cultural factor. We mean by capitalism an economic and social system in which production, distribution and consume of goods depend on invest on private capital and profit-making in the free markets. We mean by identity the kits of cultural tools that people utilize to define and understand themselves and others and to act in a concrete way. It is concluded that consumer capitalism foster the individualistic self that includes competition lifestyle, private ownership of property, instability or liquid life, and hedonism values or worship apparent. Personality traits which could explain current increase of mental disorders like anxiety, stress or depression.

Keywords : Capitalism; Identity; Consumerism; Political psychology; Macro cultural psychology.