Summary for Chapter 10 in the Power and Everyday Practice - Essay Example

Summary of Chapter 10 In the wake of recent developments globally, consumerism plays an integral role in stabilizing economies during periods of economic uncertainties. The western lifestyle ideology has come under attack from adversaries who are majorly terrorists. For instant, the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States changed the perception of the citizens. People got paranoid thus the country’s economy was under siege in terms of consumer spending. In such times, the leaderships have always played a role in convincing people to do more shopping to stimulate the economies.

In the United States, for instance, the then President, George W. Bush, had to appeal to the citizens. This was marked by a significant improvement in consumerism (Brock, Thomas & Raby, 2012).The psychological aspect of influencing people is a part of human trait. In Canada, however, the psychological appeal by its leaders evoked reactions. In 2008 when the country’s economy faced harsh economic times due to the recession in the United States, the country’s leaders appealed to its consumers to continue shopping to shield it from an imminent recession.

The results were mixed for the country. In retrospect, looking at the most modern and affluent societies in the perceived western worlds reveal a trend in their consumerism. The influence of the western countries in establishing a consumer culture in most parts of the world cannot be overlooked. It is this behaviors that consumers exhibit that characterize how world trade goes. Historically, the more affluent countries in the West have always had an upper hand in terms of defining trading trends.

They have the ability to influence the behavior of others, the emotions or the course of events (Brock, Thomas & Raby, 2012). In analyzing consumer behavior, there is an aspect of individual responsibility which is central to influencing people’s decisions. In as much as humanity has the trait of being social beings, when it comes to making decisions, the aspect of individuality plays a major role. This is evident in normal societal settings where people make individual decisions depending on their immediate needs and not based on the collateral needs of the whole communities.

In everyday practice, power is gained by elevation to positions within the society. Some of these could be earned through academic credentials and appointments into offices while others are gained through political process. Power influences espouses every aspects of human life, in one way or another, there is the element of power structuring human actions. The chapter analyses the types of power that exists in a society and how power is obtained. In looking at the trends witnessed in consumerism, political involvement also plays some relevance.

Politics constitutes the greatest source of power thus the governance. It creates laws that must be adhered to and forms mechanisms of ensuring that the laws are adhered to by every member of the society. The main document of governance is the constitution; it is created with the participation of all the citizens in a country through a referendum. The people thus swear allegiance to the document and promise to uphold the conditions it states. Besides the constitution, there exists a number of other smaller laws and customs that govern the actions of people in their own smaller social groups (Brock, Thomas & Raby, 2012).

The argument fronted in the chapter has its strong points. It draws its conclusions from apparently observed human behavioral traits across the society. What comes out as a drawback is the lack of empirical validity through supportive documents or empirical research which should be backing it up. However, it gives a vivid picture on what actually happens in terms of consumerism.ReferenceBrock, D. R., Thomas, M. P., & Raby, R. (2012). Power and everyday practices. Toronto: Nelson Education.