Do People Consider Themselves Consumers Ahead of Citizenships - Essay Example

The expression of the word consumer has a diverse meaning depending on the context in which the word is used.  However, consumers are generally regarded as users of goods and services through the process of consumerism.  In the early days, the concept of consumerism was viewed in a negative way where people were viewed as users and destroyers. This is no longer the case in modern societies as consumption is commonly viewed as good. Consumerism may mean the essence of a good life due to freedom and happiness as consumers have the sovereignty to choose what they want. Consumerism also means hunting if better living standards through capitalism and global trade. It also means the social association that seeks to safeguard the consumer against unfair treatment by business people (Citizen Renaissance, 2012).  A recent phenomenon on the concept of consumerism is increasingly being used in politics for gaining power. Governments are shifting further away from their role of service provision and as a citizen watchdog. In turn, they are privatizing corporations such that services can be acquired from the private market.

            In the modern world, people readily and easily take themselves as consumers in the economy and in society at large. The concept of citizenship has gained a fresh view, following a reduction in political engagement, evidenced by low voter turnouts during elections in many liberal democratic systems. In this context, citizenship means the equilibrium between duties and rights, as well as the need to incorporate the views of others while standing on one's grounds. On the other hand, consumers need not be members of society and do not have to act on their behalf. The reason is that consumers are sovereign beings and unburdened by social duties. Thus, the idea of consumer and citizenship has a different meaning historically.

            Though the terms consumer and citizen are essentially different, the political background brings the two into the convergent discourse. Political actors recast the two concepts in different approaches. One approach seeks to transform the citizen into a consumer while the other approach seeks to stretch the consumer into a citizen. The right-wing economist seeks to change a citizen into a consumer using the expression that a consumer is a hero. The left-wing economists enlarge the consumer view into a responsible consumer. A responsible consumer thinks ahead of has to forgo personal happiness for society's wellbeing. The right-wing economist uses the expression “votes” and “ballots” to assimilate citizens into their view of consumers. Hence, citizens make their choices in the marketplace, which essentially becomes a substitute for political discussion (Collins & Cradden, 2004).

            The expression Big Society addresses the question of what society does as opposed to what the state does. The Big Society seeks to strengthen and renew the civic society starting with the agency of an individual citizen and not with the state/government. The inherent predicament is how the government can make it ensue if does not have to compel its own dictates on the process (Citizenship Foundation, 2010). However, this may be solved through a push and pull mechanism. The push comes from the state acknowledging less duty for the nature of local communities and thus diffusing power back to the people. The “pull” results from generating the demand of local citizens for more control and self-determination.

            The contemporary goals of building a Big Society are focused on a mix of the government doing less for citizens, thus stimulating their sovereignty. In addition, the government uses stimulus to create local capacities to enhance self-management among citizens. This implies permitting people to handle the social ills in facing them. The practice of Big Society results in the absence of best practice and inequality of provision between a states’ many localities. The practice of the Big Society creates disparities and falls in standards of living. The concept of citizenship continuously appears to be contingent on the observance of a capitalist model of monetized income. For illustration, an unpaid occupation that results in concrete and authentic benefits to the person who is cared for results in state saving (WordPress, 2013). The reason is that the state does not have to incur welfare costs. However, such a contribution is perceived as the wrong citizenship as its contribution is not in financial value and thus does not yield profits (Korten, 2000).

            In conclusion, people are increasingly persuaded to see themselves as responsible consumers who are rational in their autonomous choices. They have to carry out their duties as citizens by forfeiting their personal happiness for society's wellbeing. Further, people should be asked to pay taxes as responsible citizens in order to obtain what they want. The consumer culture has spread even to the public and the corporate world. The concept of Big Society focuses on the state doing less for citizens in a bid to cultivate a spirit of citizenship. The Big Society results in inequality among localities and declining standards of living. Therefore, people consider themselves consumers ahead of citizenships.