A Study On Symbolic Consumption

iPhone5is one of the most expensive yet best-selling brands in the market. It hasbeen popular for its outstanding design, innovative sales strategy and superior signvalue with consumers around the world. Symbolic consumption phenomenon such asiPhone5has had profound impact on social relationship. Commodities are no longerobjects that can only satisfy consumers’ need for use value, and they have becomesymbols for consumers to identify themselves and to distinct them from differentsocial classes. Man-made objects have turned into what determines the relationshipsbetween human beings.The author tries to unveil the manipulative and deceptive nature of symbolicconsumption through a case study of iPhone5from the perspective of Baudrillard’ssymbolic consumption theory. By analyzing the symbolization mechanism of iPhone5and its function in social distinction, the myth of symbolic consumption isdemystified. Symbolic consumption could not provide consumers with the promisedlife style and social status, on the contrary, it depreciates the value of human beings,leaves consumers an unappeasable desire for consumption. This thesis is divided into five chapters. Chapter one introduces the purpose andsignificance of this research, offers a brief literature review of symbolic consumptionand theoretical framework employed. Chapter two focuses on the characteristics ofconsumer society, and how consumption takes over the place of production in culturalidentification. Chapter three first briefly introduces the history of the iPhone family,analyzes iPhone5’s symbolization process, its decrease in use value and constructionof sign value, then illustrated iPhone5’s symbolization mechanism with anadvertisement. Chapter four studies how iPhone5transplants the hierarchy in thesystem of objects into human society, and becomes the symbol for culturalidentification and social distinction. Chapter five gives critical opinions to unveilhuman’s submission to objects, the endless desire and pseudo-democracy created bysymbolic consumption, and how advertisement manipulates consumers and makesthem to believe the illusion of freedom and equality in consumer society.