Joseph Heath

Andrew Potter

Associate Professor of Philosophy Joseph Heath

Argues that Americans' constant striving for self-expression and distinction is what drives the consumer society and the continuing cycles of alternative lifestyles that involve a break with contemporary mores and values lead to new opportunities for new products, ad campaigns, and marketing efforts. Original. 25,000 first printing.

Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture

Nation of Rebels

In this wide-ranging and perceptive work of cultural criticism, Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter shatter the most important myth that dominates much of radical political, economic, and cultural thinking. The idea of a counterculture -- a world outside of the consumer-dominated world that encompasses us -- pervades everything from the antiglobalization movement to feminism and environmentalism. And the idea that mocking or simply hoping the "system" will collapse, the authors argue, is not only counterproductive but has helped to create the very consumer society radicals oppose. In a lively blend of pop culture, history, and philosophical analysis, Heath and Potter offer a startlingly clear picture of what a concern for social justice might look like without the confusion of the counterculture obsession with being different.

Nation of Rebels Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture

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