Roland Barthes "Mythologies" and Consumerism in the Occupy Wall Street Movement
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A student called Anthony emailed me asking he could write a post on my site about Occupy Wall Street. I said yes here it is. His name is Anthony Garcia he writes at www.onlinegraduateprograms.com what do you think? He’ll probably be incredibly famous one day.
Students in online graduate programs andtraditional colleges read and discuss the world famous theories Roland Barthes.When Barthes published his seminal 1957 work, Mythologies, the waylinguists, philosophers, and semiologists thought about symbols and myths wassignificantly altered. Barthes was concerned with the ways in which symbolsfunction in contemporary society, particularly in a consumerist context. ForBarthes, consumers purchase products because there is an unmeasured valueattached to them through myths and symbols. A luxury car may not be any betterthan a family sedan, but society tends to view people who drive luxury carsdifferently. According to Barthes, a symbol can be a sign, product, or even aword (for example, he notes that the word “tree” is a symbol for aconcrete object). Symbols impact and affect daily life in myriad ways thatcontinue to interest curious observers.
In protests about how the economyfunctions, education is always a key factor. The effectstoday of this regime of symbols are seen nowhere more clearly than in theOccupy Wall Street movement. For the past several weeks, protesters havegathered in New York City and other major metropolitan areas to protest whatthey view as the inequitable distribution of wealth in American society. Themembers of this movement are concerned with how business and banking practiceshave affected American democracy and the well-being of millions of citizens. Inan era of bailouts and recessions, members of the Occupy Wall Street movementare putting the spotlight on consumer practices in the U.S.
For Barthes, symbols representideas beyond the objects to which they are attached. A diamond engagement ringis not just a ring; a diamond engagement ring is a representation of love anddevotion. Symbols of wealth are central to the Occupy Wall Street movement.Much ado has been made about bonuses in the banking and insurance industries inthe last decade. In Barthes system, bonuses are more than just checks. Bonusesare a representation of who is deemed worthy in society and business.
For the protesters gathered withthe Occupy movement, penthouses and bonus checks communicate a great deal aboutbankers and businessmen. These are not just homes and checks, they are symbolsof a kind of ultra-wealth. Housing is a particularly potent symbol, consideringthe ‘brand awareness’ many Americans have of ultra-rich neighborhoods likeCentral Park, Beverly Hills, and Nob Hill. The arrest protesters are a potent symbol ofgovernment power. We are led to ask who has it, who does not have it, who willget it in the future? Education can symbolize many things, and certainly doesin this movement.
Symbols and their attendant mythsare not just attached to the powers that the Occupy Wall Street protesters arefighting, though. The protesters themselves are also characterized by signifyingsymbols. Slogans written on simple cardboard signs have a mythology—ahistory—of their own in American society, and they are certainly communicatinga whole set of ideas about the Occupy Wall Street protesters. American flagsare a potent symbol which can take on many different meanings. Some protestershave been spotted waving the original 13-stars version of the flag, perhaps ina call for fellow citizens to really consider the philosophies of the FoundingFathers.
Perhaps the most potent symbol ofall in and around the Occupy Wall Street movement is Wall Street itself. One ofthe most famous streets in America, Wall Street alternatively signifies thedreams and nightmares of citizens. It has appeared in movies as a potent symbolof absolute wealth and power, and has also been used as the symbol of absolutecorruption and greed. No matter what end the Occupy Wall Street movement comesto, the attention it has drawn to consumerism and symbols in America and couldpotentially change the way everyone thinks about wealth, power, andopportunity.