We're in for the long haul

The article "Can Consumers Escape the Market?" by Robert V. Kozinets has an interesting take on The Burning Man event, where people attempt to ditch the materialistic world and embrace their individuality.  Participants at this festival cover up all of their logos and brands and are expected to bring enough food, water, and other necessities to survive for one week as no vendors are allowed inside. The location is a desolate area in the dry and unforgiving desert (Kozinets, 2002).

The idea of escaping corporate greed is not seen just at Burning Man.  The motives behind the week-long event can be compared to those of the Occupy Wall Street protests.

Whether or not participants at Burning Man are able to truly get away from the hustle and bustle and world of advertisements is debatable. Kozinets argues that it is possible, but only temporarily. He argues that sustainable non-consumption is nearly impossible (Kozinets 2002). I tend to agree. Although the idea of leaving the materialistic world behind is intriguing, it is short term. I think about hunting and backpacking and how great it is to feel like you have escaped the material world. But the fact of the matter is it simply is not sustainable for an American to completely escape the market.

The article also made me think of non-consumption and the different groups that people create by not consuming a certain product, service, or idea. Many individuals seek to escape the material world in the form of non-consumption. Examples would include only buying locally grown groceries, going vegan, buying only American-made products, or even quitting something like drinking and joining Alcoholics Anonymous. This behavior brings up yet another topic: subcultures.

These different subcultures are created when an individual boycotts something. Often times an individual will even engage in non-consumption to embrace their individuality. I find this rather contradicting because as soon as you stand for something, the world is going to categorize you with like-minded people and suddenly, you belong to a subculture. Though you may feel less materialistic and more of an individual if you go vegan, joining a biker gang, or a gym you are simply leaving a certain subculture and joining another. I would have to agree with Kozinets - we can never truly escape it all, and perhaps that's the scariest part. My advice: get comfortable.