Thirteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This paper presents an interdisciplinary research project that explored the potential of Confucian living practices to address the negative consequences of consumerism. This global social phenomenon is based on the Western ideology of consumer culture that encourages people to expect quality of life from buying and consuming material possessions. However, in the field of psychology and sociology, increasing numbers of studies link consumerism to the alarming increases in alienation, conflict, and manipulation among individuals. Many marketing scholars and professionals also argue that a lifestyle based on material consumption decreases individual life satisfaction and collective social wellbeing because consumerist beliefs and values support individuals gratifying self at the expense of maintaining the critical relationships with families, friends, and communities that contribute to long-term health and happiness. Following a qualitative methodology, this research used the memory-work method to work with twenty-seven Chinese participants and collectively enable them to make sense of their daily social interactions. Data showed that Confucian traditions were significant in the participants’ pursuit of interpersonal harmony at familial and communal levels. Findings revealed that for these participants, a better quality of social life was experienced by reconciling interpersonal conflicts to establish mutually beneficial relationships and by accepting the moral responsibility to help each other in their everyday social practices. Thus, this research indicates that marketing scholars and professionals might address urgent social issues related to consumerism by a renewed focus in Western culture on building harmonious relationships for social wellbeing.