Passionate about things : The Swedish Debate on Throwawayism (1960-1961)

• This article explores the notorious Swedish debate called “slit-och-släng” [wear and tear and throwaway] in 1960–61. This large-scale media debate on consumption and the throwaway mentality was triggered by a dispute between two leading media personalities specialised in consumer issues and engaged intellectuals, economists, designers, producers, consumer representatives as well as the general public. The analysis in this paper applies three overlapping historical contexts: modernity, morality and emotionality. First, I interpret the debate as a conflict between traditional and modern consumer attitudes. Second, I show that the debate, at first sight, can easily be placed within the tradition of a dichotomised normative criticism, whereby the rational and active consumer is endorsed and contrasted with the negative image of the emotionally-driven and manipulated victim of market forces (Slater 1997: p. 33). Third, I argue that the debate was a breaking point in the very same normative discourse. It signals a rupture in the persistent polarisation, by introducing emotions in a positive way – on both sides of the debate. Rather unexpectedly, the Swedish debate on throwawayism justified a passion for commodities. Consequently, the analysis sheds new light upon the prevalent interpretations of Swedish consumerism in terms of rationality, collectivism, state-controlled consumer education and consumer protection (e.g. Aléx 1994; 2003) by showing how leading consumer educators “got tired of” rationality.

Keyword

mass-consumption

throwaway culture

throwawayism

morality

rationality

emotionality

consumer education

consumerism

consumer culture

critique of consumer culture

history

Sweden.

consommation de masse

culture du “jetable”

moralité

rationalité

émotionnalité

éducation du consommateur

consumérisme

culture du consommateur

critique de la culture du consommateur

histoire

Suède

Ekonomisk historia

Economic History

Historia

History

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)