Roland Barthes "Mythologies" and Consumerism in the Occupy Wall Street Movement

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 and traditional colleges read and discuss the world famous theories Roland Barthes. When Barthes published his seminal 1957 work, Mythologies, the way linguists, philosophers, and semiologists thought about symbols and myths was significantly altered. Barthes was concerned with the ways in which symbols function in contemporary society, particularly in a consumerist context. For Barthes, consumers purchase products because there is an unmeasured value attached to them through myths and symbols. A luxury car may not be any better than a family sedan, but society tends to view people who drive luxury cars differently. According to Barthes, a symbol can be a sign, product, or even a word (for example, he notes that the word "tree" is a symbol for a concrete object). Symbols impact and affect daily life in myriad ways that continue to interest curious observers.

In protests about how the economy functions, education is always a key factor. The effects today of this regime of symbols are seen nowhere more clearly than in the Occupy Wall Street movement. For the past several weeks, protesters have gathered in New York City and other major metropolitan areas to protest what they view as the inequitable distribution of wealth in American society. The members of this movement are concerned with how business and banking practices have affected American democracy and the well-being of millions of citizens. In an era of bailouts and recessions, members of the Occupy Wall Street movement are putting the spotlight on consumer practices in the U.S.

For Barthes, symbols represent ideas beyond the objects to which they are attached. A diamond engagement ring is not just a ring; a diamond engagement ring is a representation of love and devotion. Symbols of wealth are central to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Much ado has been made about bonuses in the banking and insurance industries in the last decade. In Barthes system, bonuses are more than just checks. Bonuses are a representation of who is deemed worthy in society and business.

For the protesters gathered with the Occupy movement, penthouses and bonus checks communicate a great deal about bankers and businessmen. These are not just homes and checks, they are symbols of a kind of ultra-wealth. Housing is a particularly potent symbol, considering the 'brand awareness' many Americans have of ultra-rich neighborhoods like Central Park, Beverly Hills, and Nob Hill. The arrest protesters are a potent symbol of government power. We are led to ask who has it, who does not have it, who will get it in the future? Education can symbolize many things, and certainly does in this movement.

Symbols and their attendant myths are not just attached to the powers that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are fighting, though. The protesters themselves are also characterized by signifying symbols. Slogans written on simple cardboard signs have a mythology—a history—of their own in American society, and they are certainly communicating a whole set of ideas about the Occupy Wall Street protesters. American flags are a potent symbol which can take on many different meanings. Some protesters have been spotted waving the original 13-stars version of the flag, perhaps in a call for fellow citizens to really consider the philosophies of the Founding Fathers.

Perhaps the most potent symbol of all in and around the Occupy Wall Street movement is Wall Street itself. One of the most famous streets in America, Wall Street alternatively signifies the dreams and nightmares of citizens. It has appeared in movies as a potent symbol of absolute wealth and power, and has also been used as the symbol of absolute corruption and greed. No matter what end the Occupy Wall Street movement comes to, the attention it has drawn to consumerism and symbols in America and could potentially change the way everyone thinks about wealth, power, and opportunity.