In defense of advertising: A social perspective [Book Review]

Journal of Business Ethics 16 (2):109-118 (1997)
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Abstract

Many critics have questioned the ethics of advertising as an institution in current American society. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine three negative social trends that have been attributed to advertising: (a) the elevation of consumption over other social values, (b) the increasing use of goods to satisfy social needs, and (c) the increasing dissatisfaction of individual consumers. This explanation yields a defense of advertising which argues that the underlying cause of these negative trends is not advertising, but a larger social factor - capitalism. Solutions that address the capitalistic roots of these negative social trends are suggested.

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Citations of this work

Advertising and deep autonomy.Andrew Sneddon - 2001 - Journal of Business Ethics 33 (1):15 - 28.
Irrational Advertising and Moral Autonomy.Alonso Villarán - 2017 - Journal of Business Ethics 144 (3):479-490.
Is Self-Identity Image Advertising Ethical?John Douglas Bishop - 2000 - Business Ethics Quarterly 10 (2):371-398.
Religion, Advertising and Production of Meaning.Iulia Grad - 2014 - Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies 13 (38):137-154.

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References found in this work

The Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism.Daniel Bell - 1972 - The Journal of Aesthetic Education 6 (1/2):11.

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