The Significance of Justin Lewis

Justin Lewis is a well-known scholar who has made significant contributions to media research. His thesis focuses on ethnicity in the media, media demographics, and cultural policies. He has gone into more detail on the media and how it affects people. Justin Lewis’ study also reflects on how advertising affects people and the ideological position it plays in contemporary culture.

Background Information on Justin Lewis

Lewis is presently the dean of the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media, and Cultural Studies. He is currently the Dean of Research for the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. Previously, he worked as a member of the media and communication panel of the Research Assessment Exercise of the government and as a member of the Research Excellence Framework. In addition, Lewis has led several research projects for the BBC, Channel 4, Rowntree, ESRC, and the Office of Science (Justin Lewis Head of School - Leveson Inquiry, 2017).

Justin Lewis is a Marxist. In his book Beyond Consumer Capitalism: Media and the Limits to Imagination, Lewis supports theorists who back the idea that the forces are increasing the crisis of personal well-being and failure to create imaginative policy solutions to the looming environmental disaster. He calls it consumer capitalism. According to Lewis, progress is not tied to developing innovative, different, and well-made forms but rather with the speed at which digital devices are dumped and replaced. Therefore, the media and telecommunications sector, in general, embraces consumer capitalism and exemplifies it. People have been swept with the continuous cycle of replacement making it difficult to imagine other forms of progress regarding how innovation can serve a cultural or social purpose along with a commercial importance (Lunt & Mangalouis, 2015).

Justin Lewis’s Methodology and Writings

Lewis writes his books and research with a focus on the needs and interests of his readers. This includes those that have little information about the subject that he is discussing and those that are aware of current developments and knowledgeable about his topics. He always aims to elaborate as much as he can and at the same time trying to assume as little as he can (Lewis, 2013). Lewis has published over 12 books on multiple aspects of media and journalism, culture, and politics. The books he has published include Beyond Consumer Capitalism: Media and the Limits to Imagination (Polity, 2013) Constructing Public Opinion (New York; Columbia University Press, 2001), and Climate Change and the Media (Peter Lang, 2006) (Justin Lewis Head of School - Leveson Inquiry, 2017).

A Review of Beyond Consumer Capitalism: Media and the Limits to Imagination

According to Lunt & Mangalouis (2015), Lewis has a long recognized interest in essential cultural studies. In Beyond Consumer Capitalism: Media and the Limits to Imagination, Lewis uses that perspective to reveal the cultural contradictions of consumer capitalism. The key to that is the promise to gratify the needs of people and to facilitate their prosperity with an endless cycle of unsatisfied utilities as identity becomes indistinguishable with consumer choices. Although the idea is not new, the point Lewis makes is that media and cultural industries have created an escalation of consumer culture via the rising saturation and sophistication of marketing and advertising techniques that lead to overconsumption by consumers thus diverting them from political concerns.

The Importance of Justin Lewis’ Theoretical Contributions

According to Lunt & Mangalouis (2015), Lewis examines consumer capitalism as a cultural system as well as how media and cultural industries play a role in the crisis of well-being. This is by emphasizing on consumer culture. He also analyzes the role of marketization in the deterioration of public life along with the lack of innovative responses to environmental crises because of consumer capitalism. Lewis notes that the current cultural and informational industries hinder rather than fuel critical thinking. Therefore, it keeps people on consumption mode and limits their vision of the things that build up progress with severe inequalities. He examines the connection between media and consumer society. That is from an important cultural studies perspective (Lunt & Mangalouis, 2015).

Historical Context of Justin Lewis’s Contributions

Lewis discusses the roots of consumer capitalism in the United States that resulted in the commodity capitalism in the 20th century. He argues that the intensification of promotional culture, inability to counter environmental concerns, and the deterioration of public sphere have become expressions of a weakened culture devoid of imagination. His argument is based on the idea of a cultural system. He suggests that culture is currently appropriated by capitalism and generated systematically by cultural industries instead of opposing systems.

Lunt & Mangalouis (2015) suggest that capitalism gives a wide contradiction regarding the actual consumer culture compared to the promise of freedom and satisfaction. However, as much as it capitalism fails in its own way, it still exists. Consumers are unable to exercise independence, create groups, and actualize their human potential. Therefore, it leaves the media particularly advertising with the important role in the creation of consumer false consciousness. As a result, rationalization of consumer culture has led to a disorganizing impact on subjectivity.

The challenge of showing dissent in a system of domination that works via the positive enrollment of consumer aspirations has long been recognized and differentiated with the appropriate understanding of the potential freedom through involvement in a society developed on the principles of social justice (Lunt & Mangalouis, 2015). This is the foundation argument from the critical theory that Lewis retains when he agrees that the growth of the media and cultural industries led to a mass culture of consumer identity, which limits creative imagination and develops a sense of hopelessness. He provides two essential arguments in his assertion for a conceptual shift from critical theory towards critical cultural studies. Lewis favors cultural analysis where lack of imagination replaces fetishism and neuroticism instead of psychodynamic trappings. He also adapts the claim of critical theory that consumer desires are guided by functional needs of the system of consumption. He suggests that the contradictions resulting from consumer capitalism are cultural and not economic.

Criticism of His Work

The concerns that he considers include the transformation of capitalism, connections between marketization, increasing mediation of society, removal of civil society, escalating environmental crisis, and politics. The issues are of a broad concern even presently with regard to media studies. However, Lewis’ book offers little engagement with extensive debates about culture, capitalism, and consumer society. Gandy (1995) agrees with Larry Grossberg’s view that critical literature in mass communication should offer an opportunity through which the heated discussions among scholars in the communication discipline can be allowed to happen in circumstances that are less volatile. He also shares Nicholas Garnham’s call for historical materialist view on mass communications studies. Garnham defined how political economy should be approached by scholars in the field (Grandy & Garnham, 1995).

Justin Lewis’ Contributions to the Current Understanding of the Media

Justin Lewis has contributed to the current understanding of the media in terms of how it relates to people. Many people learn much about what they know about issues like politics from what they get from the media. Therefore, the new media plays a part in enlightening citizens about their role. It either encourages people to be informed citizens that can actively contribute on national matters or those that view them as irrelevant. Lewis, Inthorn, & Jorgensen (2005) note that there has been a fall in civic participation because of lack of opportunities for citizens to discuss issues like politics. Additionally, the concept of the consumer has replaced the concept of the citizen. Consumers basically choose between products that are on display while citizens are involved in shaping society (Lewis, Inthorn, & Jorgensen, 2005).

The Applicability of Justin Lewis’ Work to Internet Studies

Currently, the internet forms a major part of people’s lives ranging from cultural and economic to political and social. Therefore, it requires new ways of thinking and critical reflection, which forms the main focus of Justin Lewis’ research work. He not only specializes in the needs and interests of readers but also on important cultural studies.

References

Gandy Jr Associate editor, O. H., & Garnham, N. (1995). Political economy and cultural studies: Reconciliation or divorce?.

Justin Lewis Head of School - Leveson Inquiry,. (2017).

Lewis, J. (2013). The ideological octopus: An exploration of television and its audience. Routledge.

Lewis, J., Inthorn, S., & Wahl-Jorgensen, K. (2005). Citizens or consumers?: what the media tell us about political participation. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).

Lunt, P., & Mangalousi, D. (2015). Justin Lewis, Beyond Consumer Capitalism: Media and the Limits to Imagination. International Journal of Communication, 9, 8.