本研究用拉克勞與慕芙(Laclau & Mouffe)的「論述理論」，來分析電視廣告中對於「白領工作」的再現，如何體現消費者社會的生活觀。根據社會學家Zygmunt Bauman看法，我們正由「生產者社會」進入到「消費者社會」。在「消費者社會」中，穩定、持久的工作生涯不再是普遍可及的選項。因為在這消費者社會當中，「彈性」成為一種趨勢，就業也不再有任何持久的保障，工作生涯也因此不是唯一的自我認同建構的來源，甚至何謂消費者社會所認同的白領工作意義，都富有「彈性」的意涵。 本文視廣告為當代一「特權的論述機制」，電視廣告藉由影像，形構了高度「象徵化」的論述，其所再現的生活樣貌，已成為建構消費者社會價值觀的主要「中介」。本研究發現，在以「白領工作」為論述主體的電視廣告中，白領階級的工作意涵已相異於傳統福特式社會所強調的禁欲、節儉、勤勞、敬重權威等。主要的差異在於工作的意涵開始已被消費的邏輯所界定。白領工作的廣告文本所隱含「個體」、「彈性」、「流動」的價值，除了揚舉消費者社會中的「消費至上」價值，其彰顯的個體化認同、多樣選擇等工作價值觀，更與當代彈性化的後福特主義生產方式不謀而合。 This study analyzes the representation of “White Collar” in TV advertisements by means of Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory to manifest the transformation of the ethic of work in the consumer’s society. According to Zygmunt Bauman, the contemporary society is undergoing a shift from the producer’s society to the consumer’s society. A major attribute that characterizes the new consumer’s society is that a work is no longer valued as a life-time career pursuit. This is due to the tendency of “flexibility” of employment, which does not guarantee permanent employment. The thesis regards advertisement as “a privileged form of discourse.” Hence TV advertisements construct highly “symbolic” discourses through images, and have become a major “mediator” that manifests the values of the consumer society. This study finds that in advertisements featuring White Collar, the traditional Fordist ethic of work such as self-denial, hard working, and frugalness is no longer emphasized. The image of the White Collar begins to be formed by the logic of consumption, which emphasizes self-identity and choice. These correspond to the production logic of post-Fordism which is characterized by “individuality”, “flexibility”, and “fluidity.”
