Hélène Cristini, International University of Monaco Omneseducation

Hannele Kauppinen-Raisanen, University of Vaasa

The rise of violence and civil wars across the Middle East and North Africa region along with other African countries has driven migrant flows into Europe. Yet, once settled in Western nations, immigrants face an invisible level of hindrance in the new host society and its consumption culture. This paper explores the perspectives of philosopher Slavoj Zizeks typology of violence with anthropological thinker Rene Girards (1977) mimetic theory to frame violence endemics to the culture of consumption society. The study also questions how such inevitable violence could be limited. While the typology of violence and mimetic theory can help to elucidate the violence inherent in the current neo-capitalist system along the invisible turmoil caused by the ontological sickness of modernity imminent to consumption society regarding immigrants, social marketing is suggested as an approach that may be used – not to respond to consumer behaviour – but to influence such behaviour.