Globalization of Consumer Culture

1928 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Consumer culture

What is the "global consumer culture"? This term relates to the trends of the ‘developed’ countries and the growing consumption patterns that have been formed by transnational corporations (TNCs). A TNC can be defined by as a corporation that operates in different countries or areas of the globe to be able to maximise business processes. These corporations now operate as if the world had no borders, choosing areas of the globe that are most suited to their practices. This then relates to globalisation and the growing interdependence between different peoples, regions and countries - that has come about through the growth of these corporations. Their growth has been central in the production of an international division of labour that sees most low skilled manufacturing work produced in developing nations and this has been aided by the growth of telecommunication technologies. TNCs are able to use areas of the globe and the ‘stages of development’ of these regions for comparative advantage, utilising areas of cheap or highly skilled labour to suit corporate needs. Globalisation is apparent when seen in the light of the information networks that have allowed for the emergence of TNCs and the beginnings of a global culture of universally recognisable symbols. There are obvious signs of this globalising trend: McDonalds and Coca-Cola being the most visible forms of an Americanisation of branded consumption. The term ‘Americanisation’ can refer to the control or power that the United States holds within the ‘global network’. There are many American transnational corporations, however all centres of financial power produce such companies. This essay will seek to look at the effects of this globalising process for ...

... middle of paper ...

...Crocker, D. and Linden, T., 1998. Ethics of Consumption. Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

Held, D., and McGrew, A., 2000. The Global Transformations Reader. Polity Press.

Held, D., Hall, S., McGrew, T., 1992. Modernity and its Futures. Polity Press.

Lancaster, K., 1991. Modern Consumer Theory. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Massey, D., 1991. A Global Sense of Space. Marxism Today. June 1991.

Sklair, L., 1994. Capitalism and Development. Routledge.

Sklair, L., 1991. Sociology of the Global System. John Hopkins University Press.

Tehranian, M., 1999. Global Communication in World Politics. Lynne Reinner Publishers.

Wellman, B., 1999. Networks in the Global Village. Westview Press.

Internet Resources.

SIMS Home Page. 1998-2000. Share International [online]. United Nations Development Programme. Available From:

http://www.undp.org.

Show More
Related

  • Cultural Anthropology: A Toolkit For A Global Age

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    The term globalization varies from person to person. A consumer typically associates globalization with a store producing more goods, stocking inventory, and updating their styles, however; an anthropological definition of globalization is, “the worldwide intensification of interactions and increased movement of money, people, goods, and ideas within and across national borders,” (Guest, 19). Globalization of the clothing industry is about the “search of cheap, reliable labor to meet the industry’s tight margins,” (Timmerman 7). Timmerman suggests that globalization change our lives and can be for the good or for the bad (8). Globalization is often viewed as a mutual and beneficial process for those involved, because it is perceived as helping those out who are in poverty get a job and make money for their families. On the other hand, it is viewed as a horrific way to abuse individuals in different countries by paying them tremendously trifling wages, working in strident conditions, and overall being treated inadequately by the factory owners. United States corporations exploit different countries around the world such as, China, Indonesia, Mexico and

    Read More

  • Russell Brand's Brand: The Evolution Of Global Capitalism

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is an extract from the book Revolution by the famous comedian Russell Brand. In this book Brand argues that current system of global capitalism is grossly unfair and is causing the destruction of the planet. Whist the purpose of this essay is not to convey an argument that is for or against the question; Brand’s quote does raise the point that capitalism is now interwoven into most aspects of our lives. In other words the impact of globalisation has been heavily influenced by the advancement of global capitalism. This essay will explore the evolution of global capitalism and how it has accelerated the process of globalisation.

    Read More

  • Ethnographic study at McDonalds

    2127 Words  | 5 Pages

    This essay focuses on the topic of globalization, taking along several other factors with it. Increasingly in the world, it becomes obvious that the globalization is affecting almost all the businesses of the world. Every market in some way or the other is following the principles of globalization. For example, McDonalds is a chain of restaurants working in collaboration to deliver their customers with the best product and to achieve this McDonalds follows the concepts of globalization. This essay will discuss anc ethnographic study at McDonalds examining whether it confirms or denies the claims made about globalization.

    Read More

  • The Globalization of Coffee and the Need for Intercultural Competency

    1949 Words  | 4 Pages

    While the globalization process is significant to coffee, so are the roles of MNCs. “Some people see the multinational…[corporation] as the main actor in the globalization process which in itself reflects the core meaning of the information society” thus a multi-national corporation“ ‘make...

    Read More

  • Consumerism In Brave New World

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, the characters gain happiness through mass consumerism enforced by the government to create a stable society. Huxley displays his view of the toxic relationship between consumption and perceiving happiness, by showing the impact that government slogans, and strict government control over information, has on each citizen and society. The use and concentration of government slogans in the novel are a major indicator of the relationship between human consumption and perceived happiness. One of the most notorious quotes from Brave New World is the hypnopaedic phrase “ending is better than mending” which conditions citizens to throw away clothes and buy new ones in place of continuing to wear clothes they already

    Read More

  • Counter Culture And Consumerism

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are a few number of people that believes counter culture does not exists anymore. They claim that it is now merely a commodity that can be bought and sold like any other product. Some others disagree. Personally, I agree with the former group. This piece of writing will analyse this statement of whether counter culture is only a commodity or not. First I’m going to explain how counter culture starts and what is consumerism. Then I’m going to analyse how it is commodified and the connection between consumerism. Then I will discuss how the consumerism affect counter cultural group’s lifestyle in the past. Then I’m going to give a few examples of different counter cultural people and groups from different countries and I will state my counter-argument. Finally I will conclude my argument and state my opinion on this.

    Read More

  • Symbols Of Globalization In 'Where Is The Globalized Me?'

    1168 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the article, “Where is the globalized me?” the author, Long YingTai, talks about how the world may have been globalized, but that globalization is one sided. From the moment he wakes up, he deals with many things from all parts of the world. He has an American breakfast of milk, bread and jam. He wears clothes from international brands. He reads newspapers from Hong Kong, Frankfurt, and listens to British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or watches Cable News Network (CNN). He uses international brands of body care products. Basically, everything he owns is someway, international. (Long, 2007)

    Read More

  • Commercial Architecture and Globalization

    2531 Words  | 6 Pages

    The first decade of the 21st century has seen globalization and identity emerge as the most critical challenge to society. Globalization has seduced consumer appetites. This has led for those consumer identities to be exposed to global advertising focused on the designer car, the latest clothing or the newest piece of architecture.

    Read More

  • McDonald's in Hong Kong, by James Watson

    1552 Words  | 4 Pages

    James Watson’s McDonald’s in Hong Kong is a textbook example of globalization. According to Webster’s dictionary, globalization is defined as “worldwide integration and development”. In McDonald’s in Hong Kong, Watson discusses a well-known and successful American fast food chain migrating over seas and embedding itself in the Hong Kong culture. Although Hong Kong was already recognized as an extremely transnational civilization, there were worries that the country would lose cultural identity. The fears were that Hong Kong would become more Americanized and lessen their ties to the Cantonese ways.

    Read More

  • The American Consumer Culture

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    America has always had a history of being a society that focused on a consumer society. As Americans, we follow a consumerist culture that focuses on individual values and material goods. I believe that American consumer culture shapes what American do and how they act in society. American consumers are portrayed by how marketers want them to be perceived in society. As Americans continue the tradition of consumer culture, this also leads American’s to pass down these habits onto the newer generations, as evident today. Overall, my perception still stands, teens today are obsessed with material goods and because of this, have become narcissistic. Through the elements of mass media, marketing teen obsession, and social class and branding, we

    Read More

  • Hong Kong Disneyland Case Study

    1721 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although from an outside perspective many cases of globalisation may simply seem to increase cultural homogeneity, one culture can alter different parts of a global culture and incorporate them into their own and create cultural heterogeneity. In simpler terms, homogenisation and heterogenisation are both features of modern globalisation. Evidence for the contended statements above will be provided through the evaluation of case studies regarding global companies such as Starbucks and Disneyland Parks adapting to the local cultures of the areas to which they have spread to within the Asia-Pacific region. Not only global brands highlight the interconnectedness of homogenised and heterogenised cultures, but the glocalisation of traditional rites

    Read More

  • Cultural Change in International Markets

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    even cause offence if not marketed or designed in a manner appropriate to that particular

    Read More

  • Cultural Globalization

    2091 Words  | 5 Pages

    Globalisation can take on many different shapes and forms in its free flow of goods and services across national borders. Cultural globalisation is one of those forms. Capcioglu (2008) refers to cultural globalisation as a “Global circulation of information, signs and symbols on a global scale and the reactions shown to the various socio-cultural transformations as a result of these conflicts.” Ritzer and Barber (1996) first coined cultural globalisation as ‘Americanisation’ and ‘McDonaldisation’, referring to the spread of western culture from the United States across the globe. The American image was beamed around the globe in the 1950’s and 1960’s through Disney cartoons, music videos, television programs, Hollywood movies and products such as McDonalds and Coca Cola. The global appeal of these goods and services was centred on the fact that America is seen as the place of modernity around the world. It is a culture that is rich, powerful and exciting and thus captures global appeal.

    Read More

  • Globalization And Americanization

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this letter I would like to address an issue present in the phenomenon of globalization. This refers to the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly through trade and financial flows. Globalization also indicates the movement of people (labor) and knowledge (technology) across international borders that bring broader cultural dimensions. However, globalization is often associated with Americanization, which results of bringing a foreign country under the commercial influence of the United States, yet this can be dangerous because Americanization has the potential of infiltrating and marring another country’s culture such as it has in the Middle East.

    Read More

  • The Consumer Society

    3597 Words  | 8 Pages

    According to Slater (1997), Consumer Culture is the culture of market societies and is defined though market relations. It predominantly is the product of capitalism. He believes that this new culture is a pecuniary culture based on money. The central claim is that the values from the realm of consumption will spill over into other domains of social action. He further argues that Consumer Culture is in principle, universal and impersonal. He simultaneously agues, that there is an ultior claim towards this definition, as although it seems universal and is depicted as a land of freedom, in which everyone can be a consumer, it is also felt to be universal because everybody must be a consumer. ...

    Read More

More about Globalization of Consumer Culture

Open Document