Globalization, Consumerism and Unsustainable Consumption Essay

Words: 5803
Pages: 24
Open Document
Globalization, Consumerism and Unsustainable Consumption

Praveena Rajkobal

IGD Program
SPARC
Colombo University
Background Paper (Final)

1

This paper (i) attempts to establish the connection between globalization and consumerism and thereafter (ii) attempts to investigate the impacts of globalization and consumerism on unequal distribution of wealth and (iii) attempts to investigate the impacts of globalization and consumerism on unsustainable consumption and environmental degradation together with climate change.

1. GLOBALIZATION AND CONSUMERISM

A connection between globalization and consumerism could be established within the domain of three main factors which are
1) Access to resources and markets on a global …show more content…
Within this context, there are trends that have been identified around globalization and consumerism which have made consumerism an issue at present (Shah, 2006). Some of the trends of present consumption are: •

Inequality of consumption (not redistributing from high-income to low-income consumers) •

Use of pollutant goods and production technologies instead of cleaner ones

•

Promoting goods that discourage poor producers rather than promoting goods to empower poor producers

4

•

Creating a priority among consumers for consumption to conspicuous display rather than to meeting basic needs

Hence, globalization and consumerism today are accelerating the dynamics of the consumption-poverty-inequality-environment nexus (Shah, 2006). Moreover, two of the major criticisms of globalization and consumerism are unequal distribution of wealth and unsustainable consumption patterns (Shah, 2006). One major problem of consumerism is that consumption patterns today are not to meet everyone’s needs. The system that drives these consumption patterns contribute to inequality as well as unsustainability. Thus, globalization and consumerism creates two important issues viz;
1) Patterns and effects which exacerbates inequalities and
2) Unsustainable consumption and the depletion of the environmental resources
(Shah, 2006).
2. GLOBALIZATION AND CONSUMERISM ON UNEQUAL
Show More

Related Documents: Globalization, Consumerism and Unsustainable Consumption Essay

Essay on Final Study Guide for Livanis Intl 1101

INTL 1101 Final Exam Study Guide Americanization - Consumerism, individualism - American products and values - Cultural imperialism? Trying to homogenize world? McDonaldization - Fast-food principles dominant in American and other societies - Uniform standards - Lack of human creativity - Dehumanization of social relations Infantilization - Benjamin Barber “consumed” - Against “ethos of infantilization” that sustains global capitalism - Turning of adults into children…

Words 3747 - Pages 15

Superpower Geographies Essay

(4) Superpower Geographies 4.1 Superpower Geographies 4.1.1 What is a superpower? Superpowers are countries with disproportionate power and influence so that they have more than the rest of the world and thus are the biggest decision makers. Superpowers are usually large countries in terms of population and physical extent. Physical size may provide a natural resource base that the superpower can thus exploit and draw on to develop their power and influence further. These countries have global influence…

Words 4661 - Pages 19

Gp Essay Mainpoints

GP NOTES 2010 (ESSAY) Content Page 1. Media a. New vs. Traditional b. New: narcissistic? c. Government Censorship d. Profit-driven Media e. Advertising f. Private life of public figures g. Celebrity as a role model h. Blame media for our problems i. Power + Responsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology…

Words 24667 - Pages 99