Globalization, Consumerism and Unsustainable Consumption
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 basis
2) Production of consumers all over the world with an extensive range of products and services that were not easily available before, and
3) Central and fundamental understanding of globalization and the modern world being the notion of “consumerism”
Globalization therefore sets the conditions for consumerism through an interrelated process which works through the above mentioned factors.
To elaborate this connection more explicitly, it is necessary to understand the nature of present consumption. At present, a variety of resources and products are being consumed having moved beyond basic needs to include luxury items and technological innovations.
Even though such consumption beyond minimal and basic needs should not necessarily be negatively perceived, what should be understood is what lies behind the form of consumption and consumerism in the present world (Shah, 2006). In the present world some characteristics of consumption are; (i) choices of consumption are being influenced by certain actors, (ii) what is to be produced and not are being decided by certain actors,
(iii) a uniformity of consumption patterns are being created throughout the world and (iv) material value influence relationships among
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 basis
2) Production of consumers all over the world with an extensive range of products and services that were not easily available before, and
3) Central and fundamental understanding of globalization and the modern world being the notion of “consumerism”
Globalization therefore sets the conditions for consumerism through an interrelated process which works through the above mentioned factors.
To elaborate this connection more explicitly, it is necessary to understand the nature of present consumption. At present, a variety of resources and products are being consumed having moved beyond basic needs to include luxury items and technological innovations.
Even though such consumption beyond minimal and basic needs should not necessarily be negatively perceived, what should be understood is what lies behind the form of consumption and consumerism in the present world (Shah, 2006). In the present world some characteristics of consumption are; (i) choices of consumption are being influenced by certain actors, (ii) what is to be produced and not are being decided by certain actors,
(iii) a uniformity of consumption patterns are being created throughout the world and (iv) material value influence relationships among
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