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†¦show more content†¦Control of resources and markets are granted to powerful actors on a global basis through globalization which enables access to resources and markets on a global basis. Focusing particularly on America as one of the powerful actors in the contemporary globalized economy, statistics on American resource uses are such that, America consumes 25% of world’s resources, including 26% of the world’s energy, although having only 3% of the world’s known oil reserves. American industries generate roughly 30% of world’s waste. An American’s impact on the environment is 250 times greater than a Sub-Saharan African (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerism). Within this context, it could further be asserted that the notion of consumerism itself becomes fundamental in understanding the current forms of globalization and the modern world (Stearns, 2001) because there is a market as well as economic orientation in globalization which aims consumption of resources to generate profit. Consumerism is central to this phenomenon. Thus, a connection between globalization and consumerism could be established based on the 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 3) the notion of consumption being fundamental and central in understanding the current forms of globalization. As stated above, there is a system behindShow MoreRelatedOver Consumptions Leads to Economic Inequality and Poverty747 Words   |  3 Pagesproduction, exportation, and consumption. In moments of crisis people believe a solution is to go and buy things and take part in a consumer system, these beliefs are reinforced by advertisements, and as a result America and other capitalist societies have become addicted to consumption. But have these people ever wondered what over consumption is really doing to the world’s economy? Or how it affects everyone by leading to economic inequality and poverty! 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