Consumerism is the word that has repeatedly crossed my mind in the past months of travel, especially the past few weeks. It is a sensation that has been sweeping the world, spreading through a phenomenon now characterized by the word globalization. At the end of the 20th century it was hailed as "the end of [economic] history," free-market capitalism seemed to be the predominate political-economical theory. At the center of capitalism is consumerism. As a country that has had great historical and economic ties with the western world, especially the United States, the heart of the South Korean culture today seems to be consumerism. It has been the primary factor of Korean society, and all of the other countries that I have traveled to, that I personally have felt most at home with. But I ask myself, am I comfortable that I identify myself in this way? Is this who I want to be or where my values lay? Consumerism, the one concept that has surpassed boundaries and homogenized everywhere I have been. There are times where I have sat in a coffee shop, a McDonalds, a department store, a market, or a large shining mall and have forgotten where I was. I could have been basically anywhere: home, a major US city, Europe. I would not have been able to tell the difference. How can I identify these places now? Should I think of a coffee shop (Caribou, I guiltily eat breakfast there most mornings...) in South Korea as a western experience? Or is it now defined as a global experience? On a similar thread, if I went to Caribou in the states, am I just going to Caribou, or becoming a part of a global experience?
In order to try to understand some of these concepts can you define these terms? Consumerism, capitalism, socialism, globalization, homogenization.
I had a strong reaction to consumerism after travel in the Peruvian rainforest. What is our role and responsiblity in the world in using resources? Are they ours to use endlessly because we can afford it? Are we responsible to clean up the waste? Can we go to other countries or demand from others to use up their resources for our needs?
ReplyDeleteMrs A
Those are all really good questions, and I am not entirely sure if I have any good answers since I have struggled trying to find my own position on these topics. To start off, I believe that it is the responsibility of everyone in the world, especially those in power positions such as multinationals and government, to use resources wisely. We need to find a way to create and maintain renewable bases of production and consumption. I think that mostly the solution to this will come from government and big business; however it is our responsibility as consumers and as citizens of the world to make it profitable for them. We can do this through our decisions as consumers, making environmental issues play a major role in political dialogue (I am still unsure to how this could be done), and finding effective ways to raise awareness of some of these issues (especially in the US). Heres an article that I read the other day that might be of interest http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/29/naidoo.climate.weather/index.html. Profit, whether monetary or political power, that comes from squandering resources is a primary problem that needs to be dealt with. Unless it is, companies and countries will continue unhealthy usage of resources, including their policies of waste disposal. I think I kind of answered most of your questions. I would love to have a more in depth conversation with you about these topics when I get back!
ReplyDeleteChase