The more we learn about culture, the greater our understanding of Essay - 2

The more we learn about culture, the greater our understanding of global consumerism,Discuss - Essay Example They go on to claim that people are â€Å"free and rational,† (Sheth & Malhotra, n.d, n.p) to make whatever choices they want about what to purchase, and that they have the desire to be different from others; this is what has resulted in the â€Å"rapid turn†over in goods and services,† (Sheth & Malhotra, n.d, n.p). Globalization has influenced this consumer culture in the way that ideas about what is fashionable spread from many parts of the world through the media and internet, creating what is a â€Å"global style,† (Globalization, 2010). Now we can sense that the consumer culture is becoming a global consumer culture; globalization has â€Å"homogenized images of the good life,† and created â€Å"sense of global identify and memory without which any cultural identity is incomplete,† (Sheth & Malhotra, n.d, n.p). Next, it should be helpful to explore what effect this globalization has on retailers and manufacturers in the fashion industry. Doherty notices how in UK there is a multitude of fashion retailers, both national and international, and how global brands have â€Å"come to characterize our major high streets and consumption patterns, and undoubtedly have an increasingly important influence on our lives and spending habits,† (Doherty, 2009, n.p). Globalization however means that the products provided by these international shops go through an extensive â€Å"network of contractors and subcontractors,† in different countries (Globalization, n.d, n.p). For example, a dress from a Gucci shop in Italy will be stitched and assembled in another country like Guatemala. It is rare that these international retailers like Nike, Gucci or Target produce their goods themselves; rather, they â€Å"source and market goods produced on contract in low-wage environments,† (Globaliza tion, n.d, n.p). Since these international retailers usually make huge profits,