Globalisation

Test yourself on Globalisation

Test your knowledge with free interactive questions on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

Identity and Globalisation

The creation of identity in a globalised media saturated consumer society.

Baudrillard

Baudrillard argued that we live in a media saturated society and globalisation has created a more complex and fluid world, marked by continual change and cultural diversity.
Global media, globalised consumer products, global brands and chain stores, along with increased migration generate more diverse globalised local communities.

Glocalisation

The local and the global are becoming permanently interconnected through ‘glocalisation’, where local products are adapted from local communities.
Strinati suggests that globalised media and popular culture create pressures to consume.
This shapes consumer choices through bombarding the public with images, logos and brands.

Identity kits

These products are what Bauman and May call ‘do-it-yourself identity kits’, essentially shopping for identities through the purchase of consumer goods.

Postmodernism

In postmodern consumer society, the structural influences on identity (e.g. class, gender and ethnicity) are no longer relevant, leading Bradley to argue that globalisation has created new multiple hybrid identities.
Bauman argued that life has become a shopping mall where people can stroll and choose from an ever changing choice of identities.

Freedom of Choice in the Adoption of Identity

Postmodernists believe that people are free to choose their own identity and adopt any lifestyle through consumer and leisure choices, but this ignores important factors which limit choice.

Occupation and class

Working life and occupation greatly limit people’s ability to choose their own identity due to the time and financial restrictions that can result.
Social class and the unequal distribution of wealth and income mean that only the well off members of society have real consumer choice and the means to ‘shop’ for their identities.

Age

Age is another factor that postmodernists have failed to consider.
Young people are better placed to choose their own identities through participation in leisure based consumer lifestyles (e.g. pubs, clubs and concerts). But even here, age-related laws and income can limit choice.

Family life cycle

The family life cycle also plays a role.
Younger couples might be restricted in their choices through raising children and the costs of rent and mortgages.
Similarly, the retired population may be restricted by poor health and limited income.

Gender socialisation

Gender socialisation leads to men and women often engaging in different kinds of leisure activity and consumer patterns.
Woman generally have less time, money and opportunity for leisure activities, according to feminists.

Ethnicity

Differences in ethnicity mean that people may well make choices in accordance within the norms and values and culturally defines roles of their ethnic group.
Some may find their activities restricted by racism.

Corporate control

Marxists (e.g. Clarke and Critcher) argue that large corporations control and manipulate people’s choices of consumer spending and leisure activities.