Custom Consumption, Leisure, Globalization essay paper sample

Conspicuous consumption

This is the act of using or purchasing certain goods and services to identify oneself to others as a person with much wealth and high social standing. It influences the purchasing decisions whereby a consumer decides to purchase very expensive goods and services with the sole aim of gaining recognition from others. Through conspicuous consumption, I decided to buy a high priced luxurious vehicle because I wanted to portray myself as a wealth person in our community.

Conspicuous leisure

This is the leisure activity that is carried out by people with the aim of displaying their social status (Mason R, 1981). Examples of conspicuous leisure activities that are on televisions include exclusive golf clubs, political activities, religious observance and charity drives among others. The social and economic classes have to consume in a conspicuous manner through engaging in heavy expenditures that are unnecessary in a basic human existence Gottdiener M. (2000). The watching of movies and television is an example of popular leisure activities.

Globalization

Globalization is the growing magnitude, expanding scale and the speeding up and increasing the impact of the interregional patterns and flows of the social interaction.  One of the effects of globalization is the joining and mixing of different cultures which finally leads to the emergence of new cultures. Through globalization, the worldwide dominance and spread of the American culture has been experienced. The American goods have flooded the greater percentage of the world’s market. The growth of communication systems such as music internet, televisions and films has enhanced the spread of the American culture in the whole world. This is further enhanced by the penetration of various American corporations in the world. Also, the culture of America has been influenced by globalization through sports, cuisines, language and fine arts.