SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE, Bhopal

REPORT

Globalization,

Consumerism and

rise of Mall Culture

By-

Leena Thombre

2011MURP003 1st Sem

M.PLAN

Globalization, Culture and Rise of Consumerism

By:

Leena Thombre

1ST sem M.PLAN

ABSTRACT

A planner has to perceive vision for future requirements keeping in mind the emotional, social and

economic development of society. In order to have sustainable perception on planning one needs to

understand possible changes which are likely to happen at present and in future. These changes will be

definitively affected by globalization because now development cannot occur in isolation. The report is

focused on discussing the cultural impacts of globalization and rising consumerism .Before starting with

the impacts, an attempt is made to understand globalization, and how it relates to such complex

phenomenon called as the culture? How it is more accelerating consumerism. To understand this first the

report discusses a brief history about the world and how Globalization relates to a city-Bhopal in India to

understand the impacts of globalization on cultural system of the city. Coming up of Malls states the

impact of globalization in every city, in the following article DB Mall in Bhopal is taken as case study to

understand this fact.

INTRODUCTION

Globalization-On the Globe there are about 196 countries .Briefly talking about world history there was

first prehistoric period then Bronze age/Iron age, then Classic era, then Middle Ages ,then Early modern

era ,then industrial revolution ,and then finally 21st century which has been marked by growth of

economic globalization, with consequent risk to interlinked economies, and by the expansion of

communications with information technology Globalization has been around maybe since humans started

writing and even before. What we are facing now is a new concept of it, due to the fact that it is now

when the scope and power of its effect is more evident than ever. (geography.about.com).

Globalization is a phenomenon where greater movement of people, goods, capital and ideas due to

increased economic integration. There has always been a sharing of goods, services, knowledge and

cultures between people and countries. As Croucher says,“The transformation of local or regional

GLOBALIZATION

CULTURE

CONSUMERISM

phenomena into global ones. It can be described as a process by which the people of the world are unified

into a single society and function together. This process is a combination of economic, technological,

socio-cultural and political forces”. ( Croucher, 2004,39).

To understand impact of globalization on culture across the world first one need to know the relation

between culture and individual that further transcends the relationship into community, identity and

belongingness. With time Cultural changes occur sometimes due to politics, wars, technology etc here we

are discussing due to Globalization started with economic reforms resulting in changes faster cultural

changes around the globe.

Consumerism – The last two decades have witnessed an over expanding interest in consumerism.

According to oxford advanced learner’s 2004 dictionary the word consumer means “A purchaser of goods

or uses services”. Consumerism has become a part of modern life. Areas of social life where free of the

demands of the market place, including religion, have had to adapt to the needs and desires of the

consumer. (Steven Miles 1998, p3) ‘consumer culture’-the culture of what we consume and the way in

which we consume the goods and services provided in economic market has come to represent our

identities mediate our interactions with others and even shape our politics’(Daniel Dohorty 2007)

Why we are

discussing

Innovative products

Availability of Global Brands

Change in consumption pattern around the globe

Cross Border services (ex-Call Centers)

Online services

Environmental degradation

Class inequality, Poverty

Economic crisis hitting the world

when we are trying to understand globalization and consumerism in terms of planning? It is estimated that

it requires four to six hectares of land to maintain the consumption level of the average person from a

high-consumption country. The problem is that in 1990, worldwide there were only 1.7 hectares of

ecologically productive land for each person. He concluded that the deficit is made up in core countries

by drawing down the natural resources of their own countries and expropriating the resources, through

trade, of peripheral countries. In other words, someone has to pay for our consumption levels.” (Allyn

and Bacon, 1999), pp. 209-210.

This quote very well relates us with globalization, culture and consumerism. The impact of globalization

on consumers is such that several cities across the world began to resemble each other much more closely,

with the same brands, designs, and lifestyles. As Brands like Nike, Reebok etc have maximum sale of

sportswear around the world and you can find same designs in store whether in India or any other part of

world. These brands are so desperate to cater consumer that now we heard the news of adidas making

shoes for Rs.50 for Indian villagers. In one way globalization do help to provide cheap clothes and

accessories but at the same time it consumes more form developing countries rather than providing good

to them. (IBN7 News)

Mall Culture

The Mall Culture is

In order to analyze the Impact of Globalization on culture and consumer behavior following Case study is

been done in the next part of Report.

CASE STUDY –BHOPAL

Figure-1 Bhopal lake side (source -http://abhisays.com/bhopal/bhopal-the-city-of-lakes.html)

Though Bhopal do not mark a significant area on world map but still the effect of Globalization , culture

and then the changes happening to built environment can be discussed.

Figure2-Bhopal Gas Tragedy

(Source-newshopper.sulekha.com)

Figure3-Tajul Masajid

(source- blog.travelpod.com)

City dominated by Muslim Culture at its heart,is well known for Urdu shyari’s and poems. The Bhopal was ruled by begum in 18 th

century made fortified boundaries here which is now called as old Bhopal .Old Bhopal mark city’s oldest cultural aspect where there are traditional markets, food and great buildings such as Tajul Masajid (see figure 3).

After becoming capital of Madhya Pradesh, the city house all the administrative blocks of state. At present major population till last decade was that of working class belonging to different caste, culture. And now the city emerged as cosmopolitan with tolerance and respect for all cultures.

Before 30 years or say 30 years post independence city was seeing most of its people in government jobs .Cultural life of city was more of festive celebration, very few food joints and market. People seen the very first TV in those days and for entertainment there were few cinemas, one new market (option for traditional chowk market) and places like Bharat Bhavan ,Ravindra bhavan as art and cultural center.

Bhopal popularly known as city of lakes is more known because of world’s biggest industrial disaster ie. *Bhopal Gas Tragedy happened some 27 years ago. Eventually the cause was an American pesticide company’s factory. Well a bitter taste of foreign setup has not let the city untouched by future Globalization.

Figure-4 Old Bhopal market

(Source-buzzintown.com)

Figure-5 Bharat Bhavan

(Source-buzzintown.com)

Figure-6,7 1980’s-90’s Products(source-http://ideas.repec.org)

Entering into 21st century our country’s GDP has achieved new levels and our city also seen more economic development in terms of goods, products and jobs. Mobile phones, Computers, multi car brands etc such goods were now more in number and relatively more stores and more consumers. Generation graduated in these days moved to metro’s and in fact major chunk to US or UK as Information technology requires large number of workers with their offices mostly in Big cities. Globalization was not only affecting market but also jobs employment and work pattern. Some parents who started their lives in Bhopal are now left alone here where their kids moved to metros or Foreign.

*The Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak accident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

In 90’s when our country’s Government opened our economic policies and let foreign investment enter in our market, the whole country including our city Bhopal seen changes encouraged by economic development. Earlier the domestic products like clothes, equipments, food products etc were that of low quality. But letting foreign companies enter easily into our market, the market went through revolution where our country’s GDP growth raised and no doubt that affected market up to small towns.

Figure-8,9- 21st products

(source-8. www.reebok.com,

9-www.connectin.com)

Figure 10 -Street markets

(source-10, buzzintown.com)

Figure 10 - Global Brands in bhopal

(source- 1. www.mcdonaldsindia.com 2.

www.kfc.co.in)

Figure-11, 12 Mall Culture (source- sudhirtomar.blogspot.com)

Now the scenario of people having recreation in Bhopal has changed. Two years back, DB Mall opened in Bhopal where many global brands have their stores .A South African firm designed the building .It opened job opportunities to local people. Now people are attracted to this very new concept of spending leisure time. But no doubt that this culture is class oriented where people who can afford spending at such place would go. The old new market or chowk are now approached by the lower middle class and middle class. Earlier the biggest Shopping venture use to be Bhopal Utsav Mela but now there also only a class of people who use to go. With economic growth earnings of the people has raised but at the same time spending culture has changed. At the same place, there is also one more kind of market place called as Bhopal Haat which is a attempt by Government to promote villagers, artisans, craftsmen etc to sell their goods.

Big Foreign Brands such as Samsung, Reebok, Nike etc had their stores in the city. People now have option for domestic brands such as Bajaj as well as foreign brand Suzuki for driving a two wheeler. That was a observation for 90’s when many developing countries were entering into global market and information technology appeared and started becoming the next big thing, which affected the scene of education in our town. Now more no. of students were oriented towards IT sector leaving behind medical, accounts, law as career option.

SURVEY

A small survey is being done where I asked people their views on this upcoming Mall Culture, The

survey is being carried out on the people who apparently belong to Bhopal’s lower and upper middle

class. This survey was done to know the reaction of consumers towards this Global trend which we often

call as Mall Culture.

Findings of the survey as follows:-

1. People like the availability of global brands, global fashion and quality products. This shows that

the global brands are successful in attracting consumers is working in small town and will last

longer.

2. People find spending there often goes out of their budget limitation. People get involve with the

schemes and offers, where they sometimes find it useful and sometimes bad on their pocket.

3. It provides safe Environment. People prefer going and spending hours with family. Now as many

consider roaming around the city or freaking in the market is not that safe it is better to visit

disciplined environment of mall.

4. Some people still believe in traditional markets. Those who still love their old fashion sense and

like to go the same places they use to go before, shows kind of attachment more than utility. Also

these are the only saviors for traditional market.

5. People do not find big difference in prices inside mall or out of it, but they do believe that some

products, movei tickets, food is costly. Things like food articles, cold drinks etc are selling at

higher prices inside Mall.

6. Some people love air-conditioned atmosphere, at the same time some find it close and exhausting

to roam around. Also this way of attracting people by providing air-conditioned atmosphere is

again paid by the consumer only in the form of high price and

Refer Annexure-1 to read the interviews.

From the survey findings we can conclude that this so called Mall Culture brought down by Globalization

has affected consumers ,their lifestyle and their way of spending money and having fun, eat or enjoy. As

some say that their income has raised accordingly with time, they can afford this trend. The upcoming

generation is growing up in this consumerism culture, and far away from the knowledge of its

consequences.But if we summarize the findngs we can say Mall a globalization phenomenon has found

its consumers and surely changing culture even in small towns.

CONCLUSION

The idea of this paper was to analyze over cultural changes happening around the world due to

Globalization and then thinking about the possible outcomes that a planner should realize. Thirty years

back many of the planners would have not predicted the IT sector Boom or Real estate market trends,

they might not have felt the Globalization could change the requirements at a level they never thought of.

As planner needs to know people their culture, trends at a prior conceptual level so that he can perceive a

better environment for them he also needs to know what is happening in the surrounding and what can

affect planning. For example the kind of infrastructure development happening in developed countries

will someday can be adopted in developing countries .So to understand requirements of future one must

know where the direction of growth in region is heading and how people are changing their habits and

lifestyle with changing world .Both the terms Globalization and Culture are so vast that they cannot be

discussed within few words, but a attempt has been to made understand impact of Globalization on

culture.Along with that the inter-relationship between consumer and globalization and accordingly

changing lifestyle ,or say culture are been tried to be understood.

Bibliography

1. Globalization and belonging: the politics of identity in a changing world By Sheila

L. Croucher

 

2. India Unbound: The Social and Economic Revolution from Independence to the

Global Information Age By Gurucharan Das

3. Consumerism : as a way of life  By Steven Miles

References:

CULTURAL GLOBALISATION WHAT IS IT? Louis de Lamare, 2009.

The Economic Crisis and its Effects , Andy Kilmister,2010

Effects on Globalization in Culture Differentiation, Adrian, 2011, July.

AusAID, 2004, http://www.ausaid.gov.au/

Visit http://faculty.ucr.edu/~hanneman/soc203a/regress.html on November,3 ,2011

Visit http://www.globalissues.org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerismon November 16,2011

Visit http://www.indianrealtynews.com/retail-market/rising-mall-culture-in-india.html on November

4,2011

Visit http://www.insaindia.org/India%20Science%20report-Main.pdf on November 5,2011

Visit http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract on November 6,2011

Visit http://www.legalserviceindia.com/article/l220-Phenomenon-Of-Consumerism.html on

November 16,2011

Visit http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v7/n10/full/nrg1916.html on November 9,2011

Visit http://www.panoramio.com/photo/44492016 on November 14,2011

Visit http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml on November 10,2011

Annexure-1

Interviews

Q.What you think about Mall in the city and how would you compare life before and after it?

1.Neha Thombre (26 year old ,Housewife)

Ans-Its good to be able to reach global brands, one shopping center ,fun place to visit.Now the

living standard has little bit raised ,lifestyle is getting influence .It also looks good ,neat and

clean place to go.You can enjoy schems and sales.Sometimes you spend more that your

desided budget.

2.Divya Kurup(23 year old,MBA student)

Ans –it’s a nice hangout place with freinds,better than going to parks .we have so many option

in dressing,fashion sense has improved .Not all the products are affordable but still its gud

spend there.Also we are no more live in pot ,it like getting know to trends and culture of big

cities.

3.Nitin Vaidya( 34 years-executive in Airtel)

Ans-It’s a safe environment ,you can take your familyand know that they are in your vicinity can

They can eat drink ,play and spend hours there.The things are midway between affradable and

costly but our salaries are now better than befor so we afford some of the stuffs.

4.Mahesh Tiwari (55year old,Government employee)

Ans-I just like going with my family otherwise my demands already get fulfilled from our New

market or local market.I find it quite exhausting visiting there as it is all pack and too much

sophiscated to roam around freely. I also find escalator irritating, I prefer stairs to go up and

down.

5.Sunita Mishra (35,Houswife)

Ans –Something’s are very costly like food and watching cinema. but I find it better place to buy

groceries, clothes ,foot wares etc. But as I am accustomed traditional wears I still feel our

traditional market’s products.I don’t know how many people are able to afford that place.