Culture-ideology Of Consumerism Research Articles

The untapped potential of sustainable domestic tourism in Iran

The majority of tourism literature focuses on international tourism; however, domestic tourism for specific destinations, such as Iran, can contribute to job creation, heritage protection, regional integration, and cross-cultural understanding. The market for domestic tourism in Iran has been downplayed and its true value has been underutilized. This study assumes that the present apathy towards tourism is reinforced by the public sector's lack of decisive governance towards the tourism industry where the public sector “can best act to mediate contemporary tourism-related social, economic, political and environmental policy problems” (Hall, 2011, p. 439). Drawing on “culture-ideology of consumerism” and “ecological economics” theories, study revealed that critiques of international mass tourism have convincing argument that domestic tourism is a domestic investment with a sustainable agenda.

The Icon Project: The Transnational Capitalist Class in Action

This article—a product of current research on iconic architecture and capitalist globalization—argues that iconicity in general, and in architecture and urban design in particular is a telling case study of how the four fractions of the transnational capitalist class (corporate, political, professional, and consumerist) act to sustain and enlarge their hegemony through the use of both intangible and tangible objects that foster the global diffusion of the culture-ideology of consumerism. Iconicity is defined in terms of (a) fame and (b) symbolic/aesthetic significance, and while many different interpretations can be and have been applied to iconic phenomena (e.g. celebrities of various types, products, images, buildings, architects) this article will emphasize the uses of iconicity in the conscious construction of transnational capitalist class projects at various levels of action. The article concludes with an analysis of the ways in which the transnational capitalist class in and around architecture, urban design, and other iconic modalities manufactures iconicity for buildings and objects even before they are built, notably through the global dissemination of images of what they might look like—their aesthetic significance—and what they might signify—their symbolic significance. Este artículo—un producto de una investigación actual sobre la arquitectura icónica y la globalización capitalista—plantea que la iconicidad en general y en arquitectura y diseño urbano en particular, es un caso de estudio sobre cómo las cuatro fracciones de la clase capitalista trasnacional (corporativa, política, profesional y consumista) actúan para sostener y engrandecer su hegemonía a través del uso de objetos tanto intangibles como tangibles que fomentan la difusión de la ideología-cultura de consumismo. La iconicidad se define en términos de (a) fama y (b) importancia simbólica/estética, y mientras muchas interpretaciones pueden y han sido aplicadas al fenómeno icónico (verbigracia las celebridades de varios tipos, productos, imágenes, edificios, arquitectos), este artículo enfatizará los usos de la iconicidad en la construcción consciente de proyectos de la clase capitalista trasnacional, en varios niveles de acción. El artículo concluye con un análisis de las formas en las cuales la clase capitalista trasnacional, dentro y alrededor de la arquitectura, el diseño urbano y otras modalidades icónicas elaboran iconicidad para los edificios y objetos, inclusive antes de que se hayan construido, concretamente mediante la diseminación global de imágenes de cómo se vería—su importancia estética— y lo que pueden llegar a significar—la trascendencia simbólica. 本文是目前的关于偶像架构和资本主义全球化的研究结果，认为，偶像性，尤其是建筑和城市设计，告诉我们跨国资本主义阶级的四个组成部分（公司、政治、专业人士和消费者）如何通过使用有形和无形的助长消费主义的文化意识形态的扩散的物体来支撑和扩大他们的霸权。偶像性依据（a）名声和（b）象征/美学的重要性来定义，同时，许多不同的解读能被用于和已经用于偶像现象（各种类型的名人、产品、形象、建筑、设计师）。本文强调，在各种行动层次上的跨国资本主义阶级的项目的有意识的建筑方面偶像性的使用。最后，本文得出了一种关于各类方式的分析，说明跨国资本主义阶级甚至在这些东西被建造以前，就在和围绕着建筑结构、都市设计和其它物体的偶像形式 制造偶像性，尤其是通过它们可能期待的——它们的美学重要性——和它们可能代表的意义——它们的象征性重要性的形象的全球传播。 يذهب هذا المقال- وهو نتاج لبحث جارٍ على المعمار الأيقوني والعولمة الرأسمالية- إلى أن الأيقونية بوجه عام والتصميم الحضري بشكل خاص يمثلان دراسة حالة مفيدة لكيفية عمل الأقسام الأربعة للطبقة الرأسمالية متعدية القوميات (الشركة، العنصر السياسي، العنصر المهني، والعنصر الاستهلاكي) للحفاظ على هيمنتها وتوسيعها من خلال استخدام كل الأشياء المادية وغير المادية التي تعزز النشر العالمي لثقافة- أيديولوجية النزعة الاستهلاكية. وتتحدد الأيقونية بمصطلحي (أ) الشهرة ؛ (ب) المغزى الرمزي/الجمالي. وهناك كثير من التفسيرات التي يمكن تطبيقها، والتي طُبقت بالفعل، على الظواهر الأيقونية (مثل نجوم المشاهير من مختلف الأنواع، والمنتجات، والصور، والأبنية، والطرز المعمارية) إلا إن هذا المقال يركز على استخدامات الأيقونية في البناء الواعي لمشروعات الطبقة الرأسمالية متعدية القوميات على مختلف مستويات العمل. ويُختتم المقال بتحليل الطرق التي تستخدمها هذه الطبقة في المعمار وحوله، والتصميم الحضري وغيرها من الأشكال الأيقونية في إقامة البنايات وغيرها حتى قبل أن تُقام، وعلى وجه الخصوص من خلال النشر العالمي للصور لما هي عليه- أي مغزاها الجمالي- ولما يمكن أن تكون دلالة عليه- أي مغزاها الرمزي. 이 논문은 상징적인 건축과 자본주의적 세계화에 관한 현행 연구 결과이다. 이 논문은 일반적으로 건축에서 특히 도시 디자인에서 4가지 초국적 자본가 분파들(기업, 정치, 전문, 소비자)이 소비주의라는 문화이데올로기를 지구적으로 확산시키기 위해 어떻게 만질 수 없거나 혹은 만질 수 있는 상징성을 이용하여 그들의 헤게모니를 유지하거나 확산시키고자 행동하는지에 대해 말해주는 사례 연구이다. 상징성은 (a) 유명함과 (b) 상징적/심미적 의미에 의해서 정의되고 그리고 상징적 현상(다양한 형태의 유명인, 산물, 이미지, 건물과 건축)에 다양한 해석이 적용될 수 있고 또 적용되었지만, 이 논문은 다양한 수준에서 초국적 자본가계급 프로젝트를 의식적으로 구축하는데 있어서 상징성을 이용한다는 점을 강조한다. 이 글은 건축물, 도시 디자인과 다른 상징적 양식을 중심으로 해서 그들이 지어지기 전에도 초국적 계급이 미학적인 의미와 지어진 이후 그것의 상징적 의미를 전지구적으로 전파해서 건축과 오브제의 상징성을 만드는 방식을 분석하여 결론을 맺는다.

Changing Genres and Language Styles in Contemporary Chinese Lifestyle Magazines

The magazine market in China has been changing steadily as global media corporations have brought their international titles into China and as local Chinese titles have had to transform in order to meet the changing market and the arrival of advertising-driven content. This article analyses the changing visual styles, linguistic genres and language styles in the women's lifestyle magazine Rayli over the past ten years, showing how these increasingly seek to foster identities, ideas and values appropriate to a global culture ideology of consumerism.

Iconic architecture in globalizing cities

This paper attempts to construct a theory connecting capitalist globalization and iconic architecture. Iconic architecture is defined as buildings and spaces that are famous for professional architects and/or the public at large and have special symbolic/aesthetic significance attached to them. The drivers of capitalist globalization are conceptualized as the transnational capitalist class, organized analytically in four (sometimes overlapping) fractions: (i) those who own and/or control the major transnational corporations and their local affiliates (corporate fraction); (ii) globalizing politicians and bureaucrats (political fraction); (iii) globalizing professionals (technical fraction); and (iv) merchants and media (consumerist fraction). The transformation of cities all round the world in the last half century is explained in terms of how the four fractions of the transnational capitalist class mobilize their allies in architecture and real estate development to create globalizing cities, increasingly marked and marketed through their iconic buildings and spaces. This is connected theoretically to the underlying ideology of capitalist globalization, namely the culture-ideology of consumerism in the interests of private profit. Evidence for the thesis is presented from recent developments in major Chinese cities and other globalizing cities around the world.

The globalization of human rights

The argument of this article is that what I term generic globalization has created unprecedented opportunities for advances in human rights universally, but that the dominant actually existing historical form of globalization – capitalist globalization – undermines these opportunities. Substantively, I argue that taking the globalization of human rights seriously means eliminating the ideological distinction that exists between civil and political rights on the one hand, and economic and social rights on the other. Doing this systematically undermines the three central claims of capitalist globalization – namely, that globalizing corporations are the most efficient and equitable form of production, distribution and exchange; that the transnational capitalist class organizes communities and the global order in the best interests of everyone; and that the culture-ideology of consumerism will satisfy our real needs.

On mosques and malls: Understanding Khomeinism as a source of counter-hegemonic resistance to the spread of global consumer culture

Recent work on globalisation, in particular that of Leslie Sklair, has identified the culture-ideology of consumerism as the life-blood of global capitalism. As such, the most significant challenge to the hegemony of globalisation would be a political movement characterised by an anti-consumerist ethos. While many look to the so-called ‘anti-globalisation’ movement for such a counter-hegemonic force, I argue that this movement is too disparate, and does not enjoy any meaningful focus on the genuine causes and social infrastructure of consumerism. Thus, I suggest we must look elsewhere if we are interested in identifying a truly counter-hegemonic anti-consumerist political movement. My main assertion is that some forms of contemporary radical Islam represent such a challenge. To support this assertion, I discursively explore the key cultural-historical themes and aspects of Shi'ism, ideological discourses in twentieth-century Iran, and the rhetoric and policies of the Khomeinist state, in an attempt to illustrate their anti-consumerist tenets and consequences.

La clase capitalista transnacional y el discurso de la globalización

<p>En este artículo, el autor analiza las corporaciones transnacionales, la clase capitalista transnacional y la ideología-cultura del consumismo como los tres cimientos de lo que se conoce como Teoría del Sistema Global. Es ésta un intento por conceptualizar la globalización capitalista.</p><p>En su escrito, el autor se enfoca sobre la clase capitalista transnacional y sus cuatro fracciones, a saber, los propietarios y controladores de TNCs y sus afiliadas locales; los burócratas y políticos globalizadores; los profesionales globalizadores y las elites consumistas (comerciantes y media). El propósito de este documento es el de explicar cómo combinaciones de estas fracciones de la clase capitalista transnacional han usado el discurso de las competitividades nacionales y del desarrollo sostenido para superar los intereses del capital global. Por lo tanto, la globalización se explica no como “de occidente”, sino como una ideología capitalista globalizadora.</p>

Social movements for global capitalism: the transnational capitalist class in action

The thesis that 'Capitalism does not just happen' is argued with reference to Gramsci, hegemony and the critique of state centrism. This involves a critique of the assumption that ruling classes rule effortlessly, and raises the issue: Does globalization increase the pressures on ruling classes to deliver? Global system theory is outlined in terms of transnational practices in the economic, political, and culture and ideology spheres and the characteristic institutional forms of these, the transnational corporation, transnational capitalist class and the culture-ideology of consumerism. The transnational capitalist class is organized in four overlapping fractions: TNC executives, globalizing bureaucrats, politicians and professionals, consumerist elites (merchants and media). Social movements for global capitalism and elite social movement organizations (ESMOs) are analysed. Each of the four fractions of the TCC has its own distinctive organizations, some of which take on social movement-like characteristics.

Social Movements and Global Capitalism

While capitalism is increasingly organised on a global basis, effective opposition to capitalist practices tends to be manifest locally. The traditional response of the labour movement to global capitalism has been to try to forge international links between workers' organisations in different countries. This strategy, despite some successes, has generally failed and the paper argues that the relationship between the labour movement and the New Social Movements requires further analysis in terms of the local and the global. The rationale and characteristics of such an analysis are discussed in the context of opposition to the practices of the transnational corporations, the transnational capitalist class and its local affiliates, and the culture-ideology of consumerism.