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Although still a relatively unexplored group, the new middle classes are enjoying a great deal of public attention. The first section discusses the question of why, then, the new middle classes have become a favored topic in the media and the broader political public. Section 1.2 looks at who the new middle classes are and how they can be examined empirically. Section 1.3 links the issue to the overarching...
Taking the debate about convergent versus divergent crystallations of modernity as its point of departure, the chapter argues that the question as to whether modernization results in similar forms of societal organization anywhere or instead manifests itself in rather heterogeneous social systems cannot be answered by purely empirical means, because the weight accorded particular kinds of diversity...
The unsustainability of contemporary consumerist lifestyles is inextric-ably linked with debates on culture and globalization. The emergence of the new middle classes within newly industrializing countries displays paradigmatically such complex interrelations. The article argues that debates on the globalization of lifestyle arise along three opposing perspectives epitomized under the notions of homogenization,...
The article addresses the issue of which societal groups are involved in transnational activities like cross-border mobility and long-distance networking. It is assumed that not all social strata are equally involved in transnational activities, and that one will find striking differences between different status groups. Given differences in opportunities, competences and contexts of occupational...
Making consumption practices more sustainable means incorporating new ideas, information and products into existing consumption routines of citizen-consumers. For a successful incorporation process it is crucial that companies, as main providers of new products and services, develop an active orientation on consumers and their practices. We argue that the core elements of a consumer orientation of...
To cover East Asia region analytically requires a researcher to abstract from specific geographic locations which vary widely in economic development, and focus on consumer practices. Empirically, the visual urban landscape, which is being rapidly transformed to accommodate consumer culture, appears to “convince” urbanites that goods on display, visually accessible, are within reach, in spite of real...
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