ABSTRACT
Consumerism at the end of the twentieth century featured four kinds of developments. First, changes within individual societies marked some new ramifications. We will select examples here, looking first at the West, then at some additional cases, pointing to an acceleration of consumerism in many areas. Second, new or renewed resistance to consumerism developed. This included the revived vigor of Islamic reaction, discussed in the previous chapter, but also religious and other protest movements elsewhere – even in the West. Classic forms of hostility to consumerism faded, particularly with the decline of fascism, but there were important new objections. The third theme was the most obvious story: the emergence of a more extensive international network for consumerism, based on new technologies, the extension of multinational business operations, and a growing audience for consumer interests in many parts of the world. This was what marked the later twentieth century as a new phase in the history of consumerism overall, though the origins lie somewhat earlier. But international consumerism also roused objections, adding to the complexity of the whole phenomenon even as many consumer institutions and behaviors seemed well established. Finally, the fourth theme – perhaps the most important – involved the clearer emergence of various regional styles of consumerism, blending Western models and international standards with local components.
