Consumption in Developing Nations

Consumption practices in developing countries have been deeply studied along with the modernization process. Yet, contradictory consequences of modernization and alternative effects of consumption have spurred an ongoing debate. Particularly with the emerging process of globalization, several studies have tried to come to a point on consumption in developing countries. In this writing, different patterns of consumption will be analyzed, pinpointing the influence that western goods and models of consumption have on other countries. Holding on the analysis of multiple aspects—such as characteristics of goods and preferences, imitation and emulation processes, diffusion of information technology and mass-media—it will underline the intertwined relationship between economic, social and cultural phenomena, which produces both positive and negative outcomes in those countries. On the one hand, some countries, having already introduced the latest technologies, are on the spot to leapfrog the economic gap with the developed nations and to adopt western models of consumption with a more conscious and aware attitude. On the other hand, the different speeds by which economic and social processes are spreading all over the world may have consequences in terms of widening inequalities and deepening poverty and social exclusion. For these reasons, it is extremely important to study further the diffusion of globalization in order to ameliorate the current theoretical framework related to consumption behavior. In fact, there is evidence for a combination of local and global paths, suggesting original models of consumption.