Culture frames what has become widespread among a group of people. Within a culture you can find the symbols, codes, characters, and artifacts that together have designed a bigger picture- a way of life. An artifact in a cultural context is anything created by a human that reflects his or her personal culture. In order to exemplify this essay’s point I will focus on a living cultural artifact that I think depicts present day American Culture most fully: the discount superstore. The American superstore Walmart is currently the most profitable business in the world. Walmart's bargain prices promote the vicious cycle of overconsumption that now defines American Culture. America's largest company may be doing more harm than good, and the debate continues over whether or not the convenience is really worth the social and environmental consequences.
American consumers generally think that the world works the same way that Mary Poppin’s bottomless bag does. Advertising campaigns done by large retailers such as Walmart enforce ideas that Americans are entitled to getting “good deals” and owning pretty much whatever they want. It seems as if Walmart would be the perfect way to support prosperity and the American Dream but the company is not all smiles. As activist Kalle Lasn has illustrated, “We have evolved into a smile-button culture. We wear the trendiest fashions, drive the best cars industry can produce and project an image of incredible affluence—cool people living life to the hilt.” (Lasn xiii) When a society becomes ruled by materialism shoppers are no longer in control- the source of the materialism is. Advertising companies are that ruling power and Americans are exceptionally willing to serve them.
Walmart claims to fuel local economies, provide great jobs, and give people the prices that they need. The reality is that a Walmart absorbs a lot of the profit that small businesses rely on and instead of many unique stores you get one giant superstore blob. Americans increasingly look and live like each other because they shop at the same exact places and see the same things. In reality that similarity is usually seen in all cultures, but America in particular uses the desire to look culturally acceptable in order to make a very large profit.
America ultimately loves the power of the trashcan and its citizens would not be able to maintain the landfill of environmental consequences that they do without it. Places like Walmart make it cheaper to replace rather than re-use. American’s don’t have to deal with most of the mess that such a wasteful scenario compiles so the practice continues to seem perfectly fine. The country’s disconnect from nature is the root of the problem. “If the Earth felt less like something out there and more like an extension of our bodies, we'd care for it like kin.” (Lasn 6) I’ve personally seen emergence in nature completely change people, myself included. When working and living in Yosemite National Park I often saw fellow employees end up more excited about going on a hike than going on the computer, and for many that was not the case when they first relocated there.
Many Americans that are aware of the growing shallowness of their culture hope for the best but do not know how to compromise. The instinct to belong and to follow the example of others is hard to go against. There are a growing number of people who are choosing to explore new ways to experience freedom within American culture. I think that the hardest aspect of being an American today is finding the balance between following and rebelling against the corporate-inspired norm. The more you experience the more wisdom you gain, and I’d like to think that Americans just need the right experiences in order to set things straight.
Works Cited:
Lasn, Kalle. Culture Jam. New York: Eagle Brook, 1999. Print.
Wikipedia contributors. "Walmart." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 7 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Jan. 2014.
Image from film Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price via Lightning Entertainment
No comments:
Post a Comment