“Culture has less ‘power over’ other actors, but rather the ‘power
to’ establish frames that shape the way we see the world, telling us what is
important, and informing us about options and solutions…” (48)
These are the words of Peter van Ham in his book Social Power. I was not very surprised to read about the
power of culture in shaping our intersubjective understandings of the world. Such a truth seems intuitive. What did pique my interest however, was his
commentary on what he calls the “social power of consumption.” According to van Ham,
“What makes the social power of consumption unique is that it affects all of us: we are all consumers and although we may have widely differing purchasing powers, we all make consumer decisions on a daily basis” (57).
Could it really be that the there is a new cosmopolitanism
centered on a culture of consumption? After thinking about arguments on Americanization/Westernization, I would answer "yes." I
consider many existing arguments on the decline of American hegemony as
it was hitherto known to be valid; but I would not say that American cultural dominance is in decline. Many countries may not like America
politically, but I can almost guarantee that most of their populace loves
Hollywood movies, technological gadgets, flashy cars, and mansions as much as
any American. If they do not have a passion for these things in particular, they have a passion for similar products conducive to their cultural contexts. Still, the theme of consumption is the same.
Thus, the very essence of what we know as “the American dream” – the opportunity for prosperity and success – has been codified around the world as the opportunity to enter a “glittering consumer paradise” in the words of van Ham (52). I would not say that it is positive for the world to share in a culture of consumption. It does show however, that sometimes, we are all able to relate on the broadest and most superficial of levels.
Heather, thanks for your post. You touch on the idea that the foreign public’s consumption of American culture does not necessarily translate to a change of heart in favor of American values. Undeniably, these cultural products, reflective of pop culture, are encoded with American values, like consumerist culture. As Corman et al point out, the receiver has different “expectations, interpretations, and attributions” towards the message and the sender. This highlights that the receiver will decode the message through her cultural lens, which mirrors your van Haam quote with which you opened your post. Although the social power of the “influence of affluence” of which van Haam speaks, and the pervasiveness of US capitalist culture are difficult to measure, at the same time, they remain impossible to overlook.
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