When Conscious Consumerism Backfires:A Critical Study on Social Exclusion,Partnerships,and White Saviorism

Purpose:What factors influence conscious consumerism,especially related to race and gender identities?This scholarship explores three white women-led social responsibility organizations’(SROs)aspirations to encourage conscious consumerism as well as factors that influence conscious consumerism.Design/methodology/approach:Using the Black feminist thought and sustainability development theory,the data were analyzed using a thematic analysis to explore the activation of the white savior industrial complex(WSIC)in SROs.Interviews provided in-depth knowledge of the SRO culture including,but not limited to,insight on social exclusion and partnerships.Findings:Noonday Collection,Sseko Designs,and Trades of Hope,all SROs,aspire to be dedicated to people,planet,and profit and encourage conscious consumerism as a means for their customer base and sales consultants to“do their part”,and yet,an unintended consequence of the SROs’work is social exclusion and white saviorism.Originality:This scholarship investigates what can be done to dismantle the overreliance of conscious consumerism in an effort to finally strip white saviorism,and its role in the white savior industrial complex(WSIC),of its power.

An Analysis of Consumerism in Philip Roth’s Goodbye,Columbus

In Goodbye,Columbus,the lower-class Neil Krugman falls in love with the upper-class Brenda Patimkin partly driven by wealth,and the lovers’relationship and Brenda’s relationship with her family are deeply affected by consumerism.Therefore,this paper tries to elucidate the embodiment of consumerism in Goodbye,Columbus and the negative impacts caused by it,aiming to arouse the reflection on the money-oriented consumer society.

Consumerism Embodied in The Great Gatsby and Its Implications for Today's Chinese Society

The Great Gatsby was a classic of the 1920 s. The consumption phenomenon described, consumerism and its characteris-tics embodied in it were the true portrayal of society at that time. Also, the modern Chinese society looks exactly the same. Takinghistory as a mirror, the revelation of the book could enlighten Chinese society to solve current related problems and look into the fu-ture. Mainly, the research process is to read up, think deeply, use for reference and come up with new ideas.

Consumerism and the Sister Carrie's American Dream

From the aspect of consumerism to this text analyze Sister Carrie's"American dream"destruction. The author wholly and deeply analyzes the embodiment of consumerism in Dreiser's Sister Carrie and Dreiser's outlook and values under the effect of consumerism. To prove that the reason for destruction of Carrie's American dream is consumerism.

Consumerism in The Sun Also Rises

The Sun Also Rises,as the representative work of Ernest Hemingway,had been studied from various perspectives by the researchers.This thesis focuses on the consumerism culture in the novel.The theory of consumerism culture became a comparative⁃ly new theory after World War I and is now called consumerism.This thesis is divided into an introduction,the main body and a conclusion.The introduction shows the researches of home and abroad and comes up with the theme of consumerism revealed in The Sun Also Rises based on the researches.The main body consists of three parts.The first chapter discusses the rise of consumer⁃ism in The Sun Also Rises.By analyzing the social background and elements of consumerism,the thesis looks at the consumerism in the novel.The second chapter explores the attitudes of Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashely toward consumption as well as the con⁃sumption pattern in the novel.The last chapter discusses Hemingway’s value orientation,the pursuit for the consumption of the modern people and women as the prime consumer in contemporary society[18].The conclusion summarizes the main ideas discussed in the previous chapters and offers reflections on consumerism for contemporary China.

The Rise of Consumerism

The Double Take column looks at a single topic from an African and Chinese perspective. This month we discuss the habit of spending more than necessary.Irrelevant to Happiness TAIWO BLESSING OGUNSEYI A 36-year-old Nigerian lecturer in Yibin, Sichuan Province Consumerism, which is also referred to as materialism, is a condition where one buys goods not necessarily because they are needed, but to get some form of happiness from them, or for the status they confer.

Data,digital worlds,and the avatarization of health care

Significant technological trends are impacting health care,from consumerisation,datafication,circular economy,and platformization of services.Web 3.0,or the Internet of Value,enables direct peer-to-peer value exchange,opening up new business models that will impact health care.Among the many technologies that will also be part of the healthcare transformation is artificial intelligence,which shocked the world with the debut of ChatGPT in 2022.This opinion piece will explore how AI underpins the health transformation and,far from being an enemy of health,is the critical friend health care has been waiting for.

Omni-Channel Retailing and Firm Performance from a Customer Lifetime Value Perspective

In the digital era,retailers are keen to find out whether omni-channel retailing helps improve long-term firm performance.In this paper,we employ machine learning techniques on a large consumption data set in order to measure customer lifetime value(CLV)as the basis for determining long-term firm performance,and we provide an empirical analysis of the relationship between omni-channel retailing and CLV.The results suggest that omni-channel retailing may effectively enhance CLV.Further analysis reveals that this process is influenced by heterogeneous consumer requirements and that significant differences exist in the extent to which the omni-channel transition may influence CLV depending on consumer preferences for diversity of commodities,sensitivity to the cost of contract performance,and sensitivity to warehousing costs.Hence,retailers should provide consumers with a complete portfolio of goods and services based on target consumers’heterogeneous requirements in order to increase omni-channel efficiency.

Production Chain Length and PPI-CPI Divergence:Analysis Based on the Global Input-output Price Model

Productivity and international energy price shocks are reflected in PPI and CPI via industrial chains.China’s in-depth participation into the global value chains has increasingly lengthened its industrial production chains.The question is how the changing length of production chains will affect CPI and PPI,as well as CPI-PPI correlation?By constructing a global input-output price model,this paper offers a theoretical discussion on the impact of production chain length on the CPI-PPI divergence.Our findings suggest that the price shock of international bulk commodities has a greater impact on China’s PPI than that on CPI.The effects on both China’s PPI and CPI estimated by using the single-country input-output model are higher than the results estimated with the global input-output model.However,the difference between CPI and PPI variations estimated with the global input-output model is greater than the result estimated with the single-country input-output model,which supports the view that the lengthening of production chains,especially international production chains,leads to a divergence between CPI and PPI.Empirical results based on cross-national panel data also suggest that the lengthening of production chains has reduced the CPI-PPI correlation for countries,i.e.the lengthening of production chains has increased the PPI-CPI divergence.That is to say,policymakers should target not just CPI in maintaining price stability,but instead focus on the stability of both PPI and CPI.Efforts can be made to proactively adjust the price index system,and formulate the industrial chain price index.

Consumer Culture in The Great Gatsby

F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby successfully portrays the“Jazz Age”.In the early 20th century,the United States transitioned from a production-based society to a consumer-based society,leading to an era of unparalleled prosperity.However,in the context of consumer culture,individuals often transition from being masters of their possessions to becoming enslaved by them.As a result,their behaviours and values become increasingly associated with extravagance and consumption.This paper uses Baudrillard’s theory of consumer society and textual analysis to explore the impact of consumer culture on human beings through the symbolization of men and objectification of women in The Great Gatsby.The meanings embedded in the novel are revealed from a different perspective.

Application of Color Psychology in Korean Brand Identity Design-Etude House

The purpose of this analysis is to delve into the application of color psychology in the logo design of Korean cosmetic brands,using Etude House as an example for an exhaustive analysis.By examining the history of the Etude House brand,the evolution of the logo design,and the changes in color choices,we analyze the traditional concepts of color symbolism in Korean culture and the culture of color in contemporary society in order to reveal the important role of color in cosmetic brand image.Through an in-depth analysis of the use of color in Etude House’s brand identity,we further analyze the impact of color on consumer emotions and purchasing behavior,as well as the potential impact of brand identity changes on market performance.Finally,the conclusions of the analysis summarize the practical application of color psychology in Etude House’s brand logo design,suggest recommendations for other Korean cosmetic brands to draw upon in their logo design,and discuss future directions.

Study on the Influence of Food Packaging on the Psychology of Different Groups of Consumers

With the vigorous development of consumer culture in today’s society,various types of food packaging also appear in front of consumers in different forms.There are very big differences in food packaging in terms of shape,color,style and other aspects of information transmission,which have the most direct impact on the audience’s food consumption needs.Driven by the consumption-oriented society,food packaging has shown very obvious comprehensive characteristics,is significantly interdisciplinary,and has close connections with other disciplines.This article will analyze and sort out the impact of food packaging on consumer psychology from different perspectives.

Consumerism and Surveillance in Leighton Evans and Michael Saker's Location-Based Social Media:Space,Time,and Identity

In Location-Based Social Media:Space,Time,and Identity,Leighton Evans and Michael Saker present a comprehensive way of thinking about Location-Based Social Media Networking(LBSN)for a scholarly audience.The most basic understanding of LBSN is the act of“checking in”and sharing a location across a social network.However,Evans and Saker explain that this act of marking a physical presence in a place at a particular time creates profound effects on spatiality,identity,and temporality.Using Evans and Saker's work as a starting base for understanding the effects of LBSN on the individual,I study the implications of LBSN features in monolithic social media platforms as a tool for consumerism and surveillance for marketers,the state,and everyday individuals.

Consumers’ Perception and Knowledge of Food Additives in Senegal: A Pilot Study

Food safety has become a major concern for consumers, as well as a priority for regulatory authorities. Faced with the growing industrial and domestic use of food additives, many questions are being asked and concerns are being felt by consumers around the world. Consumer perception defines the acceptability or rejection of food products, and has an impact on consumption patterns and behavior. To assess the level of knowledge and perception of food additives, a pilot study was carried out on a sample of 200 people in Dakar and Saint-Louis. A questionnaire was used to assess the acceptance or rejection, use and impact of food additives by consumers in Senegal. The results revealed several aspects. On the whole, the people surveyed expressed great mistrust and even rejection of these substances added to food products. This consumer perception is shared throughout the world, as indicated in numerous surveys. It also emerges from this study that, although most consumers are aware of the existence of these additives and their uses in the home, they feel that the use of these substances in industrial production is too excessive. What’s more, consumers associate food additives with numerous pathologies such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and even sexual impotence. For some of these indexed pathologies, scientific studies have reached the same conclusions, although controversy still persists. On the other hand, for some of the other adverse effects mentioned, no cause-and-effect relationship has been scientifically demonstrated. In these latter cases, it seems that negative communication, misinformation and misconceptions have a major influence on consumer perception of food additives.

The competitive dynamics of Bangladesh and Turkey in apparel exports

Turkish-made apparel now costs approximately 40%more than similar products from Bangladesh,a gap that was only 15-20%a few years ago.This is creating opportunities for Bangladeshi exporters to attract consumer's attention.

EVENTS CALENDAR

China Sees Rising Retail Sales in Q1 China’s retail sales of consumer goods,a major indicator of the country’s consumption strength,climbed 4.7 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2024.The figure was slightly lower than the 5.5 percent rise registered during the January-February period,according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS).

Determinants of Online Buying Behaviour of Social Media Users in Cameroon

Online shopping in Cameroon is growing rapidly and gaining considerable ground.The phenomenon is relatively new as compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar store(serving customers face-to-face in a building rather than online).As the world faces digital transformations,businesses in Cameroon are seeking new ways to reach their customers and create favourable environments to effectively carryout online purchase.This study examines the factors that affect consumer online buying behaviour in Cameroon.Three theories guided this investigation:the Technology Acceptance Model(Davis,1989),Diffusion of Innovations Theory(Rogers,1995),and Uses and Gratifications Theory(Katz&Blumler,1974).The study focuses on students of the University of Buea who carry out online shopping.Purposive sampling is used,and data are collected from 365 respondents through a questionnaire with open and closed ended questions.Analysis of data is done with the use of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists(SPSS)Version 21 to determine the types of products consumers buy online;the degree to which consumer trust and satisfaction affect consumer loyalty;and the specific social,economic,and market factors that affect online buying behaviour.Findings indicate that:Consumers mostly buy fashion items(74.3%),electronics(44.7%),cosmetics(37.3%),and house equipment(34%)online.Consumers will repeat purchase from a marketer if they trust and are satisfied with the product and service quality(81.1%);hence,they will also encourage others to buy.If they are dissatisfied,they will not repeat purchase from the online store.Advertisement(76.1%),attractive pricing/discount(71.7%),product quality(71%),service quality(64.1%),convenience(72.3%),available income/money(49.6%),word of mouth recommendation(41.9%),and personal motivation(62.7%)constitute the major factors that affect consumer online buying behaviour.Results of the hypotheses testing show that:H1=Consumers buy more of fashion items online(X^(2)=9.950;df=16;p=0.869);H2=There is a significant relationship between trust and satisfaction and consumers online buying behaviour(X^(2)=270.765;df=16;p=0.000);and H3=Social,economic,and market factors significantly affect consumer online buying behaviour(X^(2)=106.328;df=16;p=0.000).The study recommends online marketers to develop their marketing strategies towards customer orientation and focus on the ease of use of their online shopping services.

The Prediction for the Consumer Price Index of Residents in Perspective of Time Series Method in Case of Chongqing

The consumer price index (CPI) measures the relative number of changes in the price level of consumer goods and services over time, reflecting the trend and degree of changes in the price level of goods and services purchased by residents. This article uses the ARMA model to analyze the fluctuation trend of the CPI (taking Chongqing as an example) and make short-term predictions. To test the predictive performance of the model, the observation values from January to December 2023 were retained as the reference object for evaluating the predictive accuracy of the model. Finally, through trial predictions of the data from May to August 2023, it was found that the constructed model had good fitting performance.

Trust beyond Technology Algorithms: A Theoretical Exploration of Consumer Trust and Behavior in Technological Consumption and AI Projects

In an era dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), establishing customer confidence is crucial for the integration and acceptance of AI technologies. This interdisciplinary study examines factors influencing customer trust in AI systems through a mixed-methods approach, blending quantitative analysis with qualitative insights to create a comprehensive conceptual framework. Quantitatively, the study analyzes responses from 1248 participants using structural equation modeling (SEM), exploring interactions between technological factors like perceived usefulness and transparency, psychological factors including perceived risk and domain expertise, and organizational factors such as leadership support and ethical accountability. The results confirm the model, showing significant impacts of these factors on consumer trust and AI adoption attitudes. Qualitatively, the study includes 35 semi-structured interviews and five case studies, providing deeper insight into the dynamics shaping trust. Key themes identified include the necessity of explainability, domain competence, corporate culture, and stakeholder engagement in fostering trust. The qualitative findings complement the quantitative data, highlighting the complex interplay between technology capabilities, human perceptions, and organizational practices in establishing trust in AI. By integrating these findings, the study proposes a novel conceptual model that elucidates how various elements collectively influence consumer trust in AI. This model not only advances theoretical understanding but also offers practical implications for businesses and policymakers. The research contributes to the discourse on trust creation and decision-making in technology, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary efforts to address societal challenges associated with technological advancements. It lays the groundwork for future research, including longitudinal, cross-cultural, and industry-specific studies, to further explore consumer trust in AI.

Black Professor/Consumerism/JFK,etc

1998/3/7(篇中的比喻头透出了强烈的求知欲。没有这点精神,岂能过关斩将?) Now I am really looking forward to taking the modern literature course next term.The focus of the course will be proses and poems,both British and American