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Sociedad de consumo y globalización
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Consumer society and globalización
Automatically translated into English thanks to WorldLingo
They summarize
the present article must by objective unfold a critical analysis to the present state of the globalización of the markets, in relation to the consumer society. It presents/displays some habits of consumption in selected groups, the analysis of the cultural interchange like part of the globalización, and finally some strategies to maintain a habit of sustainable consumption.

Abstract
The present article there are goal ace to show to critical present analysis of the situation of the market globalization, related to the consumption society. It presents some consumption habits in specific target groups, the cultural analysis of the exchange ace part of the globalization and finally, some strategies to keep sustainable consumption habits.

Key words
responsible Consumption, sustainable consumption, sustainable consumption, globalización, markets, cultural interchange, habits.

Key words
Responsible consumption, sustainable consumption, globalization, markets, cultural exchange, habits.

Introduction
When analyzing the present consumption of the world-wide population, we can understand the imbalance that appears in the society. A series of questions opens this document, so that the reader is in capacity to present/display critical points of view with respect to the perspective of the author: Cambian the habits of consumption in the society when changing the cultural context of the consumer? , Is altered the consumption patterns when the economic circumstances also do it? And finally, Existen strategies to maintain habits of responsible consumption in the people? The presented/displayed work next, is the result of the observation and investigation on the part of the author in different scenes throughout the world.

The society and its habits of consumption
When we spoke of consumption habits, it is fundamental to understand some terms. In order to begin, what is understood by consumption? The simplest aspect to define it is to do use of goods or services. From the economy, the consumption is defined as? the individual use of the produced goods, () and it is possible to be spoken of consumption of services? (MÉNDEZ, 1996). The difference between one and another definition are in means: the money. Nevertheless, from the perspective of the analysis that I present/display in this article, we cannot be limited the money exclusively: we consumed some goods and services that do not have price, until the moment. For example, some years ago, he was inaudito to think that if in a site, restaurant llámese, for example, water was requested, this one would come in bottle and in the end would be reflected in the invoice. On the other hand, at the moment it is being spoken of oxygen bars: places where people attend a? to breathe clean air. He is incredible, but it is enough with entering Internet and looking for this to understand its magnitude.
However, it is important to speak of the habits of consumption in the society. Nevertheless, it would be very general east term like so, since we found consumption patterns heterogenous, defined according to the characteristics of the objective group, for example, according to the spending power. He is then where he would be useful to analyze, in first instance, the habits of individual consumption. A person, in general, can present/display a habit of settled down consumption, according to her social context, cultural and economic mainly. In order to analyze this, a factor evaluation is the amount of generated remainders. To greater spending power, for a context of developing country, and in individual in a city like Bogota, greater amount of remainders is generated. This is what it is known like index of production per capita and this established according to the evaluations developed by the different beings as much public as academic.
Bogota, particular case in this example, is divided in six socioeconomic layers; those of greater spending power, have an index much greater than those of minor spending power. The remainders of first, are characterized mainly by plastics and other reciclables materials, whereas the second group, fundamentally has a high content of organic remainders.

In developed countries it happens something very similar. But, how are related the individual habits of consumption, with the groups? Good, it is precise to understand how first east is related index to the surroundings: the particular community to being analyzed, by means of its spending power, increases its consumption of goods and services, and as well, the sophistication of these, declared in the packing (the plastics, icopor, etc.). As well, in social surroundings of this individual one is influenced, changing some habits of consumption. Let us see a particular case: an individual acquires a plasma television set in Panama, its purchase has a value of USD 1600, which in physical price implies a saving of USD 400. When presenting/displaying it to their friends, they animate themselves to change his and after some type of economic effort (trip, sacrifice of savings or credit entiéndase) they change it. The remainders that will be in their surroundings, demonstrate a change in a consumption habit. However, if this case is absolutely particular, it can be translated to goods or services as the water consumption, energy, foods, etc. and this allows to analyze of detailed way one of the factors of change in the community.

The individual being can be a source to characterize the society. At the moment this term is very ample, but for effects of the analysis, I will define the society like? permanent meeting of people, towns or nations that coexist and are related under common laws? (NORM, s.d.). When the individual meets permanently with similars they generate groups with common characteristics. Now, when we analyzed the consumption, to do it with the individual it can be complex as much methodologic as economically. It is why the market studies, must aim to find the points general that they allow to arrive at the individuals through group. How is obtained this? In order to respond to this question, we must be questioned first in an aspect that extends in the individual like being: what requires the being? And the answer is: to satisfy its necessities. Then, it is where the society enters being fundamental. It is important to find something that? need? the society. It is important to be able to find those things that the being requires to be well. Necessities like food, company, espiritualidad, etc., are manipulated so that the society acquires goods and services that allow him to obtain luxuries. And, how happens this? Let us think a little while about a particular case: the necessity to be dresses. The individual needs to have a dress. If the market is analyzed, are different ranks from price for the trousers. Some with? good will? greater than others, which allows them to receive more. But, how becomes a necessity having more expensive trousers? Simply because this one trousers generate a greater well-being, translated in her form, or which some famous person uses or because their designs are unique. The same it happens with most of products. Which are those added values that we often do not understand, but that we generally are at readiness to pay, as long as we have the resources? The answer is the change of conception in the term luxury. No longer it is a luxury to have a cellular one, is a necessity. No longer it is a luxury to have an electronic mail, is a necessity.

All this has a political and economic foundation. After the economic crises in the United States of America and Europe, a strategy of development arose, expressed by Victor Lebow (DURNING, 1992), who shows the following thing:
Our great productive economy? demand that we make of the consumption our form of life, which we turn the purchases and the use of goods rituals, that we find our satisfaction spiritual, our satisfaction of the ego in the consumption? we needed that the consumed, burned things, replaced and rejected in a cup of permanent acceleration?
S.A. to read this is understood the relation that exists at the moment between the consumer society and the market, including its dynamics, is clear that Lebow fulfilled its assignment and is moment for reevaluar the schemes and habits of consumption on which we counted.

The cultural interchange as it leaves from the globalización
the globalización arises like a process where the world-wide markets are opened to the different socioeconomic groups. To speak of globalización one decade ago, was a relatively new subject, without considering that this one has been developed for more than 1500 years. Examples like the trips of Marco Polo or the Vikingos, that by generations explored unknown earth bringing products or new ideas, allow to understand that the globalización us not this closed exclusively to markets, including also the world of the ideas.

From the decade of 1990, the flow of information generated by the use of Internet, opened the door for new forms of globalización. The use of the electronic mail approached the people with information in real time. Tools that falsified the knowledge interchange, such as the teleconferencings, the videoconferencias and the participation of social networks, extended the vision of the world-wide community front to the cultures. To know, for example, through a video how a group of young people expresses their musical tastes, or how through this same means conferences occur on different subjects, has allowed that the society extends its horizons in the different schemes from participation.

Before, the cultural interchange was developed exclusively by means of the physical displacement of the people. As particular cases as the visits to the borders, or cities concurred in different countries, were the clear example of globalización. To visit these sites required to physically prepare itself, mental and economically. For example, to visit the museum of Louvre it was necessary to have visa for France, tiquetes of airplane, lodging, feeding, taxes of exit, gifts for the family and tiquetes from entrance to the museum, among others. Now, with digitar a direction in an explorer, this type of costs is reduced. Nevertheless, it is not possible to be compared as opposed to to see a work in front seeing some of the photographies, but it is a very good alternative to know different panoramas. It is of this form, which we spoke of cultural globalización, which also fortifies the economic interchange through the virtual purchases and mailboxes, for example.
Also we can speak of environmental or ecological globalización, when the battles of local significance generate impacts global. This has been known like glocalización, term that arises at the end of the decade of 1990, when the globalización phenomena begin an accelerated development. The global heating has taken the spear from this subject, from the film? an uncomfortable truth? of the exvicepresidente of the United States, Al Gore. Actions as the industrial development or the incomplete combustion of the vehicle park generates effect gases conservatory in a so high cup, that the surroundings are not able to assimilate them. But other actions like the disposition of dangerous remainders to the water sources, the commerce and illegal use of fauna and flora, the change nonadapted in the use of the ground, among others, also affect the world-wide panorama. Information like GEO 4 of the Program of the Nations United for Environment - PNUMA, published recently, and the quarter reports of the IPCC, agree in which? the environmental degradation () it affects all the aspects of the human well-being. () The atmosphere provides essential material goods and an economic base for the emprendimiento? (PNUMA, 2008). Of this form, the battles of local significance that do not count on strategies of environmental prevention, affect the immediate surroundings directly and have consequences on other surroundings. A particular case is the one of the Bogota river, which is affected by the unloading of chemistries in Villapinzón, the organic and chemical unloading of the affluents in Bogota and the fertilizer unloading in some zones of the Savannah of Bogota. The affected ones by this are not single the inhabitants of these three points, but also those that live waters down, and in different scale, coastal zones and navies and international.

It is possible to ask to us if our actions contribute positively or negatively to the local or global environmental deterioration and how, the cultural interchange has game in this subject. Nevertheless, we will not go deep at this moment on these subjects, because our objective is simply to analyze the context of the human being front to the consumption.

We can analyze other forms of cultural interchange. When we left our context, the tendencies in the consumption of goods and services, increase. The particular case of an international event can be analyzed from the point of view of the sustainable consumption. Previously it mentioned the implications to go on a trip, we see the most thorough case: an international conference implies the following thing: Aerial and hotel reserves, rent of the work site, services of refrigerio, lunch and suppers, internal transport, stationery store and other several that can be contemplated in more particular cases. However, moving from a city or country to another one, implies to do use of fuels, generating an increase in the production of carbon dioxide. The displacement in airplane is generally used due to the distances or required times. But, analyzing the flow of passengers in the main airports, it is possible to ask to us if the solution would be in flying less. From the clean production, the answer can take different shades, but it will finish for being propositive and making a use of the present resources and a development of alternative proposals efficient that allow to generate negative an impact smaller.

On the other hand, when arriving at the destination airport, different situations, mainly the one arise to arrive at the hotel or place from lodging. For this, a vehicle can be contracted a public transport service, joint vehicle (offered by different hotels), taxi (that in some countries has a high cost), or be rented to a specialized company. In certain cities, the last tendency is the use of helicopters. Which of these options is more appropriate with the atmosphere? , it is a question that nor still in the Councils of Administration of the PNUMA has been gotten to solve.

After to have solved the previous point, the visitor is with the lodging. A reserve in a place has been made generally that allows to tell on comfort and good attention him. 90% of the meetings developed by international organisms look for hotels of 4 or 5 stars, in simple or double accomodation, depending on the type of meeting.

The tendency found after to have had the opportunity to attend some of these meetings, is the one of the increase in the use of resources such as water, by means of prolonged showers more of the common thing, baths in bathtub, if time and changes in lencería and towels have left, which are washed to newspaper; generation of remainders by the packing of the cleanliness articles, which in their majority are in small bottles; electricity, because in each room it is counted at least on five small pumps, in his majority incandescent, television, radio, and in some cases, irons and hair dryer; feeding, since an increase is generated in the demand of food, different from the customary consumption.

All this, without counting on the purchases that are made as souvenirs of the visits. This it is perhaps, the most important point in the subject of the globalización as opposed to the cultural interchange, where the technology and the fashion are the main factors of globalización. Ver en revistas o Internet nuevas tendencias y tener la oportunidad de conseguirlo a un mejor precio o sin IVA , es un factor determinante en el consumo de bienes y servicios. Sin embargo, actualmente se cuenta con otro tipo de ofertas que trascienden estos dos casos: visitas a lugares exóticos, observación de aves, visitas a museos o lugares con sentido arqueológico y hasta fiestas de carácter mundial, son algunos de los ejemplos de cómo los mercados se están transformando a través de las ?nuevas necesidades? identificadas.

¿Quién las identifica? ¿Quién determina si son o no necesidades? ¿Quién ofrece satisfacerlas? Son preguntas que definitivamente dependen de un análisis profundo.

Estrategias para mantener un hábito de consumo sustentable
Al estar frente a una decisión, se hace fundamental responder a diferentes preguntas: ¿realmente esto satisface mi necesidad, o simplemente es un lujo? ¿Esta necesidad es un lujo disfrazado por las herramientas de comunicación, o presenta la realidad? ¿Existe una forma de hacer un uso óptimo o más eficiente al que actualmente estoy desarrollando?

Para casos particulares, evitemos generar residuos, adquirir bienes o servicios que no necesitamos, adquirir cosas que sabemos que se convertirán en basura como artículos con muchos empaques o productos tecnológicos obsoletos. Promovamos el uso de medios de transporte alternativo como patines, bicicleta o transporte público masivo, los cuales nos exigen caminar más. En el caso de las conferencias, es importante poder promover el uso de las tecnologías de la información y comunicación, a través de programas de tele y videoconferencia, reportes virtuales o reuniones a través de mensajería instantánea. En América Latina y el Caribe, hace unas semanas, se desarrolló la primera web-conferencia desarrollada por y para jóvenes, con invitados de 5 nacionalidades, promovida por la red TUNZA ? GEO Juvenil (PNUMA) y Taking it Global, donde participaron más de 50 jóvenes. Si calculamos el ahorro que un evento de esta índole puede tener, podríamos invertir más en proyectos de desarrollo comunitario, social o ambiental.
Por otra parte, ya no podemos hablar de movimientos anti-globalización. Como jóvenes, es fundamental que estemos preparados para el cambio y seamos propositivos en vez de reactivos. Como grupo activo de la sociedad, somos quienes mayor consumo de bienes o servicios generamos y es nuestra responsabilidad generar actitudes y criterios al momento de decidir qué adquiriremos. Atravesamos por una etapa de inquietud física, mental y emocional que debe ser utilizada para generar nuevos hábitos y transmitir nuestras ideas a las generaciones actuales y futuras.

?No permitas que nadie menosprecie tu juventud; antes, sé ejemplo de los creyentes en palabra, conducta, amor, fe y pureza.?

Bibliografía
DURING, A., (1992). How much is Enough? The consumer society and the future of the Earth. Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc. 1ra Edición.
MENDEZ, J. S., (1996). Fundamentos de la Economía. McGraw-Hill Editores. México. 3ra Edición. Pg 7.
NORMA. S.d. Diccionario ilustrado del conocimiento NORMA. 6. Voz ?Sociedad?, pg 2133.
PNUMA, 2008. Global Environment Outlook ? 4. pp. 4

May 27, 2008 | 7:31 PM Comments  0 comments
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Primera Aproximación a un nuevo método para la solución de conflictos ambientales

El hacer ciencia o resolver conflictos, el tratar de entenderlos y de proponer soluciones integrales, ha sido, desde que tengo uso de razón, el tema que nos han inculcado como protagonistas de la sociedad.

Y cuando simplemente cierro los ojos y miro dentro de mí, me encuentro no solo con diferentes paradigmas cruzados, sino también con diferentes modelos idealizados que también desde niños nos han planteado. Y es entonces cuando nos preguntamos, analizando la situación actual, si es esto lo que debemos seguir, entendiendo que desde el principio del llamado desarrollo, nada ha permitido resolver completamente los conflictos y problemas.

Y es entonces cuando, personalmente, me pregunto si el cambio de paradigma hará parte de nuestra solución, o si el cambio en nuestras actitudes, sin dejar de lado el cambio paradigmático, es lo que debemos hacer.

Es complejo y a la vez sensacional, comprender que los nuevos modelos se han desarrollado en torno al cambio en la forma de pensar de las personas. El problema que nos encontramos cada día, sin embargo, es que el cambio no es tan rápido como nosotros queremos, y cada día los problemas se acumulan sobre nosotros y vemos que la situación ambiental se deteriora más rápido.

Y como ingenieros, es necesario poder encontrar soluciones, así como los médicos encuentran soluciones a los problemas de la sociedad y los políticos a los problemas del pueblo. El único problema que podemos es el comportamiento humano, pero visto un poco más allá de la simple conducta antrópica la misma esencia del ser que ha dejado de ser humano para pasar a ser prácticamente mecánico, influenciado en muchas oportunidades, por los diferentes pensadores que han ayudado en la formación paradigmática actual.

Ahora bien, no es juzgar o culpar a las personas, sino proponer alternativas un poco más severas en la solución de los problemas que nos aquejan y buscar, como muchos, la prevención a las situaciones que nos puedan aquejar en el futuro: ir dos pasos adelante.

Para esto, es necesario pensar, más que en un método como tal, en un modelo, que si bien es cierto, puede ser llamado así, no busque encasillar pasos prácticos para el desarrollo de un problema que arroje como resultados, satisfacciones inequívocas.

En este punto, y comparando el discurso cartesiano, podríamos hacer una crítica a éste, apoyarlo tal vez, o simplemente ser completamente innovador con tal. Y pues como antes he dicho, debemos buscar nuevos modelos a seguir, nuevas formas de ver la problemática, nuevas formas de afrontarlas y sobre todo, nuevas formas de proponer evitarla, no entendiendo esto como huirle, mas como darle la cara para solucionarla.

Y rompiendo el paradigma, es necesario que primero busquemos cuál es el problema ambiental que queremos tratar. Y cuando me refiero a problema ambiental, no solo abarcamos el campo ecológico, mas el social, el económico, el cultural y el político, entre otros, ya que si entendemos como ambiente al todo, entonces no podemos desligar la idea que nos proporcione cada asunto, y es por esto que debemos ver la problemática desde una perspectiva holística.

Y para contemplar un nuevo modelo, es necesario primero, poder entender qué es lo que nos afecta. No solo a nosotros como personas sino a nuestro entorno, ya que si solo lo vemos antropológicamente, estamos cayendo en el mismo error del pasado. Entonces es necesario ir un poco más allá y poder analizar, entonces, el problema que como sistema holístico, nos esta afectando.

Cuando ya tenemos el problema identificado, es importante ver cuáles son las variables que están involucradas en el problema. Estas son variables internas y externas, directas e indirectas. Esto puede ser algo complejo, diría yo, pero es necesario que veamos todas las posibilidades que se están tratando y que pueden perjudicar nuestro entorno y están causando, como diría Prigogine, un desorden mayor a nuestro ambiente.

Entonces, cuando ya tengamos las variables, es preciso interrelacionar estas variables, creando un modelo comparativo que nos muestre posibles alternativas. Estas variables, como ya mencioné, son de tipo social, ecológico, económico, cultural y político entre otras.
Con esto pasamos a un punto de gran importancia, y es proponer alternativas para la solución, teniendo en cuenta estos factores de los que hemos hablado, en un contexto integrador, mostrándonos posibles soluciones a nuestros conflictos ambientales.

Finalmente, después de aplicar nuestro nuevo modelo, es conveniente poder evaluar, no solo al final del trabajo, sino durante periodos dentro del mismo. Esto nos proporciona una retroalimentación que permite avanzar en la búsqueda de la implementación y mejora de cada uno de nuestros programas de conflicto y problemática ambiental.

En síntesis nuestro modelo debe tener los siguientes pasos:
1. Entender nuestro conflicto o problema de una forma integral.
2. Plantear las variables que afectan dicho conflicto
3. Interrelacionar estas variables
4. Proponer alternativas para la solución
5. Aplicar el modelo y autoevaluar

Los modelos, métodos y demás, valga la aclaración, simplemente son para solucionar asuntos momentáneos, ya que nos encontramos en una sociedad cambiante que cada día innova en los diferentes procesos del conocimiento y aunque entendamos la globalización como el proceso de homogenizar las culturas, es importante entender que estas homogenizaciones son en cualquier campo, menos en el pensamiento, donde cada día somos más diversos.

Es por esto que el modelo propuesto es muy general, y por eso, es aplicable a diferentes asuntos actuales, pero a medida que pase el tiempo y “evolucionen” los sistemas ambientales y las problemáticas, será necesario replantear estos nuevos paradigmas, y modelos de solución.

Las cosas no están dichas, pero podemos hacer una buena aproximación a la solución de los conflictos ambientales que hoy nos aquejan.

March 11, 2004 | 10:07 PM Comments  0 comments
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