Role of Cultural Production and Consumption in the New Economies - Essay Example

Ethnographic Research Project Contents Introduction 3 Aims and objectives 4 Methodology 4 Literature Review 5 Findings 7 Ethnographic research 7 Roleof cultural production and consumption in the new economies 8 Importance of brands and branding 8 Development of new promotional cultures 9 Links between production and consumption 10 Conclusion 10 References 12 Introduction In the era of globalization the force of creativity and innovation are driving the economy of the society. The issues of political, cultural, social, economical and technological have a huge contribution in the development of any country and its industries. In creative economy the growth strategy focuses on the development of the resources in the best possible way. By the detailed and in-depth study of people and their ordinary practices in their everyday environment a proper investigation of cultural production can be done. This research will help to know what people intend to do. Different cultures are affecting the present market conditions and business process. People belonging from various cultures behave in certain ways in their day to day activities. The goods are produced and consumed according to their lifestyle and culture. The companies are also very aware of this. They manufacture and sell goods and services according to the tastes and preferences of its customers. By studying the culture of its targeted customers different brands have developed its brand image. Brand has a strong relation with the product which has unique characterises. It builds up a strong image of the product on the mind of the customer which portrays the status and taste of the customers. The social, personal and cultural identity of people defines the relationship between the production and consumptions. The development of new promotional culture helps to attract more customers. The brands are perceived in a different way for this new promotional culture. Aims and objectives The topic of this research paper is ethnography. The main aim of this paper is assessing the role of consumption and cultural production in the present time of new economies. In the modern time the production of the company is highly dependent on the cultural tastes of the customers. The research paper describes the importance of brands and branding in this context. The objectives of this paper are to explain the contribution of design and aesthetics for the development of various promotional cultures by the companies. The research paper will also focus on the process by which consumption shapes our experiences, relationships by opening up different ethical questions. The assignment has also emphasised on the link between consumption and production which has affected many cultural industries. Methodology This research paper is done on the study of primary and secondary data. Primary Research is the most important part of this project. A detailed study of this people and their day to day activities is done on the basis primary research. In this research the data are collected through interviews, direct observations, experiments etc. Fieldwork in particular locations are done for collecting raw data. The advantage of this research is that the information is gathered from various sources which are reliable. This type of research focuses on specific issues to analyze different causes. Many types of information are collected from this research which helps to show the relation between cultural production and consumptions. Some amount of secondary research is also done here. Information is taken from different books, journals explaining ethnography. Literature Review According to Paul Atkinson and Martyn Hammersley ethnography is one of the important parts of the social research study. It involves fieldwork, qualitative inquiry etc. In the Western sociology ethnography is an important model of research. Customer cultural consumption is described through ethnography. With the advancement of the society ethnography has spread into human psychology and geography. Ethnography plays an important role in the performance of different promotional activities and qualitative approaches by the companies. This process is influenced by many theoretical ideas, philosophy and sociological functions. The authors say that ethnography plays an important role in the social science of this century. A research of people’s daily life for a long period of time is done by this process. Detailed observations, asking formal and informal questions collecting documents are done in ethnography. Their social and cultural life is judged by this process (Hammersley and Atkinson, 2007). As per the author Ann Gray understanding culture of its customer is an important task of a business. Culture is present in every art of the social life of the people. It plays a significant role in the everyday life of the people. Ethnographic method helps in the study of culture in the people life by a set of qualitative methods. Culture creates a strong relationship between the producers and the consumers. Different people and companies have different types of culture which influences the whole business process. People purchase goods according to their specific culture. Demand of the goods is also based on this. Cultural needs give rise to various needs and according to those needs the company produces the products. The firms also follow certain organizational cultures which influence its business (Gray, 2002). The writer Andy Pratt has explained various perspective of production of culture and its impact on the new economic system. According to him analysis of consumption plays a significant role in the economy. Production of culture has a relation with creative consumption. Different types of culture influences the economic system of the society. By performing various cultural activities people often show off their status which influences the economic condition of the society. The new economic system of the society shapes the cultural activities of the people. The working practice of the people influences the cultural production process. Many problems rise in cultural identity and autonomy for different effects of the media. Sometimes media, work life etc influences their cultural behaviour of the people which changes their tastes and preferences (Pratt, 2004). According to Simon Anholt the rapid advancement of the globalisation has created a very competitive environment for the companies. To retain its customers and to attract more customers the companies adopt different branding strategies which creates a unique image of the brand and its product in the minds of the customers. With the advancement of the technology and the change in the demand and supply of the products a new type of promotional culture has been developed by the brands. As per the writer this leads to the significant change in the promotional culture of the company. With the changing environment the company changes its promotional strategies for creating a unique impression in the customers mind. The cultures of the people is modifying and changing with time. The brands use these issues in promoting its products (Anholt, 2006). As per the writer Davide Ravasi and Gabriella Lojacono, design and aesthetic also plays an important role in developing new type of promotional cultures. Culture of the people is often reflected in their design and aesthetic sense. The brands design its corporate strategies according to that. Outstanding and innovative product design creates an impact in the building new promotional culture. By the detail study of people the views of them on product design and aesthetic can be known. Smart clothing style with unique design portraits the cultural value of the people. Continuous product innovation contributes in the new economic environment of the country. According to the author Julie Guthman production and consumption has a strong relation. The cultural industries produce goods and services according to the organisational culture. F or globalization different types of people work together in a same company serving the same goal and objectives. The cultural diversity creates an impact in the development of the company along with the development of the economy. Consumption trend of the people also denotes their cultural trend. Economic situation of the country is also affected by this (Guthman, 2002). Findings Ethnographic research The systematic study of different culture and the people of particular locations are known as ethnographic research. This research is done to observe the society and explore different phenomena of culture. This research is mainly done through primary research methods. Field work is an important part of this type of research. People of particular locations are questioned in a formal or informal way or observed directly to have an idea about their activities in the day to day life. Their habits and culture can be well identified by this research process. Ethnographic research is an important part of the social research process. The economic condition and the impact of cultural factors on it are evaluated on the basis of this. This research is used as a key strategy by the corporate bodies for innovating new products by understanding the needs and preference of the customers. This research helps to judge people’s behaviour in an indirect way. Ethnographic research focuses on the new market and the new economic system of the country. It describes the potentiality of the businesses in satisfying the production and consumption needs. By conducting this research the companies get an idea about the necessary things required to improve their promotional activities for attracting more customers. Role of cultural production and consumption in the new economies There is a strong relationship between cultural production and consumption. This relationship has a significant impact in the new economic system of the country. Here the production and consumption are done on the basis of culture. Therefore many aspects of social life are related with this. Different culture creates different needs of the people. The company produces various products satisfying those cultural needs of the people. The growth of the creative and cultural sectors creates a positive impact in the overall economic condition of a country. Music, cinema and other cultural and creative performances contributes a lot in the economic development. The improvement in the cultural production helps to create many new products and services which attract many customers. The new type of goods and services increases the product consumption which benefits the economy. In cultural production the use of mental resources is predominant for manufacturing a creative and cultural product. These products fulfil the wants and desires of the customers in a satisfactory way. The cultural goods provide the opportunities in showing the social difference by the customers. Therefore culture is a valuable aspect both in the consumption and production process which influences the modern economy. Importance of brands and branding Branding is an important part of marketing strategies of a business. Branding explains the cultural relation of the company with the customers. The brands create an image in the mind of the consumer about its uniqueness and special characterises. By the detailed study of the people the companies get aware of their cultural needs and requirements of its customers. So the company makes its branding strategies in such a way which establishes a strong cultural bond with the people. The values of the customers are given importance by the branding policies of the company. The logo of the brands also depicts the cultural value of the company. The organizations put a huge effort to build a brand and create its identity. It maintains a status in the society by its product and services. The cultural difference of the people is often highlighted by the brands. The product range of the brand and its branding strategies focuses on the cultural environment of the customers which influences their communication process. The study of its customer’s culture helps to introduce and improve the investments of the branding activities. These investments help in the contributing money in the new economic system of the country. Development of new promotional cultures Promotional activities are the most important part in the growth of the business. Every company needs promotional tools to promote its product in the market and to enhance its sales. Effective promotional activities help a brand to generate huge revenue. In the modern world the promotional activates of a product and service are done by giving importance the cultural issues of the society and its customers. Advertising about a product by showcasing a cultural issue or events attracts the attention of more people. This type of promotional activities increases the customer base of the company. Globalization helps to create a mixture of different cultures which the company focuses during the promotions of its products. The new promotional cultures like advertising its product on social media sites and many other different websites helps in the branding activities of the company. People have now become very much use to the modern technology which creates a strong impact on their cultural factors. A detail analysis is done on the social environment for implementing different promotional activities. The cultural products of the brands need cultural promotions and that is why the promotional activities of those companies follow various cultures of promotions. Links between production and consumption Production and consumption are related to each other. There is a strong link in between these two things. Goods and services are produced on the basis of demand of the people. In the modern times the company produces goods according to the cultural needs of the people. Consumptions of the product and services are highly depending on the cultural issues of the customers. Different cultures have different cultural requirements and rituals. These things distinguish the people from each other. Tastes and preferences of the people differ according to their cultures. The research of the people and their day to day activities shows that consumption of the goods and services by them is related directly to their cultural issues. The company which produces creative and cultural goods focuses on these issues. They manufacture the products keeping in mind the cultural taste on its customers. Therefore the production of goods by those companies depends largely on the cultural factors. Media plays an important role in enhancing this cultural issues and generating revenue from it. With the help of its strong analysis and detailed research the companies become aware of the needs and requirements of the people and implement different strategies of developing its business on the basis of those issues. Conclusion Researches towards innovation and creativity are the driving forces of the modern economy. The tastes and preferences have been the parameters of the consumers to buy products and continuous innovation in the fields of research and development has paved the way for competition in the market scenario. As discussed above the role of culture cannot be denied while analyzing the demand of the consumers. The prime aim of the paper has been on discussing the role of consumption and cultural production that acts as the stepping stone to generate demand. The paper has considered both types of research methodologies under consideration namely primary and secondary. The objective of conducting ethnographic research is to observe the society and consider the cultural phenomena. The contribution of music and other creative performances in the development of the society is not a hidden secret. The newly developed goods and services contribute in attracting consumers which in turn causes the consumption level to rise. The rise in consumption level affects economic development. The advanced form of promotional activities performed for a brand to generate demand paves the way for higher revenue generation. The role of globalization in this scenario is important. Consumers are now habituated with advanced form of advertising techniques and social media is regarded as the tool to promote the products. References Anholt. S., 2006. Competitive Identity: The New Brand Management for Nations, Cities and Regions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Gray. A., 2002. Research Practice for Cultural Studies: Ethnographic Methods and Lived Cultures. London: SAGA. Guthman, J., 2002. Commodified meanings, meaningful commodities: Re–thinking production–consumption links through the organic system of provision. Sociologia ruralis. 42(4). pp 295-311. Hammersley, M., and Atkinson, P., 2007. Ethnography: Principles in Practice. Canada: Routledge. Pratt, A. C., 2004. The Cultural Economy A Call for Spatialized ‘Production of Culture’Perspectives. International journal of cultural studies. 7(1). pp. 117-128. Ravasi, D., and Lojacono, G. 2005. Managing design and designers for strategic renewal. Long range planning. 38(1), pp. 51-77. Read More