WAL-MART CULTURE

Wal-Mart Culture

Wal-Mart Culture

During the last few decades, many observers became increasingly convinced that societies were changing in their orientation from production to consumption (McKendrick, Brewer, and Plumb 1982; Campbell 1987). Two other factors, however, played a more immediate role in precipitating this area's growth. The first is the “cultural turn” in sociology: the realization of culture's fundamental role in understanding society (Alexander 1990). Consumer goods are, after all, cultural artifacts.

Gartman (1991) argues that product designs frequently mask rather than accentuate class differences; his analysis of automobiles provides much support for this position. Furthermore, powerhouse retailers like Wal-Mart and Kmart ...