In a world that is marked by homogeneity, capitalism has favorable conditions to grow. However with changes in thinking and urban theory, instead of describing this concept in terms of production, it is now consumption that defines our times. We are living in a consumer society or a consumerist culture because consumption drives production instead of it being the other way around. People have now become more liberal in the way they live their lives. There are no specific rules to follow and changing lifestyles mean everyone would want something different. This results in increased variety and expanded range of goods and services at people's disposal. Combine this with more disposable income and you have consumerism on hands. People are no longer afraid to live their dream lives and this often means fewer savings. Interestingly, consumers are not worried about that. It appears as if the fears that drove people to save in the modernist world have now been replaced by a sense of unprecedented freedom. This freedom translates into freedom of choice, increased demand for sophisticated goods, and more traveling and less savings. But the dwellers of a postmodern city do not really have a problem with that. They are happy being able to spend as and when they wish. They have higher incomes than they had ever before, greater access to credit, which was unheard of in modernist era and an insatiable appetite for entertainment.
References
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