Choose either the concept of cultural diffusion (voluntary/consented change in culture) or cultural imperialism (enforced/pressured change in culture) and using specific examples explain how transnational corporations either intentionally or unintentionally spread consumerism through your chosen concept.

Cultural diffusion is the process which ideas of a particular culture are spread throughout the culture that the ideas were not originated from. In short, the ideas of a particular culture are shared with other cultures. Transnational corporations are the leaders of this process and they either intentionally or unintentionally spread consumerism through cultural diffusion. Tomlinson quoted that Third World consumers were said to be coerced to buy goods – jeans, watches, perfumes, televisions – which had no real meaning for them and played no authentic role in their culture.

           The Barbie dolls, Junk food, designer jeans, and Playboy magazines are great examples of things that symbolize materialism. These are things that people can live without. Large transnational corporations spread products that make people materialist. People can live without Jeans but many corporations make jeans which are originated from America. In the Philippines which is more than 10 hours apart by flight has lots of malls with lots of clothing shops such as Guess, Boss, and Diesel which are shops that sell jeans. This shows the power of cultural diffusion and how the transnational corporations have made people buy jeans which is a sigh of consumerism. Flashy commercials with world stars lead to people buying the product which is an act of promoting consumerism. 

Reference: http://www.david-howes.com/CultCon/OverView.htm