Asian Studies Review. ISSN 1035-7823 Volume 22 Number 3 September 1998 © Asian Studies Association of Australia 1998. Published by Blackwell Publishers, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA. FROM WALKMANS TO SMOG MASKS: CONSUMPTION AND OVER-CONSUMPTION IN ASIA MORRIS LOW Australian National University While much has been made of the new rich of Asia, the current economic crisis in parts of Asia has thrown into question how important culture and consump- tion are in the formation of identity. This paper will explore the link between material culture (as seen in the rise and decline of consumerism) and identity formation in Asia. While what we call “Asia” consists of many diverse countries and cultures, the rise of consumerism in many of them and the flow of goods between them suggest that they share a number of common characteristics. A key argument is that affluence is not necessarily empty, and that it provides a community with new tools by which to define itself (Sennett 1996, 35). It is also through consumption that individuals are able to fulfil their desire for multiple social identities. While the mass media often refer to the enthusiasm for con- sumption in Asia, the mechanisms which bring together these constructions of the self have yet to be adequately identified. This asks the often neglected question: consumption at what cost? At a time when the Australian government is sending food aid to Indonesia, questions of culture, consumption and identity seem to recede into the back- ground. This paper is written in an attempt to explore what has been called, at least in Korea, “sound consumption”, an attempt to work towards a socially- responsible type of consumption which does not have a negative impact on the lives of others. It will begin by exploring the linkages between consumption and identity, and the rise and decline of consumerism in Asia, and will argue that while there are divisions according to age group, gender and class, one can also discern inter-generational identity groups based on fashion and taste. It con- cludes with a discussion of the social costs of consumption and how materialistic values affect the environment.