Some products can be made quickly by a machine. Other items take a long time to be made by hand. As a buyer, which do you prefer and why? Give specific details and examples in your answer.
Ever since the industrial revolution, mass produced goods have flooded the consumer market. Although such goods have proved to be highly popular, it is now becoming increasingly clear that handmade goods are more desirable for modern, informed consumers. In this essay, I shall look at some of the ethical and quality-based reasons for this re-evaluation.
To begin with, handmade goods can be made with far more care and attention to detail than mass produced goods. This is because machines lack a sensitivity that experienced craftsman evidently possess. For example, a study by the International Consumerist Society found that handmade furniture, musical instruments and jewellery were consistently rated as being more attractive (by consumers) than their mass made counterparts. Therefore it is clear that buyers prefer handmade goods for reasons that relate to quality of workmanship.
Secondly, handmade production companies have far more ethical attitudes towards the environment. This is because factories and chemical processes heavily underpin mass industrial production. For example the British Green Party found that the levels of toxicity and environmental damage outside handmade production centres were paltry compared to the levels found outside factories used for mass production. Consequently, since modern consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever before, these findings have clearly contributed to their preference for handmade goods.
In conclusion, there are compelling reasons for why modern consumers favour handmade goods. In the future, as environmental issues worsen, this preference will no doubt grow more pronounced.
Some
products can
be made
quickly
by a machine. Other items take a long time to
be made
by hand. As a buyer, which do you prefer and why? Give specific
details
and examples in your answer.
Ever since the industrial revolution,
mass produced
goods
have flooded the
consumer
market. Although such
goods
have proved to be
highly
popular, it is
now
becoming
increasingly
clear
that
handmade
goods
are more desirable for modern, informed
consumers
. In this essay, I shall look at
some of the
ethical and quality-based reasons for this re-evaluation.
To
begin
with,
handmade
goods
can
be made
with far more care and attention to detail than
mass produced
goods
. This is
because
machines lack a sensitivity that experienced craftsman
evidently
possess.
For example
, a study by the International Consumerist Society found that
handmade
furniture, musical instruments and
jewellery
were
consistently
rated as being more attractive (by
consumers)
than their
mass
made counterparts.
Therefore
it is
clear
that buyers prefer
handmade
goods
for reasons that relate to quality of workmanship.
Secondly
,
handmade
production
companies
have far more ethical attitudes towards the environment. This is
because
factories and chemical processes
heavily
underpin
mass
industrial
production
.
For example
the British Green Party found that the levels of toxicity and environmental damage outside
handmade
production
centres
were paltry compared to the levels found outside factories
used
for
mass
production
.
Consequently
, since modern
consumers
are more
environmentally
conscious than ever
before
, these findings have
clearly
contributed to their preference for
handmade
goods
.
In conclusion
, there are compelling reasons for why modern
consumers
favour
handmade
goods
. In the future, as environmental issues worsen, this preference will no doubt grow more pronounced.