Fourth Wave Frenzy: One Of A Kind Trends, Pedigree, and Legacy
From feminism and coffee to inside-out elevators; this utterly American phenomenon is elevating consumerism.
Are you in a “complex” relationship? Do you sip coffee brewed from beans pooped by animals? Look for more than performance in home appliances?
Sure, these questions sound like something you might see on a hipster’s dating site, but they’re actually quite descriptive of a sophisticated movement sweeping across the U.S. I’m talking about Fourth-Wave.
Yea, it’s a buzzword. No, you won’t find a concrete definition of it by typing the phrase into Google. Maybe you don’t you care about it.
But you should.
It’s a movement categorized by one of a kind trends. It’s about pedigree. More than that, it’s about legacy. Alright, that was probably a little over the top.
To understand the movement, one must first understand the history. In modern economic development theory, researchers claim there are five distinct phases of growth. Each wave helps companies find and grow their consumer base.
“The differences between these waves are shaped by historical factors, the economic climate during historical periods, and leaders’ response to these forces, which over time have created five strategies that differ from their predecessors.”
From the consumer’s perspective, each wave manifests an opportunity to redefine ones’ experience in terms of look, feel, and scope.
Put simply, First-Wavers are people who buck the system. They take a look at the world around them and want change for themselves. On an on, the process evolves, until we get to Fourth-Wavers who are drinking coffee shat by exotic and hard to find animals.
History is replete with important waves.
Feminists, coffee shops, and builders are counted among the most popular and wide known.
Fourth-Wave Feminism
If Third-Wave feminists argued for reproductive justice, Fourth-Wavers made it a reality.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges Fourth-Wave feminists have fought to overcome is support for “all options” when it comes to pregnancy. The Doula Project, a NYC-based clinic famously provides free services to women facing childbirth, placing adoptions, or getting abortions.
Movements like this are important — not just for women — but for us as a society. Fourth-Wavers can and do leverage social media to change politics.
Fourth-Wave Coffee
Third-Wavers like Sight Glass Coffee bucked the Starbucks mega-sourced-and-over-charred-model and argued the merits of knowing the story behind your coffee.
Fourth-Wavers went a little nuts and started paying upwards of $30 for a cup.
Trends like this are pretty new, but no so new that they aren’t pissing off activists.
(shh..if you listen carefully, you might just hear Fifth-Wave coming)
Fourth-Wave Buildings
Third-Waver architects and engineers are credited with the Living Building project and beachside cargo lifts for residential buildings — both of which address with the challenges of prohibiting the blocking or diminishing of natural surroundings.
The latest wave takes environmental impact and land use a step farther, saying communities need to think more carefully about uber-strict legislation and the “soul-crushing suburban sprawl” it causes.
Sure, Fourth-Wave sounds like just another corporate buzzword. But, at the end of the day, it’s elevating and inspiring change.
