That’s a great question, Cynthia. When in doubt, I first recommend checking with your professor to clarify the instructions; s/he may not realize how vague the assignment is.

Personally, I interpret that in the same way that you did — new consumption/trends patterns as a response to globalization. I think that you could approach it as either a cause-and-effect essay (i.e. “what effects on consumption has globalization caused”) or as an argumentative essay (i.e. “globalization is affecting consumption in X and Y ways and should therefore be promoted/curtailed/etc.”).

I hope this helps 🙂