Week 9 Flashcards
how cultures vary:
-Proxemics (Space)
Definition: Culturally influenced relationship to physical space.
Space usage is a key cultural distinction.
-Time Systems
Monochronic: Focus on one task at a time, strict schedules (e.g., Western cultures).
Polychronic: Multitasking, flexible schedules (e.g., Latin American, Middle Eastern cultures).
-Individualism vs. Collectivism
Collectivism: Group goals prioritized over personal goals. Stable in-group bonds.
Individualism: Personal goals prioritized. Flexible group memberships.
-Ethnoconsumerism
Study of consumer cultures based on their unique cultural premises.
values and norms:
Values- General ideas about good vs. bad goals.
Norms- Rules dictating acceptable behavior.
Types of Norms: *Enacted Norms: Explicitly decided (e.g., traffic rules).
*Crescive Norms: Embedded in culture, discovered through interaction:
*Customs: Passed-down norms controlling basic behaviours.
*Mores: Customs with strong moral overtones.
*Conventions: Norms for everyday conduct.
-Enculturation
Process of learning your culture’s values and norms, often by observing others’ rituals.
rituals:
-Ritual Artefacts: Businesses thrive by supplying items used in rituals (e.g., wedding rings, graduation gowns).
- Four Types of Rituals in Consumption:
1.Possession Rituals: Activities to personalize or claim ownership of items.
Example: Decorating a new home.
2.Divestment Rituals: Removing personal traces before disposing of or selling an item.
Example: Wiping data from a smartphone before resale.
3.Grooming Rituals: Maintaining or enhancing items or oneself.
Example: Polishing shoes, applying makeup.
4.Exchange Rituals: Rituals involving gift-giving.
Example: Holiday gift exchanges.
-Model of Movement of Meaning
Rituals play a central role in transferring cultural meanings to goods and experiences.
Gift Giving:
-Stages of Gift-Giving Ritual:
1.Gestation: Motivation to buy a gift.
*Structural: Culturally prescribed (e.g., Christmas gifts).
*Emergent: Personal choice (e.g., spontaneous love gift).
2.Presentation: Gift is given, recipient reacts, and donor evaluates the response.
3. Reformulation: Relationship adjusts based on the exchange (bonds strengthen or loosen).
-Key Insights:
Gift-giving reflects cultural values and personal relationships.
Serves to maintain or redefine social bonds.
rites of passage:
Definition:
Special times marked by changes in social status, celebrated in all societies.
Stages of Rites of Passage:
1. Separation: Leaving the original group/status.
Example: Leaving home for college.
2. Liminality: Transition phase, in-between statuses.
Example: Graduation ceremony.
3.Aggregation: Re-entry into society with a new status.
Example: Starting a new job after graduation.
-Death as the Final Rite of Passage:
Tightly scripted rituals, varying across cultures, but always symbolic.
Purpose: To negotiate the social identity of the deceased.
-Marketing Relevance:
Marketers target consumers during passage times with relevant products/services (e.g., wedding planning, graduation gifts)
sacred and profane consumption:
-Sacred Consumption:
Involves objects/events ‘set apart’ from normal activities.
Treated with respect, awe, or reverence.
Examples: Pilgrimages, heirlooms, luxury goods, national holidays.
-Profane Consumption:
Involves ordinary, everyday objects/events.
Lacks the ‘specialness’ of sacred items.
Examples: Grocery shopping, casual dining, routine purchases.
-Key Insight:
The same object can shift between sacred and profane depending on context (e.g., wine in religious ceremonies vs. casual consumption).
Desacralisation and Sacralisation:
-Desacralisation: A sacred item loses its special status or becomes profane.
Examples: Religious symbols used as fashion trends, mass production of sacred artefacts.
-Sacralisation: Ordinary objects/events/people acquire sacred meaning.
Examples: Sports heroes, celebrity memorabilia, national flags.
religion and consumption:
-Religious Subcultures: Influence personality, attitudes, income, and politics. Small businesses targeting these groups often succeed.
-Popular Culture: Religion/spirituality influence consumer behaviour; products can be “worshipped.”
-Brand Communities: Brands act as symbols of identity and self-worth, like religious symbols.
reference groups:
-Definition: A reference group is an individual or group that influences an individual’s evaluations, aspirations, or behavior (Solomon et al, 2013).
-Humans are social animals: We seek acceptance and often adjust behavior based on the groups we belong to or admire.
-Ways Reference Groups Influence Consumers:
Informational: 1.Providing information that influences decisions. 2.Utilitarian: Guiding behaviour to meet group expectations. 3.Value-Expressive: Helping individuals express values and identity.
group influence:
-Types of Group Influence:
1.Informational Influence: Consumers seek information from group members to make decisions.
2.Utilitarian Influence: Consumers adjust their consumption to meet group preferences.
3.Value-Expressive Influence: Consumers consume to be positively viewed by others in the group.
when reference groups are important:
-Key Dimensions: 1.Public vs. Private Consumption: Reference group effects are stronger for publicly consumed items (e.g., clothing, cars).
2. Luxury vs. Necessity: Stronger for luxury items (e.g., yachts) than necessities (e.g., groceries).
-Why Reference Groups Matter: Luxuries: Bought with discretionary income, subject to individual taste and group influence.
Socially Conspicuous Items: Visible to others (e.g., clothing, furniture), leading to greater influence from reference groups.
types of reference groups:
-The term reference group may be loosely used in order to identify anyone who has an influence on your behaviour. The primary types of reference groups are:
1. The normative influence – that is, the reference group helps to set and enforce
fundamental standards of conduct (e.g. our family’s influence).
2. The comparative influence – where decisions about specific brands or activities are affected (e.g. a club that you belong to).
-Reference groups can be large or small. A formal group has a recognised structure, regular meeting times and officers.
An informal group is usually small and configured like a group of friends
groups and social media:
1.Social Power: People and groups with social power influence our decisions.
2.Word-of-Mouth: The most important driver of product choice.
3.Opinion Leaders: Their recommendations are more influential when deciding what to buy.
4.Social Media: Alters how we learn about and select products.
social power:
-The capacity to alter the actions of others.
Power Bases:
1.Referent Power: Influence from admiration (e.g., fashion trends, cars).
2.Information Power: Influence from possessing knowledge (e.g., editors, influencers).
3.Legitimate Power: Power by social agreement (e.g., police, doctors).
4.Expert Power: Power from specialized knowledge or skills (e.g., CPAs, economists).
5.Reward Power: Power to provide positive reinforcement (e.g., bosses offering raises).
6.Coercive Power: Power through intimidation or threats (e.g., aggressive sales tactics).
conformity:
-Definition: Conformity is a change in beliefs or actions due to real or imagined group pressure.
Factors Affecting Conformity:
1.Cultural Pressures: Social pressures (e.g., teenagers following trends).
2.Fear of Deviance: Group penalties for breaking rules.
3.Commitment: Stronger dedication leads to stronger conformity.
4.Group Unanimity, Size, & 4.
Expertise: Larger, more expert groups exert more influence.
5.Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence: The need for approval or admiration from others.
Key Insight: Conformity is driven by social pressures and the desire to fit in with the group.
