Consuming stress: exploring hidden dimensions of consumption-related strain at the intersection of gender and poverty

Abstract

Consumer stress as experienced at the nexus of gender and poverty, has received limited attention in marketing and consumer research. This empirical study applies the theoretical lens of social stress to explore gendered aspects of poverty, consumption and marketplace activity. It demonstrates that for women in poverty, consumer stress is a relational issue, involving marketplace and interpersonal (dis)connections. In particular, it surfaces the hidden, often, nuanced power relations that place additional strain on women with limited finances, as they oscillate between marketplace and intra-household pressures. By applying social stress theory, the study offers a new way of thinking about the unequal social relations and associated consumption strains bound up with the disadvantaged position of an intersectional group of women experiencing poverty.     

Purchase power: An examination of consumption as voting

Abstract

There has been a reported increase in political activity through the marketplace in the form of ‘consumer votes’. The use of marketplace votes by consumers to address their concerns about societal issues is a phenomenon that has growing relevance for firms, since they are often affected by such consumer citizenship. Therefore, this paper aims to enhance our conceptual understanding of the consumer voting phenomenon. It explores marketplace power relations and the constraints and enabling mechanisms they may pose to consumers seeking change through consumer voting. Consumer voting practices, consumer sovereignty discourses, and power tensions in marketplace encounters are examined in relation to Foucault's notions of power, technologies of the self, and governmentality. Foucault provides a critical lens to illuminate the potential for consumer resistance, an approach that so far has been somewhat neglected by the extant marketing and consumer research literature.     

Edging out of the nest: emerging adults’ use of smartphones in maintaining and transforming family relationships

Abstract

The transition to adulthood, often accompanied by an emptying of the family nest, has implications for family relationships, identities and consumption practices. Despite this, the voices and experiences of emerging adults are largely missing from literature on family consumption. Emerging adult families typically combine digital natives and digital immigrants, but little is known about how their interactions around digital communications technology relate to emerging adult preoccupations with affiliation and autonomy. This interpretive study explores how emerging adults’ smartphones are bound up with a complex network of family communication and consumption practices, often across household, geographic and generational boundaries. Affiliation and autonomy emerged as intertwined rather than competing dimensions of participants’ smartphone use, contributing to the distribution and development of family as the nest empties.     

How does religion discipline the consumer subject? Negotiating the paradoxical tension between consumer desire and the social order

ABSTRACT

In this article, we revisit Russell Belk, Guliz Ger and Soren Askegaard’s study on consumer desire. We do so in an effort to further advance the extant understanding of desire in consumer research. Specifically, informed by Lacanian psychoanalytic thought and sharing much affinity with Foucault’s central argument in The History of Sexuality, we consider how the institution of religion functions as a disciplining force by which to mediate the (potential) conflict between human desire and the social order. For the purposes of this article, we focus our analytical gaze on how consumption practices have the disciplinary effect of regulating desire. That is to say, we illuminate how religion (and religious ideology) dictates certain consumption practices, which ultimately perform to ensure that the pursuit of desire does not contravene the pre-existing social order that structures society and organises social relating. To animate our theoretical claims, we draw on a qualitative study of the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic sub-culture originating in South Asia. This article builds on extant sociological and anthropological studies that have captured the nexus between religion and the workings of the marketplace. However, unlike past studies, the question posited at the crux of this article concerns desire and, particularly, how desire becomes subjected to the discourses pertaining to religiously prescribed consumption practices.     

Kitchen concerns at the boundary between markets and consumption: agencing practice change in times of scarcity (Husmodern,Sweden 1938–1958)

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates practice dynamics in kitchens situated at the boundary between markets and consumption. The kitchen is conceptualized as a market-consumption junction, a space where multiple concerned actors in markets and consumption come to shape, and get shaped by, the practices in the kitchen. Drawing upon archival research of the Swedish household magazine Husmodern (1938–1958), this study traces two matters of concern in and around the kitchen: the scarcity of resources in food markets and the scarcity of time to prepare food for consumption. Findings reveal how thrifty and convenient practices became enacted, and their transformative implications for consumption, demand, and market action. The mechanisms involved in disrupting and reconnecting the dynamic elements of practices (meaning, competence, and objects) are explained through the notions of concerning, agencing, and overflows, which recursively work to redraw the boundaries between markets and consumption to establish novel practices.     

Adequacy,Accessibility, and Goodness of Data

ABSTRACT

The impact of information technology in the industrialized world is dramatic and the trend is continuing at an exponential rate with global implications. In contrast, the impact of information technology in developing countries is marginal, with only a few countries daring to travel on the information superhighway. One fundamental reason for the lag in the utilization of information technology in developing countries is the absence of basic data. This article explores the possible causes of this lack of basic data by examining the normative factors, cultural and exotic, embedded in the current practices of collecting, storing, and accessing data in Ghana, a developing country.

We also discuss the importance of goodness of data (i.e., accuracy, reliability, and validity of data) and the practices that compromise them. We then suggest ways by which information technology can be used to (1) address the goodness of data, (2) solve the problems associated with the current practices of recording, storing, and accessing data, and (3) enhance decision making in policy formulation and strategic planning.     

A Preliminary Test of an Index for International Consumer Behavior

ABSTRACT

Marketers need to understand both the similarities and differences among groups of consumers to ascertain which aspects of the marketing mix to globalize and which to localize. The purpose of this research is to begin to bridge the knowledge gap by testing a tool to measure cultural environment, the International Consumer Behavior Scale (ICBS). The ICBS is applied in Russia and the United States in an effort to ascertain potential similarities and differences in consumption based on culture. In this research, the authors assess the usability of the ICBS cultural scale developed by Samli (1995), offer a preliminary understanding of two diverse cultures, and discuss managerial implications of this knowledge.     

The millennial consumer enters the age of exhibitionism— a book‐review essay: Part 1

Parts 1 and 2 of this book‐review essay explore the symbiotic connection between exhibitionism and voyeurism in the lives of consumers. The two‐part essay (to be continued in the next issue of CM&C) places this exhibitionistic‐voyeuristic symbiosis (EVS) within the context of an emerging recognition of the “Four E's"‐experience, entertainment, exhibitionism, and evangelizing‐as crucial aspects of the culture of consumption. Focusing primarily on the third “E,” the essay examines several recent works that elucidate the role of the EVS phenomenon in the Age of Exhibitionism that confronts the Millennial Consumer.     

Ubiquitous Consumption and the Marketing Mix

ABSTRACT

Traditional marketing legacy systems containing established members, roles, norms, and rules tend to be closed vertical systems exhibiting characteristics of rule, norm, and boundary stability. Consumer behavior drives the development of marketing mixes. The fundamental power and promise of e-commerce is to transform consumer behavior. The more efficient adjustment of discrepancies between supply and demand offered by e-commerce enables ubiquitous market space (u-commerce). Ubiquitous consumption is the ability to access and consume goods and services anytime and anyplace. Ubiquity in consumption demands a more fluid marketing mix evidenced by a dynamic networked open system consisting of shifting alliances, loosely defined boundaries, and tightly integrated processes. The concept of u-commerce is examined and implications for marketing managers and academics are suggested.     

Masculinising domesticity: an investigation of men’s domestic foodwork

Abstract

This study examines how men configure their gendered identity in relation to a traditionally feminised domain. Hegemonic masculinity is said to structure men’s dominance over women. We use the lens of hegemonic masculinity along with social fields of cultural production to understand new allocations of status capital in relation to gendered identity work. Sweden, a country permeated by an ideology of egalitarianism and having a history of high economic and symbolic incentives for the domestic field, has seemingly legitimised the domestic consumption field in the search for higher status. By exploring the transforming meanings of masculinity when men enter a traditionally feminine consumption domain in this particular cultural context, we identify how feminised masculinities are shaped into hegemonic masculinity. This in turn suggests that the currently most honoured way of being a man includes forms of masculinities that incorporate egalitarian relationships between men and women.     

Consumer Vulnerability to Fraud: Influencing Factors

Using the 1993 Survey of Older Consumer Behavior commissioned by the American Association of Retired Persons, consumer vulnerability to market fraud was investigated. Consumer vulnerability was determined based on consumers' market knowledge and awareness of unfair business practices. Using an ordered logit analysis, it was found that consumers were more susceptible to fraud if they were older, poor, less educated, and/or living without spouse. Neither gender nor race was found to be a significant predictor of consumer vulnerability. Implications for consumer educators and policy makers were drawn.     

CCT applied research and the limits of consumers’ heroicisation

Abstract

The sum total of the research produced by Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) researchers has enabled a spectacular improvement in our understanding of markets and consumption. Yet, this knowledge has struggled to penetrate the business world due to a dearth of practical proposals appealing to managers looking for action-guiding toolkits. Based on a relatively small corpus of CCT-related articles published in the main applied journals with academic values, the present article traces the contours of CCT managerial knowledge revolving around the concept of cultural branding and composed of four main approaches: relationship marketing, retromarketing, tribal marketing and collaborative marketing. The article also synthesises the contributions that CCT researchers propose for each of these approaches and discusses the limits of the heroicisation of the consumers. The conclusion looks at potential research paths for the dissemination of CCT applied kind of knowledge.     

Consumer ethics: A review and research agenda

Consumer ethics continues to draw the attention of academicians and practitioners as a significant economic and social issue globally. Consumer ethics refers to moral principles that govern a consumer's behaviour. This literature review seeks to enrich the discourse on consumer ethics through a comprehensive and detailed review of 106 articles, covering 21 journals from 2010 to 2020. Through an examination of theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodologies used in consumer ethics research, our review (1) presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the research in this field and (2) sets a future research agenda to spur scholarly research. We found studies have primarily relied on a single theoretical lens such as the theory of marketing ethics, planned behaviour, and neutralization theory. Further consumer ethics research focuses on advanced countries, with a narrow focus on developing countries. We have diagnosed the need to examine boundary conditions impacting consumer ethics. Finally, we provide actionable inputs to combat unethical consumer actions as well as promote ethical consumption.     

Social influence and green consumption behaviour: a need for greater government involvement

ABSTRACT

Within the green marketing literature, there has been a tendency to focus on the individual when explaining green consumption behaviours (GCBs) rather than looking at the wider social factors that may influence green practices. The main objective of this article is to gain a greater understanding of how consumers’ GCBs are influenced by the social environment, within a social cognitive framework. A total of 20 individual interviews and 10 joint interviews took place with consumers who did not always behave in accordance with their pro-environmental values, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Our analysis shows how consumers’ GCBs are influenced by other individuals; however, if we want to see a greater commitment to green consumption practices, government bodies need to take a more active role.     

Consumers’ Perception and Misperception of Market Leadership and Market Pioneership

Abstract

Ever since Veblen and Simmel, luxury has been synonymous with conspicuous consumption. In this conceptual paper we demonstrate the rise of inconspicuous consumption via a wide-ranging synthesis of the literature. We attribute this rise to the signalling ability of traditional luxury goods being diluted, a preference for not standing out as ostentatious during times of economic hardship, and an increased desire for sophistication and subtlety in design in order to further distinguish oneself for a narrow group of peers. We decouple the constructs of luxury and conspicuousness, which allows us to reconceptualise the signalling quality of brands and the construct of luxury. This also has implications for understanding consumer behaviour practices such as counterfeiting and suggests that consumption trends in emerging markets may take a different path from the past.     

Assessing consumer logistics functions in grocery shopping: Evidence from an emerging market

Abstract

Consumer logistics (CL), focuses on the role of consumers in the logistical processing of goods for the purpose of consumption from point of acquisition to the point of disposal. The objective of this study is to test and validate the CL scale as introduced by Bahn, Granzin, and Tokman for grocery shopping in a previously unexplored country setting, namely in Turkey. Our findings show in contrast to Bahn et al. only six CL functions: information search, transportation management and materials handling, storage management & inventory needs assessment, contingent inventory operations & product acquisition, intra-household communication, and interdependent transportation operations. These six CL functions are more applicable for an emerging market, such as Turkey. These findings are consistent across the different socio-demographic characteristics in our sample.     

The Joint Effects of Formal Institutions and Business Characteristics on Interfirm Guanxi in China: A Fuzzy Set Analysis

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This research intends to investigate the effects of formal market institutions on managers’ willingness to use personal networks, such as guanxi in China, for business success.

Methodology: We collect data from a major cellular phone manufacturer and its 277 retailers across China. We employ Fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (FsQCA) to identify necessary conditions and causal recipes (combinations of antecedent conditions) for three elements of guanxi between boundary spanners (i.e., ganqing, information favor, and business support) and a firm’s operational performance.

Findings: We find that formal market institutions are not the sole factor influencing managers’ decisions on exercising guanxi practices and, in turn, achieving interfirm collaboration. We also find that there exists more than one causal recipe leading to each key element of guanxi between boundary spanners. The results also suggest that well-established formal market institutions would never be able to completely eliminate guanxi practices in China.

Originality: This paper is among the first to examine the joint effects of formal market institutions and key characteristics of interfirm relationships on the use of guanxi practices.     

Who Uses Food Label Information

Abstract

Consumer psychology suggests that fat intake and search for fat information on food labels may be mutually dependent. This study extends previous research by using a simultaneous-equation model to measure the relationship between fat intake and label use. Using the 1994–6 USDA CSII and DHKS data, our results suggest individuals who consume a higher percentage of calories from fat are less likely to report searching for fat information on food labels. We also identified the roles played by several psychological variables on information search and fat intake. These findings have important implications on nutrition education and effectiveness of food labels.     

Royalty: marketplace icons

The term “royalty” connotes people who either occupy the role of monarchs in society, or who are related to these figures by blood or marriage. Although many royal houses around the world occupy a symbolic/ceremonial rather than a political role, royalty and the “human brands” royal families contain remain important sources of aspirational and conspicuous consumption. In this essay, we focus on how the British Royal Family Brand (BRFB; Otnes, Cele C. and Pauline Maclaran. 2015. Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture. Berkeley: University of California Press.) has remained the most visible and impactful royal variant in the world, even as its economic and political influence, and that of Britain, has waned. We discuss the influence of the BRFB in fueling consumption practices pertaining to commemorative purchasing and collecting, heritage management, perpetuating mass and social media narratives, supporting and perpetuating brands, and spawning and maintaining touristic trends. We observe that successful royal influence is due in part to the ability to leverage key universal narratives (e.g. the triumph of the underdog) and to tap into consumers’ desires to vicariously or actively engage with lifestyles typically accessible only to people who occupy the highest social stratum in their respective cultures. We discuss the implications of royalty on consumer culture, and suggest areas of future research.     

Encouraging Sustainable Behaviour Change via a Social Practice Approach: A Focus on Apparel Consumption Practices

Journal of Consumer Policy - To encourage greater sustainability regarding apparel consumption practices, policymakers have traditionally focused on economic and/or social psychology frameworks...