Conspicuous anticonsumption: When green demarketing brands restore symbolic benefits to anticonsumers

This article introduces the concept of conspicuous anticonsumption and provides evidence that it can be an effective means for green demarketing brands to encourage anticonsumption. Conspicuous anticonsumption refers to practices whereby brands provide visible signals imbued with meaning that consumers use to convey environmental motivations for consumption reduction activities. Two experiments suggest that without a signal, observers perceive anticonsumers to have lower socioeconomic status. However, when a visible signal communicates environmental motivations for anticonsumption actions, negative status inferences are mitigated and perceptions of the associated brand become more favorable. These visible signals confer status and restore the symbolic benefits that are often lost when consumption is forgone. Because symbolic benefits are powerful drivers of consumption choices, conspicuous anticonsumption can appeal to a broader base of moderate consumers. This practice has the potential to reduce negative environmental impact on a societal level as well as have positive outcomes for the brand. Counter to the prosocial perspective taken in most anticonsumption literature and activist thinking, This study highlights the importance of focusing on the personal symbolic benefits and costs of anticonsumption at the individual level.     

Analysing the Symbolic Economy with Pierre Bourdieu: The World of Crafts

Abstract

The world of crafts belongs to the ‘economy of symbolic goods’ identified by Pierre Bourdieu. The theoretical aim of this article is to show that Bourdieu’s analytical framework and methods are particularly useful to comprehend the structure of the diverse French craft economy and to understand the different ways in which symbolic and economic dimensions combine. First, the use of quantitative and qualitative methods (especially geometric data analysis) enables to highlight the structure of the world of crafts which remains divided between a traditional pole and a contemporary pole. Then, the apparent opposition between economic and symbolic aspects of crafts, represented by the two poles, is qualified by pointing out the different forms of ‘denial of the economy’ adopted by artist-craftsmen according to their economic and social characteristics. Finally, the article shows how economic and symbolic dimensions combine through the symbolic construction of the economic value of craft products.     

A Cognitive Study of Metaphor Chunks in News English

This paper aims to demonstrate the pervasiveness of metaphor chunks in News English and introduce effective ways of understanding themcorrectly from the perspective of cognitive linguistics.Considering the difficulty in making out the accurate meaning of metaphor chunks in News Eng-lish,some translation strategies have also been proposed in hopes that it will benefit readers in their understanding and appreciation of News English.     

The lurker in the object

ABSTRACT

A peculiar note from a neighbor of a consumer culture theorist stationed at Miskatonic University who has gone missing arrives for you. The Arkham police have tasked the neighbor with sorting out some seemingly-incoherent academic notes left behind by the professor. In particular, they have tasked him with reaching out to you in order to determine the meaning of a peculiar phrase, “the lurker waits in the object” scrawled into the missing professor's desk. The notes concern several topics, but seem, in the neighbor's opinion, to revolve around object-oriented ontology, horror reality, genre horror, and information by allusion. The neighbor emphasizes that the missing professor may have suffered some mental illness or other tragedy, but has no other viable leads aside from the phrase and notes and begs your expert advice on the topic.     

网络用语的语音隐喻现象探析

隐喻学研究受到各领域学者的关注,在语言学领域也取得了极大成效,但是在语音层面的研究篇幅不多。在大量网络用语中存在着语言隐喻现象,即含有一定形象意义的词变成了音的一个符号标志,夹杂在自然语段中代替近似音节使用,映射着一个较为主动的意象。网络用语的语音隐喻现象有其时代动因以及语言自身的音韵学、声音模仿学渊源。     

历时视角下情感隐喻的认知溯源

以汉语中的"怒"字为研究个案,基于语料库考察情感隐喻的历时扩散。结果发现,"怒"字的隐喻扩散表现出两个明显的特点:其一,"怒"字的隐喻扩散在本体上表现为词性的历时嬗变一级线性搭配元素集合的成员扩散;其二,"怒"字隐喻扩散在载体上表现为由外至内或由显性到隐性的本源载体集合扩张。     

从认知隐喻的角度看词义延伸

根据认知语言学的观点,任何词义都是在人的认知思维的作用下产生的。隐喻通过对相似事物间产生的映射作用,对词汇的发展、词义的延伸发挥着极其重要的作用。     

Can Divine Intervention Aid in Domestic Violence Prevention? An Analysis of Bystanders' Advertising Attitudes and Reporting Intentions in India

The research explores how religious symbols can be used in advertising to encourage bystander intervention in the context of domestic violence. Using symbolic interactionism as the theoretical framework, a 4 (Ad type: Control vs. Visual vs. Verbal vs. Visual/Verbal) × 2 (Religiosity: Low vs. High) between-subjects experimental design was conducted to assess impact on attitudes toward the ad and intention to help. A national sample (N = 402) of Hindu adults from India was recruited. The findings suggest level of religiosity is critical to the process with highly religious individuals displaying higher levels of involvement, concern for others and willingness to report abuse. No significant differences were found across visual and verbal religious symbol conditions. Implications for advertisers and government agencies are presented.     

Meaning transfer in celebrity endorsements: an explanation using metaphors

The concept of meaning transfer is relevant in the context of celebrity endorsements but rarely tested because of its complexity. This study integrates the basic tenets of meaning transfer model in celebrity endorsements and metaphor theory in marketing. The study builds on the literature on the various streams in celebrity endorsements and notes the contradictions in each. Thereby, it presents a conceptual model of meaning transfer using metaphors as the explaining thread. The model is validated using empirical data collected through a metaphor elicitation method. Based on the results, four propositions are developed related to celebrity metaphors and metaphor transfer in celebrity endorsements. The findings suggest that celebrity meaning(s) could be explained through metaphors and the metaphors may be transferred to a brand from a celebrity endorser via an endorsement. The propositions developed in the study have important implications for researchers and practitioners in celebrity endorsement.     

Gender effects on consumers’ symbolic and hedonic preferences and actual clothing consumption in the Czech Republic

During the last decade or so consumer products have become more divided by gender than ever before. These changes in marketing practices are likely to introduce, alter or increase any existing gender differences regarding consumers’ product preferences and actual consumption. This is a very timely study examining how gender relates to consumers’ interest in clothing artefacts and their preferences for the self‐ and social‐symbolic and hedonic meanings of clothing. The influence of gender on actual purchase behaviour towards clothing is also explored. The proposed hypotheses are tested on a large‐scale sample of some 1,000+ respondents drawn in the Czech Republic. Using analysis of variance tests, gender differences were found with regard to all but one consumer behaviour phenomenon. No gender effect was found only regarding consumer preference for clothing affiliation symbolism. The study contributes to the theoretical development and empirical evidence in the field of gendered symbolic and hedonic consumption of clothing artefacts. Its findings also suggest possible actions by fashion marketers, as well as some interesting venues for future research.