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16

CULTURALINFLUENCESONCONSUMERBEHAVIOR

ChapterSUMMARY

Asociety’scultureincludesitsvalues,ethics,andthematerialobjectsandservicesproducedbyitspeople.Itistheaccumulationofsharedmeaningsandtraditionsamongmembersofasociety.Aculturecanbedescribedintermsofecology（thewaypeopleadapttotheirhabitat）,itssocialstructure,anditsideology（includingpeople’smoralandaestheticprinciples）.Thischapterdescribestheprimaryaspectsofcultureandfocusesonhowculturalmeaningsarecreatedandtransmittedacrosssocietybyitsmembers.

Mythsarestoriescontainingsymbolicelementsthatexpressthesharedidealsofaculture.Manymythsinvolvesomebinaryopposition,wherevaluesaredefinedintermsofwhattheyareandwhattheyarenot（e.g.,natureversustechnology）.Modernmythsaretransmittedthroughadvertising,movies,andothermedia.

Aritualisasetofmultiple,symbolicbehaviorsthatoccurinafixedsequenceandthattendtoberepeatedperiodically.Ritualsarerelatedtomanyconsumptionactivitiesthatoccurinpopularculture.Theseincludeholidayobservances,giftgiving,andgrooming.

Ariteofpassageisaspecialkindofritualthatinvolvesthetransitionfromoneroletoanother.Thesepassagestypicallyentailtheneedtoacquireproductsandservices,calledritualartifacts,tofacilitatethetransition.Modernritesofpassageincludegraduations,fraternityinitiations,weddings,debutanteballs,andfunerals.

Consumeractivitiescanbedividedintosacredandprofaneconsumptiondomains.Sacredphenomenaare“setapart”fromeverydayactivitiesorproducts.People,events,orobjectscanbecomesacralized.Objectificationoccurswhensacredqualitiesareascribedtoproductsoritemsownedbysacredpeople.Sacralizationoccurswhenordinaryobjects,events,andevenpeopletakeonsacredmeaningtoacultureortospecificgroupswithinaculture.Desacralizationoccurswhenobjectsthatpreviouslywereconsideredsacredbecomecommercializedandintegratedintopopularculture.

ChapterOutline

1.UnderstandingCulture

a.Culture—aconceptcrucialtotheunderstandingofconsumerbehavior—maybe

thoughtofasasociety’spersonality.Putanotherway,cultureistheaccumulation

ofsharedmeanings,rituals,norms,andtraditionsamongthemembersofan

organizationorsociety.

1）Cultureisthe“lens”throughwhichpeopleviewproducts.

2）Theimportanceofculturalexpectationsoftenisonlydiscoveredwhentheyare

violated.

3）Sensitivitytoculturalissuescanonlycomebyunderstandingunderlyingissues.

DiscussionOpportunity—Explainwhycultureisthe“lens”throughwhichpeopleviewproducts.

b.Aconsumer’sculturedeterminestheoverallprioritiesheorsheattachesto

differentactivitiesandproducts.

1）Italsomandatesthesuccessorfailureofspecificproductsandservices.

2）Productsandservicesresonatewiththeprioritiesofacultureatanygiven

time.

3）Productsandservicescanalsoprovideawindowontothedominatecultural

idealsofthatperiod.

*****UseConsumerBehaviorChallenge#1Here*****

DiscussionOpportunity—AskstudentshoweachofthefollowinghasaffectedtheAmericanculture:

automobiles,microwaves,snowboards,computers,pocketpagers,thepill,leisuretime,personaldataassistants,Napster,andtheInternet?

Whatdoyouthinkcamefirst—theattitudeortheproduct?

c.Cultureisnotstatic.Itiscontinuallyevolving,synthesizingoldideaswithnew

ones.Aculturalsystemconsistsofthreefunctionalideas:

1）Ecology—thewayasystemadaptstoitshabitat.

2）Socialstructure—thewayinwhichorderlysociallifeismaintained.

3）Ideology—thewayinwhichpeoplerelatetotheirenvironmentandsocial

groups.

a）Thisrevolvesaroundthebeliefthatmembersofasocietypossessa

commonworldview（theysharecertainideasaboutprinciplesoforderand

fairness）.

b）Theyalsoshareanethos（asetofmoralandaestheticprinciples）.

DiscussionOpportunity—StatewhatyouthinktheU.S.culturewouldhavetosayabouttheculture’sroleinaworldview.Statefiveethos（principles）thatweshare.

d.Althougheverycultureisdifferent,fourdimensionsappeartoaccountformuchof

thisvariability.

1）Powerdistance—howinterpersonalrelationshipsformwhenpowerdifferences

exist（e.g.,employee/boss,student/teacher）.

2）Uncertaintyavoidance—threatcreatedbyambiguoussituations.

3）Masculinity/femininity—degreetowhichsexrolesareclearlydelineated.

4）Individualism—dotheyemphasizeindividualityorcommongoodofthegroup.

a）Culturesdifferintheiremphasisonindividualismversuscollectivism.

b）Incollectivistcultures,peoplesubordinatetheirpersonalgoalstothoseof

astablein-group.

c）Inindividualistcultures,thereismoreattachmentandimportance

associatedwithpersonalgoals,andpeoplearemorelikelytochange

membershipswhenthedemandsofthegroupbecometoocostly.

DiscussionOpportunity—Ask:

Howdoesamanproveheismasculineinourculture?

Howdoesafemaleprovesheisfeminineinourculture?

Howdoalternativelifestylessuchashomosexualityfitintoourculture?

DiscussionOpportunity—Ask:

DoyouthinktheUnitedStatesputsgreateremphasisonindividualityorthecommongood?

Bringinadsthatdemonstratebothpositions,however,defendyours.

e.Valuesareverygeneralideasaboutgoodandbadgoals.

1）Fromtheseflownorms,orrulesdictatingwhatisrightorwrong,acceptableor

unacceptable.Normscanbe:

a）Enactednorms—explicitlydecidedon（e.g.,goonthegreenlight）.

b）Crescivenorms—embeddedincultureandonlydiscoveredthrough

interactionwithothermembersofthatculture.Theseinclude:

1.Acustomisanormhandeddownfromthepastthatcontrolsbasic

behaviors.

2.Amoreisacustomwithastrongmoralovertone.

3.Conventionsarenormsregardingtheconductofeverydaylife.

c）Manynormsarelearnedvicariouslyaswewatchothersperformlife’s

littlerituals.

*****UseConsumerBehaviorChallenge#2Here*****

DiscussionOpportunity—Giveanexampleofanenactednorm,acrescivenorm,acustom,amore,andaconvention.Canyoufindanyadvertisementsthatillustratethese?

DiscussionOpportunity—Askstudentstogiveanillustrationofhowwelearnculturevicariously.Thinkofhowyouhavelearnedsomethinginthiswayinthepast.

2.MythsandRituals

a.Storiesandpracticehelpusmakesenseoftheworld.

b.Everysocietyhasits“good”and“evil”andits“goodluck”and“badluck.”

Myths

c.Everysocietypossessesasetofmythsthatdefinethatculture.Amythisa

storycontainingsymbolicelementsthatexpressesthesharedemotionsand

idealsofaculture.

1）Itoftenfeaturesaconflictbetweentwoopposingforces.

2）Itoftensetsgoodagainstevil.

3）Itreducesanxietybecauseitprovidesconsumerswithguidelinesabouttheir

world.

4）Strategiescanbepatternedafterthesemyths.

DiscussionOpportunity—Askstudentstosharetheirfavoritemyth.Havethemexplainhowitisused.

d.Mythsservefourinterrelatedfunctionsinculture:

1）Metaphysical—theyhelpexplaintheoriginsofexistence.

2）Cosmological—allcomponentsarepartofasinglepicture.

3）Sociological—establishasocialcodetomaintainorder.

4）Psychological—establishmodelsforpersonalconduct.

DiscussionOpportunity—Thinkofmythsthatseemtofallintothecategories（functions）mentionedinthechapter（i.e.,metaphysical,cosmological,sociological,andpsychological）.Howcanthesebetied（iftheycan）topurchasing?

e.Mythscanbeanalyzedbyexaminingtheirunderlyingstructures.Ithasbeen

notedthatmanystoriesinvolvebinaryopposition,wheretwoopposingendsof

somedimensionarerepresented.Charactersorproductsareoftencharacterizedas

towhatthey“arenot”ratherthanwhatthey“are.”

1）Conflictisoftenresolvedbyamediatingfigure（animalsareoftengiven

humancharacteristics）.

2）Amythcommontomanyculturesisamonomyth—aheroemerges

fromtheeverydayworldandoftenhassuperpowers（e.g.,comicbook

heroes）.

3）Examplesofmythicmoviesinclude:

a）GoneWiththeWind

b）E.T.:

TheExtraterrestrial

c）StarTrek

DiscussionOpportunity—Havetheclassexplaincommonmythsfromtheircultures.Howdothesemythsaffecttheirpurchasedecisionsorlife?

DiscussionOpportunity—Bringinanadvertisementthatyoubelieveusesamythtosellitsproductsorservices.

DiscussionOpportunity—Ask:

Whatmoviesdoyouthinkaremythicalinnatureandhavechangedourculture?

Whatisthemostrecentmythicalmovieinyouropinion?

Whyhasitachievedthisstatus?

Rituals

f.Aritualisasetofmultiple,symbolicbehaviorsthatoccurinafixedsequenceand

thattendtoberepeatedperiodically.Ritualscanoccuratavarietyoflevels.

1）Manybusinessesowetheirlivelihoodstotheirabilitytosupplyritual

artifacts,oritemsusedintheperformanceofrituals,toconsumers.

*****UseTable16-1Here*****

DiscussionOpportunity—Ask:

Whatisyourmorningritual?

Whatproductsdoyouneedtosupportit?

Whatareyourprimaryritualswhileaschool?

Isn’titinterestingtothinkhowalloftheseritualswillchangeinafewyearswhenyouentertheworkplacefull-time（andlearnnewrituals）?

DiscussionOpportunity—Ask:

Whatritualfromcollege,yourworkplace,oryourfamilydoyoufindtobethemostfulfilling?

Irritating?

Explainanddescribe.

2）Therearemanygroomingritualsthataredominantthemesincommercials.

3）Twosetsofbinaryoppositionsexpressedinpersonalritualsare:

a）Private/public

b）Work/leisure

DiscussionOpportunity—Ask:

What“beauty