MSc CB HO Lecture 2 Cons Culture and Meaning

8/2/2019 MSc CB HO Lecture 2 Cons Culture and Meaning

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www.bradford.ac.uk/management

MSc Consumer Behaviour

Session 2:Consumer Culture and Meaning

Dr Gretchen Larsen
http://www.bradford.ac.uk/managementhttp://www.bradford.ac.uk/management


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Session Objectives

By the end of this session, you should be able to:

discuss the meaning and nature of culture

explain why meaning is important in consumer behaviour

describe the meaning transfer model

explain and identify examples of consumer rituals


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Culture is

dynamic blueprints for action and interpretations that enable aperson to operate in a manner acceptable to other members of theculture(Arnould, Prince and Zinkhan, 2004, p.74)

Cultural categories: define and organise time, space, nature, the sacredand society

Cultural principles: allow things to be grouped into cultural categories,ranked and interrelated; include values, ideals, norms and beliefs


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Cultural Values

Cultural values: enduring beliefs about desirable outcomes thattranscend specific situations and shape ones behaviour

Types of values:

1. Instrumental: shared beliefs about how people should behave

2. Terminal: desirable life goals

Values measures: LOV and Rokeach


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Cultural Rituals

Behaviour Source Kinds of Rituals Examples

Cosmology Religious

MagicalAesthetic

Baptism, meditation, mass,ChristmasHealing, channellingPerforming arts

Cultural values Rites of PassageCalendrical

Graduation, marriageFestivals, holidays

Group learning CivicSmall groupFamily

Parades, elections, trialsBusiness negotiations, gift givingMealtime, bedtime, birthday, moving

Individual aims andemotions

Personal Grooming, possession

Biology Ethological Greeting, mating


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Consumption Meaning

What do we mean by meaning?

value in use

cultural meaning

market vs. non-market sources of meaning

symbolic meaning of a brand: knowledge, feelings and attitudestowards a brand

Frameworks

Semiotics: the science of meaning Cultural capital: distinction via the meaning of things


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The Semiotic Triangle



Cultural Capital

Things give us distinction i.e. higher status within asocial group symbolic capital.

Three types:

1. Embodied: behaviour, manner of dress, way of conductingyourself, speech, behaviour

2. Objectified: cultural objects either owned or appreciated

3. Institutionalised: given by an institution



Types of Meaning

1. Utilitarian: perceived usefulness for performing functional tasks

2. Sacred/secular: things that are designed/discovered to be

supremely important

3. Hedonic: associated with specific feelings or perpetuate feelings

4. Social: identity (individual and group), self expression



Movement of Meaning


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Summary

Culture is shared and influences behaviour

Values, myths, symbols and rituals help define culture

Consumer goods can become symbols through the

cultural meaning attached to them

Different kinds of meaning exist

Meaning is transferable through instruments such as

consumer rituals

Documents

MSc CB HO Lecture 2 Cons Culture and Meaning