...Understanding Consumption in Context Why am I obsessed with the consumption of toiletries and personal grooming products? It was September ‘08 when I first came to the UK. I remember walking down the high street. I had to buy basic care, so someone suggested that I go to the Boots store. It wasn’t that easy because when I entered the store I was surprised to see the huge collection of healthcare and grooming products. I was extremely excited. Just like a kid in a candy store I went around the store more than twice. There was something in all the sections that seemed like as if were made especially for me. Eventually, I ended up purchasing a lot more than I wanted in the first place. This was just a beginning, now that I know, to what has become my obsession to use these grooming and healthcare products. Shopping for healthcare and grooming products in India is a completely different experience to what it is in the United Kingdom. There are not any dedicated stores for healthcare products such as Boots, Super Drug. The differences in such consumption patterns can be better understood through the concept of Sociohistoric Patterning of Consumption, which suggests that the institutional and social structures systematically influence consumption, such as class, community, ethnicity, and gender. I had never seen, until then, a store with such collection of healthcare products. It was a totally new experience for me. Maybe it was also...
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...critique of a research article written by John Rolfe entitled “A Tale of Two Vices: An Applied Economic Analysis of Alcohol and Tobacco Consumption.” In this paper I will offer a detailed analysis of the dependent and independent variables used in the study and I will offer an objective viewpoint on the effectiveness of the sampling methods used and the reliability of the study. The author begins his article by describing and defining his purpose for the research project. As a college student he moved from the Netherlands to the United States to study at the University of New Hampshire. The differences in tobacco and alcohol use from Europe to America surprised Rolfe. In beginning his research he found a statistic indicating that “Europe is the heaviest alcohol consumer region worldwide, with alcohol consumption per person over twice the average” (Alcohol Statistics in Europe, 2007 para 6). Europe ranks number one with the amount of alcohol consumed (Alcohol Statistics in Europe, 2007 para 6). The author decided to design a study to investigate the factors that influence alcohol and tobacco consumption across many countries. For the experiment, he used data from 63 different countries. To have accurate results the researcher should have separated the countries and compared them. The author began by conducting base research in academic journals. He learned that, “a country’s unemployment rate, average years of schooling, labor participation rate, unhealthy life expectancy...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: In India, the trade and economic liberalization process initiated during 1980’s has led to rapid changes in consumer mindset. The consumption rate of most items has picked up primarily due to the shift in the business scenario which was primarily a seller driven one to a customer driven one. The number of bikes, mobile phones and laptops owned by households has moved up during the period of time. One primary question is to be asked is “Do we realize the impact of such consumption on our life or are we blindly following the trail set for us by smart businessmen and marketers?” This study is initiated to find out such consumption trends among students of Christ University. BACKGROUND: Last 10 years of the globalization era saw the advent of many high income jobs, especially in the information technology and also in other service-related sectors. With large number of India’s younger generation earning from 20000-50000 per month, working with different BPO’s and KPO’s. The rising income and low rate taxes have credited rising Disposable income, which did trigger the spending boom in India. Media is full of stories of youth with more money in their hands but getting into living patterns which soon leave them broke and in financial debt. Buying products for sake of social comparison or for bringing prestige to their personal selves is not a taboo for this generation. It is the backdrop that promoted...
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...responsible consumption: Attitudes among Chinese and German business students- A comparative/ contrastive study * * * Index 1 Title and Initial Statement of Research Question 3 2 Background 3 3 Statement of research objective 6 3.1 Primary research objective 6 3.2 Secondary research objective 6 3.3 Definition of terms 6 3.4 Detailed explanation of objectives 7 4 Research design and schedule 8 4.1 Approach 8 4.2 Methods of familiarisation: 8 4.3 Methods of using text: 9 4.4 Methods of using Talk: 9 4.5 Methods of using experimentation: 10 4.6 Methods of observation: 11 4.7 Tools of data recording and documentation 12 4.7.1 Tools for talk 12 4.7.2 Tools for text 12 4.7.3 Tools for observation 12 4.8 Time schedule 12 5 Significance and creativity 13 6 List of References 13 Title and Initial Statement of Research Question Consumer perceptions of socially responsible consumption: Attitudes among Chinese and German business students- A comparative/ contrastive study Every single consumption choice that consumers make has a huge impact on the environment and the society. Consumers can influence the market by buying products that have a limited impact on the environment and the society. By taking social responsibility in consuming ethically, encourages further developments of the market for equitable products. On the one hand there are a large number of studies on socially responsible consumption in Germany...
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...Subcultures of Consumption: An Ethnography of the New Bikers JOHN W. SCHOUTEN JAMES H. MCALEXANDER* This article introduces the subculture of consumption as an analytic category through which to better understand consumers and the manner in which they organize their iives and identities. Recognizing that consumption activities, product categories, or even brands may serve as the basis for interaction and social cohesion, the concept of the subcuiture of consumption soives many problems inherent in the use of ascribed social categories as devices for understanding consumer behavior. This article is based on three years of ethnographic fieldwork with Hartey-Davidson motorcycle owners. A key feature of the fieldwork was a process of progressive contextualization of the researchers from outsiders to insiders situated within the subculture. Analysis of the social structure, dominant values, and revealing symbolic behaviors of this distinct, consumption-oriented sutKulture have led to the advancement of a theoretical framework that situates subcultures of consumption in the context of modern consumer culture and discusses, among other implications, a symbiosis tietween such subcultures and marketing institutions. Transferability of the principal findings of this research to other subcultures of consumption is established through comparisons with ethnographies of other self-selecting, consumptiorv oriented subcultures. T he most powerful organizing forces in modern life are the...
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...Changing Behavior: Insights and Applications Annette Frahm, project manager Dave Galvin Gail Gensler Gail Savina Anne Moser December 1995 Revised June 2001 Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County King County Water Pollution Control Division 130 Nickerson St., Suite 100 Seattle, Washington 98109 (206) 263-3050; haz.waste@metrokc.gov Prog-3(12/95)rev.6/01 Introduction Have you ever tried to get a smoker to stop? A kid to start wearing a bike helmet? An aerosol user to switch? Changing behavior is both art and science, and much can be learned from others’ attempts to change behavior that can make our work more effective. A project team at the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, Washington, spent several months in 1995 reading behavior change literature from energy conservation, recycling, health education and other fields, looking for insights. We distilled many of the principles found in the literature into workshops for staff, hoping to make their efforts to change business’ and the public’s hazardous waste behavior more effective. At the workshops, we presented some key behavior change principles, a panel shared their insights, and staff worked through an exercise to learn how to apply the principles to their work. This report summarizes our findings and includes examples from field experience. A key insight from the project is that information alone is not enough to change behavior. As government workers, we often try to...
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...Historical Perspectives on Consumption Author(s): Frank Trentmann Source: Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Jul., 2004), pp. 373-401 Published by: Sage Publications, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3180734 . Accessed: 21/03/2011 08:15 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=sageltd. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. Sage Publications, Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Contemporary History...
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...Content 1. Project title 1 2. Research Context 1 3. Research aims and objectives 2 3.1 Research Aims 2 3.2 Key research objectives 2 4. Literature review 2 4.1 Advantages of purchasing online 2 4. 2 The characteristics of online shoppers 3 4. 3 Factors of affecting online shopping 3 5. Methodology 5 5.1 Research design 5 5.2 Data sources defined 6 5.3 Data collection methods 7 5.4 Data analysis 7 6. A statement of possible outcomes 8 7. Ethical consideration 8 8. Risk assessment and risk management 9 9. Resource management 9 References 11 1. Project title An investigation into factors of affecting online shopping within China on college students 2. Research Context With the proliferation of using internet，the way of living and working has increasingly changed, such an environment enables people to gain information such as pictures, videos, news and knowledge as well as purchase goods through internet. So, The proportion of E-shopping has been consistently growing. Internet World States (2010) reports that China is the world’s largest Internet market. According to “China Internet network information center” (CNNIC) reported that in 2009 the number of Chinese online shoppers is108 million with 45.9% annual growth rate. At present the rate of online shopping has reached to 28.1% from 22.1% at the end of 2007. However, which group of people are the main customers to shop online and what factors drive these people...
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...Page no. | 1.2.3.4.5.6. | Executive summaryIntroductionObjectives and MethodologyFindingsProduct LineSWOT AnalysisCompetitors AnalysisPerformance AnalysisFuture OpportunitiesFuture Projects of HULConclusionBibliography | 34-56789-1213-1515-18192021 | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hindustan Unilever Limited is the Indian arm of the Anglo-Dutch company –Unilever. Both Unilever and HUL have established themselves well in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) category. In India, the company offers many households brands like, Dove,Lifebuoy, Lipton,Lux, Pepsodent, Ponds, Rexona, Sunsilk, Surf, Vaseline etc. Some of its efforts were also rewarded when four of HUL brands found place in the ‘Top 10 brands’ list for the year 2008 published in The Economic Times. Unilever was a result of the merger between the Dutch margarine company, Margarine Unie, and the British soap-maker, Lever Brothers, way back in 1930. For 70 years, Unilever was the undisputed market leader but now faces tough competition from Proctor & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive. HUL is also known for its strong distribution network in India. In order to further strengthen its distribution in the rural areas and to empower the local women, HUL launched a project Shakti in 2000 in a district in Andhra Pradesh. The idea behind this project was to create women entrepreneurs and provide them with micro-credit and training in enterprise management, which would enable them to create self-help groups and become direct-to-home...
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...Brief Introduction of Financial Risk Management Financial risk management is an interdiscipline with various researching subfields including the studies of mathematical methods to maximum the profits, quantitative analysis of financial databases and investment decisions. In other words, it is aimed to bridge the gap between mathematical theories and practical financial analysing tools (Nawrocki 1999). It could also be defined as“Living with the possibility that future events may cause adverse effects” (Kloman 1999). Risk and profit are always an integral. The variety of risks including portfolio risk, credit risk and liquidity risk became a financial conundrum which equalled to a group of destructive nuclear bombs hidden in the monetary market. Consequently, the risk management represents the core competence in insurance and banking industries. With the innovation of IT technology, more advanced computer software has been introduced in financial area which results that the risk management has made impressive strides in last decade. As the academic field mature constantly, the abstract mathematical and statistic concepts reifies to accessible programs which could predict the trends of investment returns, for example, the expected earnings at the end of next week after buying certain amount of stock at next Monday (Chapman 1996, iv). The origin of risk management could date back to the game theories introduced by two French mathematicians...
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...Highlights from Journal Articles Below is a summary of research findings on six key benefit areas of garden-based learning for children, youth, adults, and families: 1. Nutrition Awareness 2. Environmental Awareness 3. Learning Achievements 4. Life Skills 5. Health and Wellness 6. Community Building and Social Connections Nutrition Awareness Gardening improves opportunities for children, youth, adults and families to gain interest and eat fruits and vegetables. Results from this study of middle school-aged students indicate that school gardening may affect children’s vegetable consumption, including improved recognition of, attitudes toward, preferences for, and willingness to taste vegetables. Gardening also increases the variety of vegetables eaten. (Ratcliffe, M.M., et al. (2011) The Effects of School Garden Experiences on Middle School-Aged Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Associated with Vegetable Consumption. Health Promotion Practice 12.1: 36-43.) The article reports that school gardens can positively impact children’s food choices by improving their preferences for vegetables and increasing their nutrition knowledge. (Graham, H. et al. (2005) Use of School Gardens in Academic Instruction. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 37: 3: 147-151.) A study in Tucson, AZ showed that children who participated in the garden learned to like healthy foods. The vegetables that the children grew had a high intrinsic value. (Cavaliere, D. (1987). How...
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...cannot well be expected, that they should watch over it with the same anxious vigilance with which the partners in a private copartnery frequently watch over their own. Like the stewards of a rich man, they are apt to consider attention to small matters as not for their master’s honour, and very easily give themselves a dispensation from having it. Negligence and profusion, therefore, must always prevail, more or less, in the management of the affairs of such a company. — Adam Smith (1776) Keywords: Agency costs and theory, internal control systems, conflicts of interest, capital structure, internal equity, outside equity, demand for security analysis, completeness of markets, supply of claims, limited liability ©1976 Jensen and Meckling Journal of Financial Economics, October, 1976, V. 3, No. 4, pp. 305-360. Reprinted in Michael C. Jensen, A Theory of the Firm:...
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...This article was downloaded by: [Aberystwyth University] On: 12 October 2013, At: 02:24 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Marketing Management Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjmm20 The Sociology of Consumption: The Hidden Facet of Marketing Hélène Cherrier & Jeff B. Murray Published online: 01 Feb 2010. To cite this article: Hélène Cherrier & Jeff B. Murray (2004) The Sociology of Consumption: The Hidden Facet of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management, 20:5-6, 509-525, DOI: 10.1362/0267257041323954 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/0267257041323954 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable...
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...cannot well be expected, that they should watch over it with the same anxious vigilance with which the partners in a private copartnery frequently watch over their own. Like the stewards of a rich man, they are apt to consider attention to small matters as not for their master’s honour, and very easily give themselves a dispensation from having it. Negligence and profusion, therefore, must always prevail, more or less, in the management of the affairs of such a company. — Adam Smith (1776) Keywords: Agency costs and theory, internal control systems, conflicts of interest, capital structure, internal equity, outside equity, demand for security analysis, completeness of markets, supply of claims, limited liability ©1976 Jensen and Meckling Journal of Financial Economics, October, 1976, V. 3, No. 4, pp. 305-360. Reprinted in Michael C. Jensen, A Theory of the Firm:...
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...The body as image - An analysis of the postmodern characteristics of tattoos in contemporary society Introduction In recent years few terms have been so widely discuss as ”postmodernism” in order to define its basic principals. Despite a lack of consensus, most authorities agree that postmodernism represents some kind of reaction to, or departure from, modernism and modernity (Brown 1993). The consumer of the modern society is distinguished by being self-reflexive and rational while the characteristics of the irrational postmodern consumer are hyperreality, fragmentation, reversals of production and consumption, decentring of the subject, paradoxical juxtapositions, and loss of commitment (Firat et al, 1995). The ability and willingness to represent different self-images in fragmented moments liberates the consumer from conformity to a single image, to seeking continuity and consistency among roles played throughout life. This self-referential identity of the postmodern consumer, and the general hostility towards generalization together with the rejection of the idea that human social experience has fundamental “real” bases are possibly the main defining differences between modernism and postmodernism (Firat et al, 1995). Despite the seemingly transformation in consumer behaviour modern marketing theory (e.g. Kotler, Porter, Ansoff etc.) of costumer segmentation and categorizing customers is still widely accepted and used by companies in the western society. In the...
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