Gender and Consumer Culture - Essay Example

?Gender and Consumer Culture Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Literature Review 4 Evaluation 7 Conclusion 11 References 12 14 14 Introduction Consumption pattern and gender share a close relationship in the society which reflects the difference in purchasing behaviour of female and male customers. It is in this context that the consumption activity is often regarded to be one of the most essential experiences in human life. The culture of consumption is related with goods and products, where the purchase activities are largely grounded on the quality of the products and the value of its material usage. The difference in style possessed by different genders has therefore often been evaluated during the transitional phase, from pre-industrial economy to an industrialized and capitalistic economy, where the sole aim of the manufacturers was to maximise production and earn higher amount of revenue through the sales (Leonini & Santoro, 2004). It has further been observed that even though production dominated the earlier periods, in the modern era, consumer goods have gained its significance as the supreme factor which influences the purchasing behaviours of both the genders. In this context, shopping malls have replaced individual shops where the rudiments influencing consumers’ purchasing behaviour reflects immensely. Furthermore, from the perspectives of family, woman has been observed to spend their earnings towards fulfilling their family needs by a significant extent. Comparatively, men are generally noticed to keep aside a proportion of their earnings for their personal requirements. However, differences have aroused in situations where women are examined to be dependent on the earnings of the male members for the effective accomplishment of their family needs. Recent studies in this regard state that women are more concerned about the welfare of their family and children and thereby prefer spending for themselves after the needs of other family members have been attained. On the contrary, men have been identified to possess individualistic attitudes while considering the consumption choices (Leonini & Santoro, 2004). Emphasising on this conception, the study will evaluate the various factors that determine the consumption behaviour of both the genders. Furthermore, it will focus on identifying the relationships shared between consumption and gender analysing the ways in which the gender based perspectives tend to influence the consumption patterns amid customer groups. Literature Review According to Grazia & Furlough (1996), while decorating their homes, women not only focus on furnishings and attractive appliances, but also tend to consider the style and tastes of the other family members. Furthermore, women magazines, furnishings and marriage manuals have been an influencing commodity for the women consumers in deciding the consumption of its products. In relation to the modern day context, the development of departmental stores in major cities has further been observed to have re-defined the experiences of shopping for the female customers which was earlier considered as a highly-skilled task in regard to homemaking (Grazia & Furlough, 1996). However, Felski (1995) argued that although women consider themselves a prime source for decoration of households, they are the most irrational consumers, simply prone to wastefulness and extravagance when encountered with the attractive displays of products for sale (Felski, 1995). Thus, it can be stated that even though women are more concerned about family choices while consuming products, they are at times illogical while purchasing products, especially for the decoration purposes. This is because they cannot resist the attractive displays set up in the shopping malls which give them the opportunity to choose from a wide range of products. According to Veblen (1965), consumption is a symbolic act that evolved from the difficult distinction between ‘subordinate working people and dominant leisure classes’. It has been further noted by Veblen (1965) that the leisure class people engage themselves mostly in wasteful consumption in order to differentiate themselves from the lower class people, while the middle and working class people imitate the leisure class to improve their status. In the similar context, Simmel (1957) identified fashion as an important tool that helps to influence the buying behaviour of different genders stating that once a new fashion arrives in the market, women are most eager in adopting it in order to distinguish themselves from the general public within the society (Simmel, 1957). Bourdieu (1984), in contrast, states that every social class possess distinctive consumption patterns which are continued across generations. Socialisation of family and education distinguishes individuals from a given class along with the cultural aspects which evaluates specific practices and tastes of consumption associated with different classes. Since individuals inherit their class positions, it gradually becomes disagreeable and difficult for them to imitate lifestyles of the other classes (Bourdieu, 1984). Thus, it can be stated that classes of people can be considered as another factor that influences the consumption pattern of individuals. Furthermore, the desire to imitate the lifestyles of leisure class people has also ensured wastage of finances for the working class which are mostly common among the male consumers. According to Alagoz (2011), gender plays an imperative role in determining consumer behaviours. The differences in desires, requirements, expectations and lifestyles reflect the consumption behaviour of male and female consumers. The author further stated that men are generally play the role of bread earners in the family and therefore, are responsible for fulfilling the needs of the family members. However, men in general tend to first satisfy their personal needs and then contribute to the welfare of their family (Alagoz, 2011). Ozdemir (2009) observed that shopping is considered as an exciting activity for women when compared to men. Moreover, women consumers feel more comfortable and independent in shopping in accordance to the men populaces. It is fundamentally owing to the fact that women consider shopping as one of their crucial social needs, whereas, men tend to evaluate their primary value of the product rather than signifying its secondary functions (Ozdemir, 2009). Thus, it can be stated that consumption behaviour is directly related with the aspect of gender diversity. For instance, a household decoration product may be least preferred to men as compared to women. Therefore, a female consumer will be willing to pay more for that particular product in comparison to her male peers. According to Ozdemir (2012), modern day women are involved in almost every kind of profession which were dominated by men in the traditional era. Due to the equal education opportunities provided to the women, they have gradually become financially independent which offers them with a certain degree of freedom to spend according to their preferences. Likewise, companies have targeted this freedom for influencing women customers towards purchasing various products. Moreover, companies dealing with household products target women consumers due to the degree of dominance they enjoy within the family for making the decisions regarding the purchases (Ozdemir, 2012). Thus, it becomes quite important for companies to understand the purchasing differences of both the genders in order to frame effective strategies and therefore attracting the most promising consumer groups. Based on a similar notion, as observed by Mitchell & Walsh (2004), men prefer products which have a clear structure and high status in the society; whereas, women are more dependent on purchasing products which share interpersonal relationships. From a generalised perspective, in this context, men tend to buy products which are believed to improve their status in the society, while women emphasise on products which intensifies or expresses relationships or rather emotional bonding. In regards to personality traits, Darley & Smith (1995) observed that men are more independent, confident, motivated and willing to take risks in terms of money than the female consumers. Thus, it can be stated that men tend to experiment a new product which has been launched in the market, while women, only once comfortable with a particular brand, are observed to remain loyal despite of any new launches. This perspective of women reflects that they are more reluctant in taking risks in comparison to the male consumers. According to Wright (2006), men and women behave differently with the aspects of consumption, shopping and purchasing decisions. Moreover, the author state that women prefer buying products/services which have sentimental value, such as buying products for their children, their husband and other family members, whereas, men prefer products that are related with either monetary worth or leisure. Furthermore, the author stated that the shopping habits of men and women will be contrary in regard to the perspectives of both the genders (Wright, 2006). In other words, women are learnt to face no issue in spending long hours in shopping malls without actually purchasing any product. Men, on the other hand, are very particular about the products to be purchased and therefore spend fewer hours comparative to the women populaces. Evaluation With reference to the above analysis, it can be stated that differences in genders have a significant impact on the consumption behaviour of a specified buyer group. It in context, it has often been argued that women are increasingly being considered as equally competent to the male members of the society in almost every aspect of life. Unlike previous times, where men were the sole bread earners, the scope of getting involved in the professional life has given women the freedom of earning and spending according to their preferences with a percentage of liberty in decision making. However, men prefer utilizing a certain proportion of his earnings for personal activities before contributing towards the family, while women, on the other hand, give greater preferences to the needs and requirements of the family and its members before making any purchases for themselves. Moreover, while making decisions regarding any purchases related to household goods, women, irrespective of their employment status, dominates the purchasing decision over the male consumers. Thus, companies dealing with household products have often been observed to develop strategies concerning the women. In other words, women prefer products which are user friendly and possess attractive design and features. Therefore, companies can also be examined towards ensuring that the advertisements attract the women populaces specifically and influence them to purchase the products. In the similar context, companies targeting men consumers have been identified to offer greater concern towards ensuring the policies to be transparent enough where the product attempts to satisfy the primary tasks associated with that particular category (Wolf, 2009). It has been observed that in the post modern era especially in the highly developed capitalist economies, the nature of consumption and its relationship with gender are gradually changing. In other words, certain characteristics are present but may have been suppressed in the modern era which can be identified as a significant factor in dominating the purchase behaviour concerning both the genders. For instance, women are becoming constantly involved in the professional world outside their households, as a result of which they now possess both the dominating power of feminine as well as masculine while determining their purchasing behaviour. In the similar context of the modern phenomenon, masculine roles are generally considered to be ‘agentic’, i.e. dominant, assertive, masterful and competitive. Furthermore, male consumers focus more on the pro-social behaviours that promote ‘collections’, however feminine roles are more ‘communal’ which can be defined as friendly, concerned, unselfish and emotionally expressive. Hence, the female consumers also focus on the pro-social behaviours which are in regard to close relationships being shared between the family members, close friends and their dear ones (Luchs & Mooradian, 2012). It has also been identified in this regard that the term leisure differs according to the perspectives of the genders. Female consumers believe shopping is one of the best activities performed during the leisure hours. The main reason behind shopping is that women customers are independent in their decisions with their desire towards modern fashionable trends. Therefore, luxury and branded products are more common among the female consumers compared to the males. Moreover, it has been observed that women consumers, through their purchases, intend to create an individual identity among the social groups. Even the changing trends have made men believe that consuming branded products develop a distinct identity among peers and colleagues. Moreover, possession of luxury products increases the status of men and therefore, evaluates praises among the society. It has further been observed that the luxury products’ market is growing rapidly due to the change in disposable amount spent on luxury goods by the modern generation. Furthermore, technology advancements have attracted the modern generations thereby, increasing the amount of money spent on the luxury products. While considering the purchasing behaviour of modern generations, it has been noted that characteristics of feminine and masculine does not affect the purchase decisions of luxury products by the same extent as it used to be in the traditional period. Additionally, both male and female are equally attracted in luxury products and tend to spend huge amounts of money for possessing the goods (USA Today, 2008). A study conducted by researchers revealed that more 60 percent of male consumers are ‘hunter shoppers’ which is specifically attributed to the consumers who straightway prefer searching for the items required and therefore, spend less time in deciding the products to be bought. Furthermore, men shoppers prefer shopping at places where various products are easily available according to their preferences. Comparatively, women are considered as ‘gather shoppers’ who prefer spending long periods of time searching their favourite products. In other words, women make various choices for a particular type of product prior to their final selection of the most attractive or appropriate one among them (Katerina & Jennifer, 2005). It has further been argued in this regard that male and female consumers think differently owing to which a significant effect on the individual’s process of absorbing and retaining information can be identified. When the purchase decision is taken by women they consider thinking about the broader picture and involve various kinds of senses. It is further observed that women can easily absorb and recognize various kind of environmental information as compared to men. Women consumers are also examined to decipher a highly interactive behaviour while shopping and prefer to carefully trial on the sample products before making the final purchases. Furthermore, women do not make instant purchases; rather they carefully notice the features of the products and prefer discussing about it among friends and family members prior to take the final decision. In contrast, men instantly make the purchases if the product is attractive and have some unique features. Furthermore, women value current trends and fashion significantly, actively searching for creative styles and innovative trends in a larger degree than men. Moreover, women are highly sensitive to clothing requirements and possess increased awareness while making the purchase decisions compared to men (Johnson & Learned, 2004). Various studies revealed that men and women significantly differ in characteristics in regard to consumer behaviour with regard to the products they are likely to buy in response to the advertisements and its positioning. For instance, a research identified that women made the advertisements complex to a larger extent than men regardless of the focus on a particular features. In the similar context, men in comparison to women appear to possess a lower verge of complicating advertisements and therefore, judge the products through its ability to perform the assigned tasks or fulfil the desired objectives. Moreover, it has often been noted that male and female consumers, while making purchase decisions for a particular product differ in terms of time spent and pre-search activity (Krugman, 1966). It has further been distinguished that male consumers while making purchase decisions concerning the investing amount for a particular purpose, tends to evaluate the benefits and returns to be obtained from the product in the initial phase. Unlike men, women consumers, while making purchase decisions do not consider the profitability or return on investments rather look at the broader perspectives such as its emotional value. Furthermore, it has been evaluated that male consumers tend to take the responsibilities of huge risks while purchasing a newly launched product, whereas, female consumers in the first instance, judges the potentiality of the product through discussions, and then attempt to consume it (Palan, 2001). It has also been observed that women consumers tend to bargain more aggressively in comparison to the male consumers. Moreover, women are also considered to possess the ability to sacrifice their personal desires for the sake of fulfilling the family’s requirements. Comparatively, this ability is less observed among the male consumers. Additionally, the power of materialism and control of communication through media, have been influencing the current male consumers to emphasise more on their style statement and scrutinise appropriate styles examining varied choices (Palan, 2001). This in turn apparently depicts a changing trend among the modern day consumer markets which further reflects the lowering distinctiveness amid the perceptions possessed by male and female consumers. In the initial years, advertisements portrayed female consumers as an active member of household who were considered as the prime decision makers for purchasing products relevant to family members. However, due to the changing roles of both the genders, especially of women, companies can be examined as developing advertisements which represents both the genders. Moreover, in terms of preferences, men consumers are observed to prefer products which provides greater monetary value and also tends to influence the status of the individual; whereas, women prefer products that are high on quality and from a recognised brand. Furthermore, while analysing the spending pattern it has been noted that men prefer to pay a large amount of their earnings related to their personal requirements. Comparatively, women tend to initially spend money for their family and household activities before considering their personal requirements (Barletta, 2007). Conclusion In this modern context, differences in consumer behaviour due to gender diversity are considered to be comparatively lesser than previous days. The reason behind this is due to the inequality between male and female in all aspects of life. In earlier days women lacked in accessibility to proper education which in turn made them dependent on the earnings of the male members of the society who were the sole bread earners in a family. Due to the unavailability of sufficient resources in earning money, women were generally dominated by men while taking any decisions regarding their consumption. Apart from household products, all other decisions of women were dominated by male consumers in the traditional period. However, the equal opportunities provided to men and women have led to the decrease of dominance by the male consumers in the modern day market. At present, women are examined to become increasingly independent in spending their earnings according to their personal requirements. However, analysis revealed that unlike men, women tend to fulfil the needs of the family members before spending for their personal requirements becoming more responsible towards the family in terms of financial assistance too. Furthermore, the nature of advertisements portrayed by modern companies has made the consumers believe that less difference exist in the pattern and purchase behaviour of both the genders, thereby creating an inhibition of the influence deciphered by gender on the consumption pattern of a market. Moreover, brand awareness has grown significantly which is also considered as a crucial factor influencing the purchase and consumption behaviour of both the genders. Initially, women emphasised on the brand of the product before making their purchase decision; whereas, men considered the potentiality of the product before consuming. Furthermore, a newly launched product targeted for the male consumers gained considerable success as men tend to be more confident in taking risks. Comparatively, women consumers prefer to remain attached to their favourite brands while making the purchase decision and therefore are examined to be generally loyal once the satisfaction level is achieved. 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