Cheating scandals among institutions of higher education have repeatedly been linked to popular online group chat software systems . Taking a qualitative approach, 31 GroupMe chatrooms associated ...with undergraduate classes at a mid-sized Southern State University were analyzed for salient themes - uncovering the reality of academic dishonesty usually off limits to faculty and staff. The students observed attempted to normalize academic dishonesty in ways consistent with general strain theory, techniques of neutralization, and several other logical fallacies, including appeals to ignorance, consumerism, reciprocity, and learning. By providing screenshots and quotes of how students observably engaged in and solicited academic dishonesty, the present study also provides faculty and staff with clearer recommendations for the treatment and prevention of these behaviors.
Political consumption is an individualized form of collective action that varies considerably across Europe. Citizens as consumers participate in boycotts and 'positive' buying of goods based on ...ethical, political and environmental considerations. Overcoming the individualistic bias of past research, the comparative analysis extends actor-centred explanations by focusing on political, cultural and economic opportunity structures and on globalization as contextual factors. Economic opportunities for political consumption are provided by national affluence, retailing structures and the supply of environmental and fair-labelled goods. Political and cultural opportunities are facilitated by 'statist' institutions, social movement organizations as well as trust and post-materialist culture. The impact of globalization is measured by international economic exchange. Logistic multi-level models on the first wave of the European Social Survey for 19 countries reveal that economic opportunity structures and political institutions best explain variations, while globalization does not affect citizens' decisions to voice their interest in consumption. Finally, the effect of individual value orientations is increased by a low-cost context.
The 21st century rise of culturally omnivorous tastes and classifications proffers a new dilemma for how markets create attachments and achieve trust for global consumers. Consumer entities must be ...both globally circulatable and offer a sense of localized authenticity without compromising either. Drawing from research on market trust and attachment, this article introduces the concept of mobile trust regimes to account for how sets of actors and repertoires attempt to address this tension. Through two case studies from gastronomic industries—food halls and natural wine—we investigate the devices of mobility used to facilitate the global circulation of the local. These include standardized aesthetic and affective templates communicated through physical décor, recurrent narratives, and social media curation. We argue that the concept of mobile trust regimes helps clarify two key issues in contemporary consumer culture: tensions between homogenization and heterogenization and how the symbolic value of omnivorous tastes becomes institutionalized and even banal.
Intentionality in product creation can shape consumer preference, but how might intentionality involved in discovering objects rather than creating them influence preference? We find preference for ...unintentionally discovered objects in behavioral intentions and consequential product choice, driven by heightened counterfactual thought about how an object might never have been discovered.
By taking the freedom of thinking and knowing of those who have completely surrendered to the symbols imposed by consumer culture, the perfect bodies that they idealize, and the super-foods that they ...classify, individuals have been left vulnerable. This study aims to reveal in which way healthy life practices affect individuals who develop a healthy obsession with nutrition (orthorectic) and the social consequences of the perception that these individuals possess based on the fact that a strong society should consist of both mentally and physically healthy individuals. These individuals who transform healthy living into obsessions under the titles of healthy eating and sports are constructing new identities through their bodies with the concerns of being admired, accepted, and approved in society under the guidance of consumption culture. At the same time, individuals who move away from the soil and food production processes become alienated from their bodies and the food that transforms their bodies and get sociological diseases.
This article begins with two central ideas – that feelings of rage appear to be on the increase in present modernity and that one of the main sources of rage is directly linked to consumer culture ...and the retail experience it fosters. Although retail trade allows twenty-first century individuals to spend their money on material goods and experiences which provide structure and a sense of meaning and belonging, what it also causes is ambivalence, insecurity and anxiety. These are formidable feelings that cause irritation, frustration and anger to gradually fester until it accumulates into something violent that distorts the way an individual thinks, acts and treats other people. With these points in mind, what this article provides is a thorough sociological interpretation of twenty-first century retail rage. Veering away from existing interpretations of rage by drawing on Herbert Marcuse’s analysis and image of a one-dimensional society, what this article explores is the idea that retail experiences turn people into individuals who are bound and controlled by a consumer duty. As I contend, based on my unique position as a researcher turned retail worker, it is this administered, one-dimensional kind of lifestyle that cultivates rage. To support my argument and understand more comprehensively how and why retail breeds frustration and anger, I use a selection of narrative episodes to unpack three key sources of consumer rage in the twenty-first century. These sources have been labelled instantaneity, performativity and unfulfillment.
This paper has three objectives. The first is to deliver a critical review of the work of Zygmunt Bauman on Liquid Modernity and Liquid Times. I argue that Bauman’s work can provide a useful starting ...point for analysing the ‘unruly’ forces of contemporary society. Bauman’s work, as I have sought to reveal, takes us to the heart of liquid modern darkness. It forces us to take seriously the import of the sociological imagination and the insight that personal troubles are best understood as emerging public issues stemming from structural processes. The second objective, is to explore how consumer culture theorists have taken and in dialogue with these ideas sought to expand upon his initial ideas. Here I review the value of the concept of ‘liquid consumption’ and the ‘fresh start mindset’. The third and final objective, is to demonstrate how reflexive marketing practitioners are responding to such liquid times through rethinking their practice and thereby extending the terrain of marketing. Here I detail how the promise marketing imagination starts not with the darkness of liquid modern times but rather with a far more hope inspired tale to enchant new markets and new audiences on the possibilities and ‘solutions’ of being future oriented and technologically savvy. Finally, it argues that the task of reimagining appears essential given the current zeitgeist, where the climate of anxiety, fear and uncertainty whether it be political, economic, environmental or social threatens to engulf us.
Do Consumers Care About Ethical-Luxury? Davies, Iain A.; Lee, Zoe; Ahonkhai, Ine
Journal of business ethics,
03/2012, Letnik:
106, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This article explores the extent to which consumers consider ethics in luxury goods consumption. In particular, it explores whether there is a significant difference between consumers' propensity to ...consider ethics in luxury versus commodity purchase and whether consumers are ready to purchase ethical-luxury. Prior research in ethical consumption focuses on low value, commoditized product categories such as food, cosmetics and high street apparel. It is debatable if consumers follow similar ethical consumption patterns in luxury purchases. Findings indicate that consumers' propensity to consider ethics is significantly lower in luxury purchases when compared to commoditized purchases and explores some of the potential reasons for this reduced propensity to identify or act upon ethical issues in luxury consumption.
Purpose
This paper aims to understand the meanings, motivations and practices of green motherhood and, in particular, how green mothers incorporate this lifestyle into their consumption practices.
...Design/methodology/approach
To address the research questions, a survey and focus group were conducted. Survey responses and transcribed focus group statements comprise the data.
Findings
Several variables explain the adoption of green motherhood for one consumer segment. Results showed the mothers’ greater concern about their own family’s health and safety, and a desire to reduce risk and gain some control over their world, rather than concern about the environment at large, drives their choices.
Research limitations/implications
The paper identifies and explores the consumption and mothering practices of a segment of “light green” moms and uncovers their motivations. Limitations include relatively small sample sizes.
Practical/implications
“Green mothers” are an important, emerging segment of green consumers, but they often face conflicting roles and expectations. The research adds to the literature on green consumerism by expanding the authors’ knowledge of the nuances and limitations of the green motherhood movement and delving deeper into the decision processes these mothers use. This information can help marketers seeking to target this segment with easy-to-use, convenient products which appeal to their concerns about controlling their environment and improving their family’s health.
Practical/implications
Understanding green consumption practices can help marketers or governmental organizations reach consumers who are motivated to be “green”, which, in turn, can lead to an improved environment.
Originality/value
The identification of the “light green” consumer segment is novel, and the paper uses a unique mixed methods approach. Greater understanding of the meaning and limitations of green motherhood is obtained.
The last 20 years have been characterized by very different dynamics: massive reduction of milk and, to a lesser extent, dairy consumption; fewer positive attitudes towards milk; no reclaims for ...affordable, public dairy production; the development of a large conversation about the presumed risks associated with the intake of lactose; and semantic battles on non-dairy ‘milk’ alternatives. These new attitudes haven’t been systematically studied. We explore here the links between milk/dairy consumption, health concerns, and trust in medical expertise. Through an online survey of highly educated youth in Italy (N=378) we have investigated: milk and dairy consumption; attitudes towards items carried out by vegan movements; attitudes towards medical expertise and trust in counseling by general practitioners. Results show that anti-speciesist and vegan movements are very little known among consumers. Data display very limited impact of the ideas and concepts of anti-milk movements within our sample. The results highlight that milk consumption shrinking is due to health concern and an unfavorable perception of dangerous consequences in lactose intake, and additionally to a general distrust towards medical expertise and evidence-based arguments. Indeed, we observe a tendency to self-diagnose intolerance/allergies, questioning the role of physicians and medical knowledge in advising for dietary choices among highly educated youth. The analysis of the patterns of consumption and motives clearly shows that health considerations, not politics, are behind the Italian youth’s dairy restrictions. Healthy consumerism emerges as a concept fitting better than political consumerism for interpreting our results.
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