Is consumerism a valid way of forming group identities and relationships
Order Instructions:
Essay Topic:
Miles argues that ‘Consumer goods and services potentially play an important role in who we are and how we construct our social lives’ (Miles 1998: 3) and that we relate to other people through goods and services we consume. Is consumerism a valid way of forming group identities and relationships?
Discuss with reference to fashion, giving specific examples.
Points to note and include:
1. Historically, people dress to reflect social status. Talk about the renaissance period or 18th century Marie Antoinette. (Example 1 – Minor point 1. Write about this as background).
2. Football fans wearing jerseys to show support to their favourite clubs. (Example 2 – Minor point 2. Write about this as brief background)
3. Subcultures. Mention bricolage. Talk about historic examples such as Skinheads/Teddy Boys. And then modern examples such as Transgender. (Example 3 – Major point 1. Deserves 1 to 2 paragraphs dedicated to it. Major elaboration.)
4. In today’s celebrity obsessed culture, purchasing of celebrity designer brands such as Victoria Beckham, or The Row (designed by the Olsen twins), to feel a more personal connection and relationship to the stars. (Example 4 – Major point 2. Deserves 1 to 2 paragraphs dedicated to it. Major elaboration.)
SAMPLE ANSWER
Is consumerism a valid way of forming group identities and relationships
Consumerism or rather the way people or consumer consumes their products and services changes over time. People as well have different choices and preferences of the products they consume. Some of these preferences aim at identifying with some figures in the society such as celebrities and famous individuals. Certain category of products is designed to suit people of certain social status or from a certain geographical location. Miles asserted that ‘Consumer goods and services potentially play an important role in who we are and how we construct our social lives’ (1998: 3). This therefore means that the products and services that people consume shape the way they perceive the society. Fashion is one of the areas that have shaped the way people consume their products. From time in memorial various fashions designs have emerged. Consumers have adopted these designs on various instances to be part of the bandwagon of the wave of transformation. This discussion, therefore, provides an argument whether in deed consumerism is a valid way of forming group identities and relationships focusing on fashion industry. The paper provides various examples on how fashion has contributed in the formation of these group identities and relationships.
Historically, people dress to reflect their social status. Those in the leadership positions dress in manners that befit their status in the society. Society as well expected that these persons dressed decently by virtue of the position they hold. Those that deviated from these expectations were viewed in a different way as rather contravening the values and norms of the society. In some instances, it attracted a public outcry (Illouz 2009). For instance, in the renaissance period and period around 18th century dressing code was very critical for those people that had some influence in the society. The members of the public expected the leaders to dress in a certain manner. One of the famous fashionist in the 18th century was Marie Antoinette a wife to a French King. Her dressing attracted the attention of the members of the public. She wore gowns and hats designed by Marie-Jeanne Rose Bertin. In most of her letters, she says that she used fashion to give her credit and appearance. She wanted to earn reputation and credibility from the members of the society. As a woman, she expressed her power through her dress code. Therefore, because of her status in society. She had an opportunity to influence other women in the government. Unlike other previous queens, she paid more attention to fashion by moving away from the usual fashion of the traditional court dress codes. Therefore, through this, she lead fashion industry by creating new styles and dominated the fashion industry to gain attention and to earn some prestige in the eyes of the other court members.
This is therefore a typical example of how fashion helped to create identity and as well establish relationships. She adapted to this style of dressing with an intention of appearing different. She wanted to break away from a bandwagon in the dressing codes of the court queens. This therefore enabled her to earn credit and form an identity. Fashion as well helps in creating of relationships in the society. This fashion created a brand that people or other women adopted to match the status of the Marie. Most of people that adopted this dressing fashion included those of her social status in various positions in the government. The fashion was expensive and beyond reach of many women of low social status.
Another example on how consumerism is a valid way of forming group identities and relationship in experienced amongst football fans wearing jerseys of their teams to show their support of favourite clubs. This has been a trend from historical periods. Football fans wear jerseys of their teams during matches as well as in off the stadium as a way of identifying with the teams they support (Matthews 2013). It s not difficult to tell the team the fans support but to just look at the jerseys they wear. Football teams especially those that are at the top of the leagues mint a lot of money by selling these jerseys to fans. For instance, most of the famous teams with professional players such as Manchester and Arsenal have a wider fan base that will always dress in the team’s jersey during their match to support them. “Neuroeconomics and behavioural economics have shown that shopping produces emotional reactions, rather than rational decisions and that human are liable to manipulation” (Shermer 2008). This statement hold truth in circumstances where the consumers of fashions are obsessed with the celebrity euphoria making them not to consider the fashion itself (Van tuinen 2011). The emotions associated with certain celebrities may therefore lead to consumers making unprecedented decisions pertaining to their consumption behaviors, a scenario evidenced among football fans
Consumerism is also used to form relationships and to exemplify identities among subcultures. People will dress in a certain style that demonstrates the values and beliefs they hold. Subcultures contributed to the emergence of new designed that were developed from combination of styles meant for other purposes to suit their styles. This is a concept popularly known as bricolge styles. The major aim of this style is to create new products by erasing the original straight meaning. Examples of such fashions is the consumerism is a valid way of forming group identities and relationships focusing on fashion industry joining candy wrappers to produce a purse. These kinds of fashions modify the existing styles to make them suitable for the purpose of the specific category of group. Example of the groups that used bricolage fashion were the Teddy boys and skinheads (Teddy Boys 2014). Teddy boys were a group of young teenagers in 1940s and 1950s that were a member of cult wore fashion were inspired by Edwardian era (1901-1910) (Teddy Boys 2014). They had money and therefore they had power to purchase or consume the cloths or fashions styles they wished. They adjusted the dressings codes the former trousers and shirts had drapes and drainpipe (Teddy Boys 2014). This was customized as drapes had collars, cuff and pocket trimmings. The trousers were customized and became narrow, they wore crepe soled shoes and beetle crushers. The hairstyles were greased into a quiff and it was shaped into a DA, also called ducks arse. This style was the first to be self-created in history.
With increasing number of changes in the society, the consumption behaviors have as well continued to evolve and change. The society has continued to change and people as well have continued to agitate for their rights (Michael 2008). Transgender category of people/subculture has as well contributed in the revolution of fashion and dressing codes. Designers are coming up with clothes that suit transgender. They achieve this by incorporating various materials and designers. These clothes are as well identified by the transgender subcultures. The increased agitation of this category of people in the society has necessitated these amendments in the fashion industry.
In the contemporary world today, fashion has become very important and designers are doing the best they can to come up with designs that meets the expectations of the people. Most of the designs that celebrities wear attract a huge followers who want to be associated with such individuals in society (Morris 2005). This has as well contributed to the increase in competition in the fashions trends. New fashions or styles of dressing are cropping up every day as celebrities competes for the best designs. Followers of those that like these celebrities are also not being left behind in these quests. They are doing their best to ensure that they keep to the standards of the celebrities. The culture today people are obsessed, and often will purchase celebrity designers brands of such propel like Victoria Beckham to feel personal connection and relationship to these stars. Evolutionary theories contend that, “Consumers are subject to a host of cognitive biases which…appear to render them vulnerable to manipulation’ ((Van tuinen 2011). This biasness makes the consumers to associate or purchase certain kinds of products and not the others. They can easily be manipulated to associate with certain kinds of fashion.
A star and a celebrity such as Victoria Becham has a fashion label that has grown and which has attracted many people or consumers. The star is famous and consumers want to create a connection and touch with what she wears and what she does. For instance, the fans of this celebrity will always want other people to identify by their like of the style, the kind of cloths and other fashion products they have (Michael 2008). The recent fashion label has launched deals with various dresses, and other luxury products such as handbags. These diffusion ranges of products offered through her outlines are highly consumed by the consumers. Victoria is as well one of the most talked designers in the social media such as twitter especially during New York Fashion fashion week. This signifies her place in the fashion industry. The consumer base of her fashion trends is growing every other day as people see her as a model and a success story. The human mind is wired to associate with what others feel is right. The bandwagon effect is experienced among many fashion lovers. They will go for anything that is associated with celebrities and which they perceive is new and stylish. Addictive critique contends that, “Noting the importance of fashion to the phenomenon of consumerism connects with the third of the more common criticisms of consumer behavior, which is that it is an addiction” (Campell 2010). Fashion is addictive and people or consumers may find themselves purchasing new products because fashion continues to change. This therefore explains why many consumers that engages in purchasing behaviors on every fashion that comes out.
Fashion designers as well must consider various aspects when designing these fashions to their customers. This means that some of the consumers will go for specific attributes in a fashion and therefore being able to concentrates on such areas will increase their consumption. One is to consider how the product or service image is to be represented. The designers should ensure that they factor in the cultural aspects of the people or target consumers. Therefore, focusing on local theories and beliefs will help the fashion to sell more quickly. Behaviors of the consumers are built on constructed through the social groups in respect to various aspects of fashion and preferences and life and transformation of these into norms and beliefs. Therefore, products can become marketable image through the way people identify with their own image, representation and symbols. Most of the jersey won by fans is designed to match the interests and preferences of the fans. The fans have their favourite players and that is why most of them are printed with the names of the players on them. This therefore, gives the consumers a freedom to buy the jersey with the player they like. This personalization of fashion makes the fans identify at a much closer distance with their favourite team players not just the team they support.
Consumerism behaviors highly depend on the media depiction and portrayal of the products and services. Media has become an essential channel to influence the behaviors of people towards fashion (Morris 2005). Media such as television and nowadays-social media play keyhole in influencing adoption of certain fashions. Media and movies contribute greatly to reshaping, re-patterning lives, meanings, and needs of the consumers. It therefore contributes to the formation of group identities and relationships by helping to distribute information to the consumers. Most consumers’ view or access information through media and it as well shapes the way they consume fashion. The media platform is therefore very crucial in helping showcase latest fashion trends in the society (Morris 2005). Celebrities as well attain their celebrity through frequent media appearances that makes them reach a wider market. Media agenda setting theory helps to understand the importance of media in its role in influencing the decision making process of the consumers. People act and react to information they view or see through these media platforms. Social media such as facebook have become popular media for people to showcase their fashions. These media are popular in all parts of the world and it has become easier for fashion to be showcased and to spread across the globe. Many of the celebrities across the world for instance, have managed to influence consumers fashion trends courtesy of media. “Media play a more important role in our lives than before television became dominant; commercial messages are more pervasive and more penetrating. Brands are now marketed as representations of lifestyles or ‘meaning’” (Klein 2005). This therefore, qualifies the agenda setting theory and portrays the impact that media can have in determining or influencing the way people purchase fashion. Media portrayal of certain kind of fashions or dresses triggers consumers to purchase the same to be part of the brand. They also want to be identified with the celebrities that champion those brands.
In consumerism, it is also very important for the designers of various fashion trends to customize or fragment their markets for specific category of consumer. People from a certain part of the country or those within a certain age bracket or those within a given income range, social status require consideration when designing a fashion. The preferences of individuals also vary and this will as well play a critical role in creating identities and relationships. For instance, designs for people from the entertainment industry may not be similar to those in corporate sector/industry. There must be a clear understanding and lines in designing fashions. Customization will therefore ensure that the needs and the wants of that particular group of the consumer’s targets are met (Caput 1991). For instance, most of the consumers that will go for the products of celebrities such as Victoria must have high level of income to buy these products and as well must understand who Victoria is and her values. They as well may be motivated by her dressing and fashions because they want to be like her.
Fashion is also one way that consumers choose to show solidarity and support to those celebrities or things they admire and like. In most of the fashion, designs involving celebrities many people go buying such fashions because they love them and wants to show their support for them. For example, in football and other popular games, fans will actually show their support to their clubs and favourite footballers by wearing their jerseys even though they identify with the teams, they also want to show that they are with the teams through thick and thin. They give their teams’ moral to keep going and doing what they can to win.
Any fashion designers are also expected to showcase the benefit of their products. Making a product look attractive and appealing starts by defining the value of the product in the mind of the customer. The mindset of the customers should be captured in the design of the products before it is designed (Cheveresan 2013). Having clear mindset and positioning it becomes easy to design mechanisms that allows production of appropriate products that offers the values distinct , and desirable as well offers a meaningful representation over the other on the market (Ding 2014). Fashion designers therefore must understand the thinking or the mindset of the customers when creating their designs to suit specific tastes of their consumers. For instance, a fashion designer, that creates or designs clothes and other products for celebrity for instance, needs to put in mind the target consumers of the celebrity. This will help the designer to come up with an appropriate design that will as well enable the consumers to purchase the same because they will have some connections and relationship or attachment to that celebrity.
In fashion industry, consumers as well have the reasons they consume certain kinds of products and not the others. Some of the consumers will not be moved or motivated to purchase certain fashion products because they do not mind the trends. While others are very much attentive to any new fashion trends and will not hesitate to scan a round for any new trends in fashion (Edvardsson, Enquist & Johnston 2005). The core benefits of the products in fashion are not more on quality but it is a trend and a lifestyle people embrace. Consumers of fashion, may not be mindful of the cost of the dress provided that they are part of the group that share the fashion.
Extensive research studies have been done in the area of consumerism and consumer behaviors, the experiences and purchasing patterns. Various questions that pertains to purchasing is what makes people to purchase the products, the basis on which people make their purchases- whether they base on the core benefits or on intangible representation (Henry 2005). Gaining an understanding to these allows the producers or fashion designers to have a clear understanding of the best strategies to position their products. For instance, those that purchase these fashion products based on core benefits may go for the quality, the design and not the popularity of the cloths. However, those that are pushed by the euphoria surrounding the fashions such as the celebrity will make a purchasing decision without having to consider the core benefits of the products.
Therefore, in the contemporary world today competition has increased and it is s very important for the fashion designers to embrace strategies that delve on creativity and innovation to remain relevant and to meet the needs of their customers. The behaviors depicted by people or consumers should be closely monitored and scrutinized as this will give the designers and upper hand in their decision (Illouz 2009).
The fashion industry has experienced development over the years. New designs have changed over the years. For instance, in the 18th century dressing was more important and was caused to signify social status. People in leadership positions were expected to wear certain dressings. Example of people that shaped fashion industry included Marie. Football funs as well provide a good example of how fashion is used to demonstrate identity and relationships. Most football fans wear jerseys of their fauvorite team to identify with them and to show their support and solidarity behind them. The Teddy boys as well have contributed to the fashion trends in 1940s and 1950s. The dressing was distinct and was customized for their identity to that cult. In contemporary days, fashion has changed. Most of the celebrities have shaped the fashion industry. Their dressing styles go viral and are replicated across many of their fans who seek for personal association and for identity. Therefore, it is no doubt that fashion or consumerism helps in forming group identities and relationships.
Reference list
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