Chapter 9: Microculture and Consumer Behaviour
Microculture: as a group of people who share similar values and tastes that are
subsumed within a larger culture. Subculture is also used, however, microculture is used
to portray the idea that the group is smaller but in no way less significant. Note: Culture is
hierarchical.
Each microculture brings with it role expectations for its members. The role provides a
signal as o the behaviours that one should perform to truly belong.
Role Conflict: a situation involving conflicting expectations based on cultural role
expectations.
Divergence: situation in which consumers choose membership in microcultures in an
effort to stand out or define themselves from the crowd.
,Note: this system will have some weaknesses, but this type of approach can provide
marketers with useful insight into the motivations that underlie Canadian behaviour.
Sex Roles: are the societal expectations for men and women among members of a
cultural group. Sex roles are ubiquitous in society, and inconsistency with them can be a
source of sanctions.
Age based microculture: people of the same age end up sharing many of the same values
and develop similar consumers preferences.
Teen Culture: speculations that teenagers around the world are more similar to each
other than to people from other generations in the same culture.
Cohort: is a group of people who have lived the same major experiences in their life, and
the experiences end up shaping their core values.
Generation Microculture
• Baby boomer
• Gen X
• Gen Y
Ethnic Microculture
• Francophone
• Aboriginal
• Western European
• South Asian Chinese
Stigmatization: means that the consumer is marked in some way that indicated their
place in society.
Two very important topics in consumer behaviour are income and social class.
• Social Class: is a culturally defined group to which a consumer belongs based on
resources like prestige, income, occupation, and education. Income and occupation
are two of the most recognizable determinants of social class.
• Habitus: mental and cognitive structures through which individuals perceive the
world based largely on their standing in a social class.
Homogamy: the finding that most marriages comprise people from similar classes.
(Assortative mating).
Social Satisfaction: can be defined as the division of society into classes that have
unequal access to scarce and valuable resources.
, Status symbols: products or objects that are used to signal one’s place in society.
Street Microculture
Music
Fashion
Sport
Gaming
Virtual
Note: realize that microculture is not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon.
Demographic Analysis
Demographic analysis develops a profile of consumer group based on their demographics.
• Demographics: observable, statistical aspects of populations such as age,
gender, or income.
• Geodemographics: study of people based on the fact that people with similar
demographics tend to live close to one another.
Note: Notable trends include declining birth rates, increased consumer affluence, increasing
life expectancy, and increasing cultural diversity worldwide.
Microculture: as a group of people who share similar values and tastes that are
subsumed within a larger culture. Subculture is also used, however, microculture is used
to portray the idea that the group is smaller but in no way less significant. Note: Culture is
hierarchical.
Each microculture brings with it role expectations for its members. The role provides a
signal as o the behaviours that one should perform to truly belong.
Role Conflict: a situation involving conflicting expectations based on cultural role
expectations.
Divergence: situation in which consumers choose membership in microcultures in an
effort to stand out or define themselves from the crowd.
,Note: this system will have some weaknesses, but this type of approach can provide
marketers with useful insight into the motivations that underlie Canadian behaviour.
Sex Roles: are the societal expectations for men and women among members of a
cultural group. Sex roles are ubiquitous in society, and inconsistency with them can be a
source of sanctions.
Age based microculture: people of the same age end up sharing many of the same values
and develop similar consumers preferences.
Teen Culture: speculations that teenagers around the world are more similar to each
other than to people from other generations in the same culture.
Cohort: is a group of people who have lived the same major experiences in their life, and
the experiences end up shaping their core values.
Generation Microculture
• Baby boomer
• Gen X
• Gen Y
Ethnic Microculture
• Francophone
• Aboriginal
• Western European
• South Asian Chinese
Stigmatization: means that the consumer is marked in some way that indicated their
place in society.
Two very important topics in consumer behaviour are income and social class.
• Social Class: is a culturally defined group to which a consumer belongs based on
resources like prestige, income, occupation, and education. Income and occupation
are two of the most recognizable determinants of social class.
• Habitus: mental and cognitive structures through which individuals perceive the
world based largely on their standing in a social class.
Homogamy: the finding that most marriages comprise people from similar classes.
(Assortative mating).
Social Satisfaction: can be defined as the division of society into classes that have
unequal access to scarce and valuable resources.
, Status symbols: products or objects that are used to signal one’s place in society.
Street Microculture
Music
Fashion
Sport
Gaming
Virtual
Note: realize that microculture is not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon.
Demographic Analysis
Demographic analysis develops a profile of consumer group based on their demographics.
• Demographics: observable, statistical aspects of populations such as age,
gender, or income.
• Geodemographics: study of people based on the fact that people with similar
demographics tend to live close to one another.
Note: Notable trends include declining birth rates, increased consumer affluence, increasing
life expectancy, and increasing cultural diversity worldwide.
