Verified Document

Individuals Consume To Align Themselves Essay

Most significantly the logo itself growing in size, ballooning from a three quarter inch emblem into a chest-sized marquee." From the perspective of social stratification and social stratification through branding, today, our main motivation to consume is our desire to be similar to some people and different from others. Consumerism stands rudimentary to social stratification, or vice versus. According to Miller (2013), "Social stratification may be defined as long-standing power, wealth, and status between groups within a single society. These groups are typically separated into classes or castes, but may also extend to ethnic separation." Miller (2013) contends that "placement into a social hierarchy is dependent on an individual's access to valued resources: stratification is a system where groups are treated differently based on their societal roles or social status." Members of society can align with various social status groups or separate themselves from others simply by making certain consumer purchases.

It is not always the affluent vs. The poor paradigm in examining consumer branding and social stratification. Sometimes consumerism relates to branding and choice. For example, two brands of shoes might have the same purchasing price. However, individuals may actually buy certain shoes to demonstrate that they prefer to be associated with a certain social group rather than another. Nevertheless, social stratification becomes more prominent in scenarios where certain goods and services are only attainable by individuals with more financial wealth.

Ironically, some individuals will try to socially stratify themselves into a class in which by consumer purchases that exceeds their means of living. In order to appear more like the rich and less like the poor,...

For example, to appear more wealthy, some individuals will purchase a luxury car which highly strains their budget. While these individuals have a fancy, luxury car to drive, when seen in public, they might live in extremely low economic housing, have no appreciating assets, possibly have poor health insurance coverage, have no savings, possess a disproportionate debt to income ratio, and struggle with paying for living essentials. or, the same individuals may prefer to struggle with purchasing gas to drive the vehicle, just in order to declare they own the vehicle and can be visibly seen driving the vehicle on occasion. Likewise, others perpetuating the same consumer cycle, would prefer to purchase a used luxury car, evoking a high level of status, with an unstable engine than purchase an economy car with a stable engine. The economy car with the stable engine would could serve the purpose of reliable transportation, while the luxury car with the unstable engine might help with temporarily distinguishing a person as a more affluent consumer than an individual with an economy car.
References

McLaren, Warren. (2008). Logo no go for Nau. A peek at branding and consumerism . Available:

www.treehugger.com/culture/logo-no-go-for-nau-a-peek-at-branding-and-consumerism.html. Last accessed 12th May 2013.

Miller, Rene. (2013). What is social stratification. Available:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8690268_social-stratification.html. Last accessed May 12, 2013.

Verdent.net. (2013). How consumerism affects our society. Available: http://verdant.net/society.htm.

Last accessed 12th May 2013.

Sources used in this document:
References

McLaren, Warren. (2008). Logo no go for Nau. A peek at branding and consumerism . Available:

www.treehugger.com/culture/logo-no-go-for-nau-a-peek-at-branding-and-consumerism.html. Last accessed 12th May 2013.

Miller, Rene. (2013). What is social stratification. Available:

http://www.ehow.com/info_8690268_social-stratification.html. Last accessed May 12, 2013.
Verdent.net. (2013). How consumerism affects our society. Available: http://verdant.net/society.htm.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Aligning Employee Compensation to the Performance Ceos
Words: 1739 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Performance Management Process and the CEO Critique and evaluate considerations that are traditionally used to determine CEO compensation Many reward compensations adopted by the CEOs of this era contain five primary components: limited stock grants, limited option grants, payouts for incentive plans, annual bonuses, and salary. While the amounts of bonuses, compensation and perquisites found in not-for-profit sectors may pale in comparison to those in the for-profit world, they generate combined reactions.

Decision to Purchase, Use or Consume the
Words: 2869 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

decision to purchase, use or consume the product of a particular brand is not simply a utilitarian decision that focuses on what goods a consumer wants, it is also a matter of the consumer's self-image. The customer asks himself, perhaps subconsciously, is he "the type of person" who eats at McDonald's, or uses Bayer aspirin? From there, the customer makes a decision to use, or not use, the product.

Marginal Utility Theory
Words: 1939 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

Essay Topic Examples The Foundations and Implications of Marginal Utility Theory: This essay would explore the basic principles of marginal utility theory, including the law of diminishing marginal utility. It would examine the historical context of its development by economists such as William Stanley Jevons and Carl Menger. The essay would also analyze how marginal utility provides the groundwork for understanding consumer choice and the allocation of resources in market economies. Comparative Study

Marketing a New Healthy Drink
Words: 4069 Length: 14 Document Type: Essay

A Refreshing Vision: Fizzy Fountain�s Unique ApproachExecutive Summary of Fizzy Fountain�s Business Plan1. Company Overview: Fizzy Fountain focuses on revolutionizing the fruit juice sector by combining health-centric options with carbonation. The goal is to offer innovative, convenient, personalized carbonated beverages, maintain natural fruit essences, and redefine industry standards in flavor, quality, and sustainability.2. Strategic Focus: The company aims to cater to a growing trend towards healthier beverage options, leveraging advancements

Managing Advertising Sales Promotion Public Relation and Direct Marketing...
Words: 4174 Length: 14 Document Type: Term Paper

Managing Advertising, Sales Promotion, Public Relation and Direct Marketing Hundreds of theories exist that examine, outline, define and analyze the best methods for managing advertising, sales promotion, public relations and direct marketing campaigns. Slick advertising agencies offer manufacturers and retailers a variety of tools that do in fact support the advertising and sales promotion process. The primary key element however, that is common among all of these areas, and the one

Ethics Within the Educational System Is a
Words: 595 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

ethics within the educational system is a very tricky path to navigate due to the consistent stream of variable behavior from numerous sources. As an administrator, it is important to realize that no matter what decision is made, there will always be some opposition to that stance. Therefore it is important to satisfy my own personal ethical agenda before adopting anyone else's. When dealing with issues it is important

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now