Introduction
Understanding consumer behavior is crucial for any organization before launching a product. If a company fails to analyze how consumers will respond to a product, it risks significant losses. Consumer behavior is inherently complex, as each individual has unique attitudes toward purchasing, consuming, and disposing of products (Solomon, 2009). By studying the theories and concepts of consumer behavior, organizations can market their products or services more effectively. Over time, consumer behavior has shifted significantly. For example, people are now more health-conscious, opting for healthier products due to increased awareness and stricter regulations that require detailed ingredient lists on food packaging. This shift has made consumers more informed and cautious about their choices.
Theories of consumer behavior help marketers maximize profits and design effective marketing campaigns. These theories provide insights into how consumers spend their money, enabling marketers to develop strategies that promote products more effectively (Goossens, 2011).
Postmodernism and Consumer Behavior
Postmodernism is a complex and multifaceted concept that spans various fields such as literature, art, music, fashion, technology, and sociology. It is challenging to define postmodernism historically or contextually, as there is no clear consensus on when it began. Even among postmodernists, there is significant debate about its meaning and implications. Since the mid-1980s, postmodernism has been recognized as an academic field, though its definition remains elusive.
Postmodernism can be understood as a collection of ideas and practices that challenge traditional concepts such as reality, identity, history, and truth. It employs strategies like fragmentation, repetition, and hyperreality to destabilize established norms. The postmodernist movement gained momentum after World War II, during which the distinction between high and low culture became blurred. This period saw the emergence of new values in literature, art, and culture, which questioned traditional hierarchies and norms.
Fredric Jameson, in his essay Postmodernism and Consumer Society, explores the philosophy and impact of postmodernism. Over the past three decades, postmodernism has become a prominent social theory, particularly since the 1990s (Christensen et al., 2005). It has been recognized as a key framework for understanding contemporary consumer behavior (Hirschman and Holbrook, 1992; Holt, 1997; Thompson, 2002). Postmodernism allows for interdisciplinary approaches, offering a richer and less constrained view of consumer behavior (Miles, 1999).
Firat and Venkatesh (1993) identified five key characteristics of postmodernism: hyperreality, fragmentation, reversal of production and consumption, the decentered subject, and paradoxical opposites. Van Raaij (1993) added pluralism and the acceptance of contradictions as dominant features of postmodernism. Later, Firat and Shultz (1997) introduced additional criteria, such as transparency, diversity, and the value of form and design. These characteristics have been widely accepted in postmodern studies (Firat and Shultz, 2001; Brown, 2006).
In postmodern societies, consumption is central to social life. Scholars like Baudrillard (2003) argue that postmodernism has transformed the way businesses operate and how consumers interact with products. Sociologist George Ritzer (1998) even suggests that postmodern society is synonymous with consumer society. In this context, consumption is not just about the utility of goods but about their symbolic value. Postmodern consumers are more concerned with the meaning and spectacle of products than with their practical functions.
Bourdieu, Class, and Consumption
Pierre Bourdieu challenges the conventional notion that consumer preferences are based on innate, individual tastes. He argues that what we consider “taste” is socially conditioned and reflects the cultural hierarchy imposed by dominant social groups. Bourdieu’s work extends his broader sociological project, which seeks to bridge the gap between structural and individual agency in social theory.
Bourdieu introduces the concept of “classes on paper,” which are social groups defined by their shared access to economic and cultural resources. These groups are not cohesive communities but rather collections of individuals with similar amounts and types of capital. Their consumption patterns reflect their social conditioning and shared desires.
Bourdieu’s approach contrasts with traditional models of social status, such as the Warnerian paradigm, which focuses on differences in consumption between social groups without exploring their sociological origins. Bourdieu, on the other hand, sees consumer behavior as a manifestation of class struggle, where the dominant class imposes its cultural preferences on society. He critiques the Kantian idea of “taste” as a purely subjective judgment, arguing that it is shaped by the cultural capital of the ruling class. This cultural capital is maintained through the education system, which restricts access to legitimate culture for lower social groups.
Consumer Identity
In postmodern consumer culture, identity is closely tied to consumption. Whether we are male or female, black or white, European or Australian, we are all consumers. Consumer culture plays a central role in shaping our identities, as we use goods, services, and interactions to construct and present ourselves to others.
Identity is a relational concept, formed through interactions with others and shaped by cultural symbols, traditions, and myths (Mach, 2007). These symbols serve as the material for constructing individual and collective identities, often reflecting power dynamics within society. As Ardener (1989) notes, the construction of identity is an act of power, where dominant groups impose their cultural norms on others.
In consumer culture, goods and services become symbols of social identity. For example, people may use fashion, fitness, or beauty products to express their identity and conform to societal expectations. Giddens (1991) argues that modernity has made body image and appearance increasingly important, as individuals use these to project their identity. However, the abundance of choices in consumer culture can also lead to identity crises, as individuals struggle to make the “right” choices in a world of endless possibilities.
Conclusion
Consumer behavior research has evolved over time, reflecting broader changes in society and technology. Despite these changes, the core principles of understanding human motives, perceptions, and decision-making processes remain central to the field. By combining insights from postmodernism, sociology, and psychology, marketers can develop more effective strategies to meet the needs of contemporary consumers. As technology and social movements continue to shape consumer behavior, it is essential to revisit and integrate past research to gain a deeper understanding of this dynamic field.
References
Cahoone, Lawrence (ed.), 2003, From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology, 2nd Edition, London: Blackwell Publishing.
Firat, A.F., Dholakia, N., and Venkatesh, A., 1995, “Marketing in a Postmodern World,” European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 40-56.
Baudrillard, Jean, 2003, Simulacra and Simulation, University of Michigan Press.
Bourdieu, Pierre, and Wacquant, Loïc, 1992, An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology, University of Chicago Press.
Giddens, Anthony, 1991, Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age, Stanford University Press.