The commodified self in consumer culture: a cross-cultural perspective

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Consumer Studies

Background:

• Modern society is characterized by a pervasive consumer ideology.
• This ideology may influence how individuals perceive themselves and others.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the implications of consumer ideology on conceptions of self and others.
• To compare consumer orientation between U.S. and Finnish college students.
• To investigate the relationship between consumer orientation and materialistic self/other perceptions.

Main Methods:

• Structured interviews were used to assess conceptions of self and other.
• G. P. Moschis's (1978) consumer orientation questionnaire was administered.
• Participants included 76 U.S. and 62 Finnish college students.

Main Results:

• U.S. students exhibited higher levels of commodification compared to Finnish students.
• Participants with high consumer orientation perceived themselves and others in more material terms.
• High consumer orientation correlated with viewing personal characteristics as having market values.

Conclusions:

• Consumer ideology significantly impacts self-concept and perceptions of others.
• Cultural differences in consumerism exist, influencing self-perception.
• Materialistic values are associated with a strong consumer orientation.