Consumer
Psychology (PSY -
514)
VU
LESSON21
SUBCULTURE
CHAPTER
4: ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES
Understanding:
·
Sub
cultural Analysis
·
Nationality
Structure
Subculture
The
members of a specific subculture
possess beliefs, values and
customs that set them apart
from other members
of
the same society. In addition they
adhere to most of the dominant cultural
values, and behavioral patterns of
the
larger
society.
Subculture
is defined as a distinct cultural group
that exists as an identifiable
segment within a larger,
more
complex
society
Cultural
Profile of a Society
Cultural
Profile of a society or nation is
composite of two distinct
elements:
1.
Unique beliefs, values and
customs subscribed by members of
specific of sub cultural
groups
2.
Central Core cultural themes shared by
most of the population regardless of
specific sub cultural
memberships
Thus
the cultural profile of the Pakistani
Society may be denoted by the
sub-cultures of the country's four
provinces
as denoted by the figure below
In
this way a young girl of Pakistan
may simultaneously
be:
·
Student
of Engineering
·
Muslim
Middleclass (Buying Power)
70
Consumer
Psychology (PSY -
514)
VU
·
Lahori
Sub
cultural Analysis
Sub
cultural Analysis enables marketers to
focus on sizable and natural
market segments. Marketers
must
determine
whether the beliefs, values and
customs shared by the members of a
specific subgroup make them
desirable
candidate for special marketing
effort.
Subcultures
therefore are relevant units of analysis
for market research and
these subcultures are
dynamic for
example
different ethnic groups of the Pakistani
population have been
changing and will continue
to change in
size
and economic strength in the coming
years.
Examples
of major sub cultural categories may be
as following:
Examples
Categories
Nationality
Pakistani,
Afghani, Irani
Religion
Hindu,
Muslim, Christian, etc.
Geographic
Region
Punjab,
NWFP, Sindh,
Balochistan
Age
Teenager,
Elderly
Gender
Female,
Male
Occupation
Govt.
Servant, Private Job
Social
Class
Lower,
middle, Upper
Nationality
and ethnic subcultures develop in order
to serve their members in
three ways:
To
provide a source of psychological
group identification
To
offer a patterned network of groups
and institutions supportive of the
subculture
To
serve as a frame of reference
through which to evaluate the
dominant culture.
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