210 likes | 435 Views
The Self. Chapter 5 Sessions 7-8. Outline of Topic. Products & media play a great role in shaping our self-concept
E N D
The Self Chapter 5 Sessions 7-8
Outline of Topic • Products & media play a great role in shaping our self-concept • We define & express ourselves and our personalities through the products we buy; many products have product personalities targeted to people who would find them personally relevant; people also shape their own personalities through products • Sex-role identity is reinforced by the products we buy & their advertising; media in fact reinforces these identities by portraying stereotypical roles present in society & influencing us to conform to these stereotypes to be accepted • Products & their advertising also greatly influence our perceptions of our own body image; they reinforce the idealsofbeauty of our culture/society & create a desire in us to conform to these ideals
The Self-Concept • Self Concept: • The beliefs a person holds about his or her own attributes and how he or she evaluates the self on these qualities • Actual Self: • A person’s realistic appraisal of the qualities he or she does and does not possess • Ideal Self: • A person’s conception of how he or she would like to be • Social Comparison: • A process by which consumers evaluate themselves by comparing themselves with others (particularly comparisons with idealized images of people in media & advertising)
Implications for Advertisers? • Use self-esteem communication appeals to create positive attitudes towards products by stimulating positive feelings about the self • Use fantasy communication appeals to bridge the gap between the selves
Effect of Cultural Environment on Self-Concept • Symbolic Interactionism • Stresses that relationships with other people play a large part in forming the self • By acting the way we think others expect us to act, we end up confirming these perceptions (self-fulfilling prophecy) • The Looking-Glass Self • The process of imagining the reactions of others toward us • Self-Consciousness Useful to marketers • A heightened concern about the nature of one’s “image” & “social desirability” • Results in more concern about the appropriateness of products and consumption activities
Social Desirability • Smart husband (even if he looks like her dad) is highly desirable • Made possible through HBL EasyLoan!
Ad criticizing the need to ‘conform’ to what is socially desirable
Consumption & the Self-Concept • Products help shape the self; they define your identity to others • People use an individual’s consumption behaviors to help them make judgments about that person’s social identity • Symbolic self-completion theory • People who have an incomplete self-definition tend to complete this identity by acquiring and displaying symbols associated with it • Self/Product Congruence • Consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy • Self-image congruence • Products will be chosen when their attributes match some aspect of the self
Sex Role Portrayals • Sexual identity & sex roles are reinforced by the products we buy & their advertising • Every society has a set of guidelines for the ideal behavior of men & women • Media reinforces society’s expectations by portraying stereotypical gender roles & characteristics present in society & influences us to conform to these stereotypes in order to be accepted • Many products are sex-typed (i.e., they take on ‘typical’ masculine or feminine attributes and are associated with gender) • Changing sex-roles & identities forcing marketers to reexamine their strategies
Reinforcing gender stereotypes • If she doesn’t fulfill ‘ALL’ her ‘kitchen’ chores in time, how will she be a good ‘mother’?
Effect of Beauty Ideals on Body Image • ‘Body Image’ is a consumer’s subjective evaluation of his or her physical self • Products & their advertising also greatly influence our perceptions of our own body image • ‘Ideal of Beauty’ refer to a particular model, or exemplar, of appearance mostly set by our culture/society • Marketers & media reinforce certain ideals of beauty create a desire in us to conform to these ideals to be accepted • Skinniness in West; Fairness in Sub-continent; Big eyes in Far-East • Can be very harmful (esp. for women who try to conform to these ideals)