Out-group peer involvement in youth alcohol consumption

Recent studies of alcohol consumption among students have consistently linked in-group influence with excessive drinking. Concurrently, these studies have largely overlooked the influence of non-alcohol-consuming peers (the out-group) on the in-group's decisions to consume alcohol. However, out-groups can have a significant impact on in-group members' decisions regarding publicly consumed products (White, Simpson, & Argo, 2014), such as is the case of alcohol. In light of this, our study aims to explore how in-group members' views of their consumption of alcohol are influenced by their out-group. This study uses Social Identity Theory as the theoretical lens to explain consumer interaction with the out-group (abstainers) and subsequent views of in-group members (alcohol consumers). A social constructivist approach is adopted to enable this exploration of meaning, with concomitant use of the qualitative narrative methodology. A sample of 18 postgraduate students studying in the UK was selected. Narratives were collected and analysed using thematic analysis. Although the widely accepted view is that people tend to avoid products or behaviours that are linked with an out-group, this paper demonstrates conditions in which alcohol consumers appreciate the out-group. Furthermore, it reveals how drinkers' interaction with their out-group can lead to negative attitudes towards their in-group and their own consumption of alcohol. Based on their views of out-groups, we propose a categorisation of alcohol consumers into 3 groups: avoiders, open admirers, and covert admirers. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications for social marketers and policy makers

Prosocial exchange systems: Nonreciprocal giving, lending, and skill-sharing

Prosocial exchange systems support cooperation and exchange in support of more sustainable forms of consumption. While often assumed that exchanges within such systems are reciprocal, it remains unproven as to what extent reciprocity occurs. This study uses data from a live service-Streetbank.com-to present an analysis of direct and indirect reciprocal relationships (for interactions of giving, lending, and skillsharing) over 4 and half years. The dataset contains behavioural data relating to 5053 acts of offline non-monetary exchange. The analysis categorised different forms of exchange that took place-giving, lending, and skill sharing. These exchanges were then analysed for direct (one-to-one) and indirect reciprocity (chains of three or more users). The results show that instances of reciprocity are rare, and when present often span more than one type of exchange. The conclusion is that reciprocity cannot be assumed to be the norm in prosocial exchange systems. Practically, design and deployment should not be predicated on reciprocity. Furthermore, any means to encourage reciprocity should make patterns of exchange visible, and do so across hybrid forms of exchange

A Critical Overview of Social Marketing in Asia

Background: Social marketing has been used in Asia to combat various social issues (Deshpande & Lee, 2013). However, our understanding of social marketing awareness, adaptation, and achievement in Asian countries is limited.The focus of the Article: An historical overview of social marketing developments in Asia.Importance to the Social Marketing Field: This paper is one of the first attempts to integrate social marketing theory and practice in Asia to understand its strengths and weaknesses and to provide a recommendation to enhance the adoption and effectiveness of social marketing program design, implementation, and evaluation to generate social and behavioral change.Design/methodology/approach: The authors representing 18 Asian countries searched for social marketing growth and trends in prominence, conceptual developments, social issues and solutions, and effectiveness in English and local language literature. This paper describes themes by highlighting examples of initiatives.Findings: Our analysis reveals a broad spectrum of social marketing practices in Asia, focusing traditionally on managing overpopulation and preventing communicable diseases and, more recently, non-communicable diseases and climate action. The practice also revealed close integration with policies, overreliance on the government sector, lack of robust research studies, theorizing, documentation, training, and community involvement, and challenges presented by cultural factors and the confusion of understanding the term.Recommendations for research or practice: The study recommends establishing the Asian Social Marketing Association and Asian Social Marketing Institute, adopt a Total Market Approach, improve documentation, clarify the boundaries of social marketing, enhance the effectiveness of strategies by embracing research, involving the beneficiary communities and by learning from others

Maintaining responsible drinking: identity negotiations and emotions

This thesis explores the emotions and identity negotiations of former excessive drinkers in the UK when maintaining responsible drinking. Despite the success of social marketing initiatives in promoting the adoption of healthy behaviours, sustaining them has become a major challenge. Paradoxically, this has received limited attention and discourse among social marketers. Thus, drawing insights from theories of social identity (Tajfel and Turner, 1986) and self-identity (Stryker, 1968), this study explores the nature of the emotions and identity negotiations experienced by consumers when maintaining a responsible drinking behaviour and the reasons for them to emerge. Further, the study explains how these emotions and identity negotiations affect the process of sustaining responsible drinking behaviour. Taking the view that reality is socially constructed and subjective, we explored the context specific meanings constructed by consumers using a qualitative narrative methodology. Twenty five narratives were collected using long in-depth interviews and an eight week diary, from self-reported formerly excessive drinkers in the age group of 18-35. Common themes were determined through an iterative process of analysis. In this study, we suggest that neither changing consumption behaviour nor sustaining this change is simple, straightforward or a singular act. Rather, they involve complex and emotional transformations of young adults’ lives and their social groups, rituals, possessions and activities. Due to the identity ambiguities, participants experienced emotions that are ambivalent and complex. Therefore, during the process of giving up excessive drinking, individuals were trying to reconcile and reconstruct new identities through various identity negotiations that move beyond disposing of material possessions. While some of these identity ambiguities and emotional challenges hindered the decision of maintaining a responsible drinking behaviour some of the identity negotiations resulted in positive emotions and supported sustaining the behavioural change. Theoretically, this thesis contributes to the social marketing literature by extending the understanding of changing behaviour and exploring the notion of sustaining a behavioural change in light of emotions and identity negotiations. The study also sheds light on the intertwined nature of emotions and identities and suggests the ambivalent nature of emotions by challenging the simple dichotomy (positive and negative emotions) identity theorists use to explain emotions. Further, we also argue that identity disengagement and reconstruction is a complex, holistic and a processual notion that moves beyond material possessions and encompasses consumption lifestyles, people and rituals. The study methodologically contributes to consumer research by highlighting the benefits of using diaries as a method of capturing subtle nuances in consumer behaviour. Practically, this study’s findings provide recommendations to social marketers, policy makers, charities and practitioners who are dealing with alcohol related problems, and universities, families, young adults and others seeking to manage excessive drinking. We suggest the importance of promoting alternative positive identities in social marketing messages to young people when encouraging responsible drinking rather than focusing on the negative aspects of drinking. Further, this paper proposes different strategies to normalise responsible drinking and abstinence in UK society. These recommendations highlight the importance of taking a holistic approach to encourage and maintain responsible drinking, which should focus on modifying/maintaining individuals’ selves and supporting their transformation, rather than simply their behaviour

Maintaining responsible drinking: identity negotiations and emotions

This thesis explores the emotions and identity negotiations of former excessive drinkers in the UK when maintaining responsible drinking. Despite the success of social marketing initiatives in promoting the adoption of healthy behaviours, sustaining them has become a major challenge. Paradoxically, this has received limited attention and discourse among social marketers. Thus, drawing insights from theories of social identity (Tajfel and Turner, 1986) and self-identity (Stryker, 1968), this study explores the nature of the emotions and identity negotiations experienced by consumers when maintaining a responsible drinking behaviour and the reasons for them to emerge. Further, the study explains how these emotions and identity negotiations affect the process of sustaining responsible drinking behaviour. Taking the view that reality is socially constructed and subjective, we explored the context specific meanings constructed by consumers using a qualitative narrative methodology. Twenty five narratives were collected using long in-depth interviews and an eight week diary, from self-reported formerly excessive drinkers in the age group of 18-35. Common themes were determined through an iterative process of analysis. In this study, we suggest that neither changing consumption behaviour nor sustaining this change is simple, straightforward or a singular act. Rather, they involve complex and emotional transformations of young adults’ lives and their social groups, rituals, possessions and activities. Due to the identity ambiguities, participants experienced emotions that are ambivalent and complex. Therefore, during the process of giving up excessive drinking, individuals were trying to reconcile and reconstruct new identities through various identity negotiations that move beyond disposing of material possessions. While some of these identity ambiguities and emotional challenges hindered the decision of maintaining a responsible drinking behaviour some of the identity negotiations resulted in positive emotions and supported sustaining the behavioural change. Theoretically, this thesis contributes to the social marketing literature by extending the understanding of changing behaviour and exploring the notion of sustaining a behavioural change in light of emotions and identity negotiations. The study also sheds light on the intertwined nature of emotions and identities and suggests the ambivalent nature of emotions by challenging the simple dichotomy (positive and negative emotions) identity theorists use to explain emotions. Further, we also argue that identity disengagement and reconstruction is a complex, holistic and a processual notion that moves beyond material possessions and encompasses consumption lifestyles, people and rituals. The study methodologically contributes to consumer research by highlighting the benefits of using diaries as a method of capturing subtle nuances in consumer behaviour. Practically, this study’s findings provide recommendations to social marketers, policy makers, charities and practitioners who are dealing with alcohol related problems, and universities, families, young adults and others seeking to manage excessive drinking. We suggest the importance of promoting alternative positive identities in social marketing messages to young people when encouraging responsible drinking rather than focusing on the negative aspects of drinking. Further, this paper proposes different strategies to normalise responsible drinking and abstinence in UK society. These recommendations highlight the importance of taking a holistic approach to encourage and maintain responsible drinking, which should focus on modifying/maintaining individuals’ selves and supporting their transformation, rather than simply their behaviour

Adopting and sustaining responsible drinking: reconciling selves amidst conflicting messages

This paper draws on theories of identity to examine challenges that former excessive drinkers experience in adopting and maintaining responsible drinking. Narratives were collected using in-depth interviews and eight-week diaries from twenty-five formerly excessive drinkers. Findings indicate that participants’ attempts to sustain responsible drinking behaviour require them to engage in complex identity negotiations, which are compounded by confusing or easily misread communications messages from both the alcohol industry and social marketers. We suggest that communication initiatives to sustain responsible drinking should reflect a nuanced understanding of the inherent complexities of modifying and maintaining individuals’ selves within their social and relational contexts, rather than focusing exclusively on changing drinkers’ behaviour