Agency and Empowerment in consumption in relation to a patriarchal bargain: the case of Nigerian immigrant women in the UK

Purpose This research aims to explore how female immigrants use consumption to challenge and support their husband's position within the context of their patriarchal bargain. Design/methodology/approach The sample group (n = 20) consisted of ten first-generation Nigerian immigrant married couples living in Britain, who were interviewed together, with the married female then re-interviewed separately. Findings This paper demonstrates how women transition from being a wife in a consanguine family in Nigeria, which they describe as patriarchal, to becoming one within a nuclear family in the UK, a society to which they attribute gender equality. Nigerian immigrant women alter their ways of thinking and consuming, with implications to their agency and empowerment. In particular, consumption choices demonstrated the limits of these women’s willingness to challenge their patriarchal bargain and instead often colluded with their husbands to maintain his position as the head of the family. Practical implications Immigrant women should not be seen as passive receptors of their male partner’s wishes or demands, but instead active participators in purchasing and consumption decisions. Although marketing encourages direct targeting of customers, this approach raises a number of ethical issues for female African immigrants. Originality/value Previous research on the consumption behaviour of immigrants is limited in scope and tends to focus on male immigrants, with female immigrants either invisible or stereotyped. Compounding this problem are disciplinary, geographical and linguistic barriers that hinder social scientists' research into the consumption of female migration. This paper works to address these omissions

Memories of pre- and post-migration consumption: better times or embodiments of a defensive mental state?

Previous migration studies tend to draw an implicit line between the place and time of migration (past) and the current place and time (present). Yet this approach fails to address how pre-migration memories emerge and appear in migrants’ daily lives. In particular, research has not addressed: (i) how migrants’ present lives evoke memories of their past, or how consumption may reproduce pre-migration routines and knowledge, and (ii) how consumption is used in recalling past memories into the present, even if this leads to conflict between what is remembered and what is experienced. We explore these questions through migrants’ pre- and post-migration memories, and how they manifest through consumption. In doing so we address research calls to understand how people encode and retrieve memories (Hastie and Dawes 2001) and identity-based consumer memories (Mercurio and Forehand 2011)

Finding faith in fresh expressions of church: Implications for evangelism from a Methodist context

Within the context of general denominational decline, this thesis sets out to explore how and why people are connecting and finding faith in Jesus Christ in a selected small number of Methodist fresh expressions of church. The aim of this thesis is to find people within these churches who display significant measurable change using a form of Hoge’s Intrinsic Religious Scale. Once this is achieved, a number of key factors are considered, noting common and disparate themes across the four areas. Firstly, what is the nature of any Christian background prior to their involvement with the fresh expression of church? Secondly, what are the triggers for their engagement with the fresh expression? Thirdly, what significant triggers amount to their respective responses towards faith in Christ? Finally, what are the establishing factors that help them remain and grow in faith within that church community? This research is explored through a methodology of practical theology and tests a working hypothesis that the four conduits of Behaviour, Belonging, Belief, and Experience of God through the Centred Set are being practiced within these new forms of church. This active dynamic is strongly confirmed by the research, showing the formation of an effective foundation where anyone is welcome and a non-judgmental value is an operant dynamic within the communities studied. Thus, new ecclesial communities are presenting a space for apt and relevant methods of evangelism to be inhabited by the divine action of God the Holy Spirit. The people studied are as eclectic as the communities from which they come, adding integrity to the model used and the theological principle of true diversity within the Body of Christ. Based on these findings, a future pedagogy of evangelism that does not invest in all four conduits through the Centred Set of Behaviour, Belonging, Belief, and Experience of God as a cooperant whole risks disregarding a cache of valuable insights into the reasons why some are finding faith in fresh expressions of church

Investigating the extent to which British Indians draw upon Asian Indian and British Caucasian cultural values in brown good purchase

This dissertation aims to investigate the extent to which British Indians draw upon Asian Indian and British Caucasian cultural values in the purchase of a brown good. Drawing upon previously published research and primary data (including a field trip to India, preliminary investigative interviews, two pilot studies and the main survey questionnaire) eleven hypotheses are developed, simultaneously tested and results discussed. A sample size of 425 usable responses, made it possible to use Factor analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficient and Multinomial logistical regression (MLM). MLM's use within cross-cultural research represents an important methodological contribution to this area, as it appears not to have been used before. The eleven hypotheses in this thesis represent the culmination of an extensive literature review process and understanding of cross-cultural methodological issues. The hypotheses measure three research themes: acculturation, consumer behaviour and culture. At the causality level, this research study supports previous research that indicates culture as influencing consumer behaviour. More importantly, British Indians consumer behaviour and cultural values are similar, but in differing aspects, to both Asian Indians and British Caucasians. This finding makes a major contribution to our understanding of British Indians and culture's affect on consumer behaviour. Further research into British Indians is encouraged using participants from different socio-economic groups and geographical locations. Implications of the literature and the research's findings are used to increase awareness of multi-culturalism from both an academic and commercial perspective. Cross-cultural methodological limitations are provided, indicating epistemological issues that require further discussion if this research field is to advance

Conform or resist? Immigrant females and consumer empowerment

This research explores how purchasing choices are renegotiated by immigrant women as they transition in their cultural roles from a wife within a patriarchal consanguine family to a nuclear family based on equality. In particular, by focusing on the immigrant wife we will illustrate how various acts of consumption offer these women not only a means to resist their husband’s patriarchy but also assert their power within family purchases

Where's the harm? A social marketing approach to reframing 'problem' drinking cultures

Alcohol consumption is often linked to a broad range of social and health problems, yet alcohol also plays a fundamental role in social bonding between people. This paper considers the potential of social marketing to contribute to alcohol consumption reduction and reframe social norms that encourage 'problem' drinking. Based on qualitative research with a variety of Scottish drinkers, the paper emphasises how and why a better understanding of the culturally bound meanings of alcohol (e.g. social identity, self-concept) are of crucial importance to inform any social marketing approach to reframing excessive drinking

Establishing psychological relationship between customers and retailers: a study of the small to medium scale clothing retail industry

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how young female customers establish psychological relationships with small- to medium-scale retail stores over time forming purchase intentions, actual purchase patterns and repurchase behaviour. Role of various customer typologies was also considered. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was implemented to collect and analyse data, where data was collected from 20 young female customers and ten clothing retailers using purposive sampling via semi-structured interviews. Interviews with customers were conducted in a place of their choice such as in a coffee shop, whereas data from retailers were collected in the retail stores. Both online and offline retail patronage was considered to incorporate the growing tendency towards online shopping. Results were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings This study managed to reveal a number of interesting findings on how female customers form and develop psychological relationships with clothing retailers over time that ultimately builds customer loyalty. Customer behaviour in pre-purchase, purchase and re-purchase stages can significantly vary according to their individual perceptions, whereas they have a few favourite clothing brands that they frequently shop for. Preference for online shopping was found to be minimal, most of them enjoying in store experiences. Further, word of mouth and unique designs emerged as key contributors in establishing retail brand loyalty. Practical implications This paper provides better insights for clothing retailers and industry practitioners in understanding how customer perceptions affect clothing purchase decisions. Originality/value This paper contributes to the retail literature by emphasizing on various elements that should be amalgamated through proper synthesis to serve customers. The research is unique as it analyses customer behaviour using a recreational activity model as opposed to marketing models to demonstrate how customers develop relationships with retail brands overtime

Negotiating liminality following life transitions: Reflexive bricolage and liminal hotspots

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how consumption linked with life transitions can differ in its potential to bring about ongoing liminality. By examining how consumers can draw on overlapping systems of resources, different ways in which consumers negotiate ongoing liminality following the transition to motherhood are identified. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an interpretive, exploratory study using in-depth phenomenological interviews with 23 South Asian mothers living in the UK. The sample consisted of mothers at different stages of motherhood. Findings Following life transitions, consumers may encounter liminal hotspots at the intersection of overlapping systems of resources. The findings examine two liminal hotspots with differing potential to produce ongoing liminality. The study shows how consumers navigate these liminal hotspots in different ways, by accepting, rejecting and amalgamating the resources at hand. Research limitations/implications The research sample could have been more diverse; future research could examine liminal hotspots relating to different minority groups and life transitions. Practical implications Marketers need to examine the different ways in which consumers draw on different systems of resources following life transitions. The paper includes implications for how marketers segment, target and market to ethnic minority consumers. Originality/value Due to increasingly fluid social conditions, there are likely to be growing numbers of consumers who experience ongoing liminality following life transitions. A preliminary framework is presented outlining different ways that consumers negotiate ongoing liminality by drawing on overlapping systems of resources, broadening the understanding of the role that marketplace resources play beyond life transitions. </jats:sec