Exam 11: Consumer Identity 2: Social Class and Lifestyles

American spendthrifts outnumber American tightwads.

Social class appears to be a poor predictor of purchases that have symbolic aspects and low to moderate prices (such as liquor and cosmetics).

With respect to social organization, some barnyard animals exhibit signs of a dominance-submission hierarchy. Which of the following terms best communicates such a hierarchy?

The prestige of occupations varies dramatically from one culture to the next.

According to a classic view of the American class structure, the newer social elites, drawn from current professionals, belong to which of the following social class categories?

Tian Zhao's parents were peasants from central China. Tian got a degree in electronics from a university and now works for a medium-sized technology firm. Tian recently purchased a Canon camera and a Dell computer, and he wears Nike running shoes. He shares an apartment with a co-worker and hopes to buy a house in five years. Tian is a member of the mass class.

With respect to codes that are used by separate social classes, middle and upper classes tend to use restricted codes.

Social class is a strong predictor of purchases that have symbolic aspects, but low to moderate prices. Which of the following is the best example of a product with those characteristics?

Social analyst Thorstein Veblen believed that we buy things to create ________. This means we use our purchases to inspire envy in others through our display of wealth or power.

Using the product-specific profile form of psychographic studies, a researcher would look for items that differentiate between users and nonusers of a product.

Measures of consumer confidence can help marketers predict how much money consumers will pump into the economy through discretionary purchases.

Social capital refers to an individual's knowledge of the "right" behavior used in the realm of the upper class.

Eddie just bought a vintage Prowler. He can hardly wait to have the guys at the office drool when they see him drive up in this extremely expensive purple "hot rod." Eddie's reason for the purchase falls into the category described by Thorstein Veblen as invidious distinction.

Consumers use a set of products called a(n) ________ to define, communicate, and perform social roles.

The ________ marketing perspective recognizes that people sort themselves into groups on the basis of the things they like to do, how they like to spend their leisure time, and how they choose to spend their disposable income.

A person in the middle class, but with an income at least 15 percent lower than the median for the middle class, would be known as a(n) ________ consumer.

The American rich often indulge in luxury goods while pinching pennies on everyday items.

The lower classes use more restrictive codes than do the upper classes. How does this knowledge change the way insurance might be sold to a working-class man compared to an upper-class man?

A person who is born into a rich, powerful family is said to have ________ status.

The average American's standard of living continues to improve. This shift in income has been linked to two key factors. What are these factors? Provide explanatory comments on each factor.