Chapter 13

Consumer Behavior, 10e (Solomon)
Chapter 13 Subcultures
1) A ________ is defined as a group whose members share beliefs and common experiences that
set them apart from others.
A) culture
B) subculture
C) microculture
D) cohort
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain how membership in ethnic, religious, and racial subcultures
influences consumer behavior.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-1
AACSB: Multicultural and diversity understanding
2) A ________ is defined as a group of people who identify with a certain lifestyle or aesthetic
preference.
A) culture
B) subculture
C) microculture
D) cohort
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-1
3) In a(n) ________ culture, members of the culture tend to be loosely knit and words carry most
of the weight in messages.
A) acculturated
B) high-context
C) ethnic
D) low-context
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-2
AACSB: Communication abilities
1
Copyright © 2013 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
4) The process whereby a product formerly associated with a specific ethnic group is detached
from its roots and marketed to other subcultures is called ________.
A) de-alienation
B) deethnicization
C) de-immigration
D) deculturization
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
5) When new immigrants arrive in this country, they tend to cluster geographically. The primary
source of information and advice for this group comes from which of the following?
A) mass media advertising
B) consulates or embassies
C) the local community where the immigrant locates
D) relatives in the immigrant's home country
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
6) ________ refers to the process of movement and adaptation to one country's cultural
environment by a person from another country.
A) Identity renaissance
B) Ethnography
C) Acculturation
D) Deethnicization
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
2
7) People and institutions that teach the ways of a culture are called ________.
A) progressive learning models
B) ethnography facilitators
C) host cultures
D) acculturation agents
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
8) The cultural learning acquired through ________ leads immigrants to a process of adaptation.
A) maintenance
B) translation
C) resistance
D) segregation
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
9) In the process of ________, new immigrants adopt products, habits, and values they identify
with the mainstream culture.
A) assimilation
B) maintenance
C) segregation
D) resistance
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
3
10) Immigrants who exhibit ________ live and shop in places separated from mainstream Anglo
consumers.
A) warming
B) adaptation
C) segregation
D) movement
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
11) Through the process of ________, immigrants make the unfamiliar familiar by integrating
symbols from their former lives into their new homes.
A) assimilation
B) maintenance
C) resistance
D) warming
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
12) With 12. 5 percent of the population, the ________ population is the largest ethnic
subculture in America.
A) African-American
B) Asian-American
C) Hispanic American
D) American Indian
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
4
13) Which of the following American ethnic subcultures is considered to be the fastest growing?
A) Hispanic American
B) African American
C) Asian American
D) American Indian
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
14) What statement best describes what has happened to the median family income of African
Americans over the last decade?
A) It is presently at a historic high.
B) Adjusted for inflation, there has been no change.
C) African-American household income has been declining steadily.
D) Household income has increased on average, except for married African Americans, who
have seen their incomes fall.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
15) More than fifty percent of all Hispanic Americans are concentrated in just six American
metropolitan areas. Which of the following is NOT among them?
A) Denver
B) Los Angeles
C) New York
D) San Francisco
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
5
16) Hispanic Americans are primarily (60 percent) of ________ descent.
A) Mexican
B) Puerto Rican
C) South American
D) Dominican
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
17) Demographically, which of the following are the two most important characteristics of the
Hispanic American market?
A) It is a mature group with money to spend.
B) It is a young group that has stabilized its growth rate in recent years.
C) It is a young group that is now almost totally bilingual.
D) It is a young group and the Hispanic family tends to be large in size.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
18) Which of the following distinguishes Asian Americans from other subcultures in the United
States?
A) Asian Americans constitute the largest subculture in the United States.
B) Asian Americans are the best educated of any ethnic subculture in the United States.
C) Asian Americans have the distinction of having a common language that acts as a unifying
cultural agent.
D) Asian American households are larger than most other ethnic households in America.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
6
19) Which of the following is generally true about Asian Americans?
A) They tend to be very brand loyal.
B) They are not attracted to products that express material status.
C) They are one of the least brand-loyal of all American subcultures.
D) They are less likely than the average American to buy high-tech gadgets.
Answer: C
Diff: 3
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
20) Which of the "Big Three" American subcultures has a higher percentage of families with
household income above $50,000 than the nation as a whole?
A) African American
B) Hispanic American
C) Asian American
D) Arab American
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
21) The lack of marketing information about religion is due to ________.

A) the small number of people who are influenced in the marketplace by religious issues
B) the dollar value of the Christian market being very low
C) traditional bigotry toward religion
D) religion being somewhat of a taboo subject among researchers
Answer: D
Diff: 3
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-5
7
22) We can trace most religion-oriented marketing activity in America to the ________
community.
A) Jewish
B) Catholic
C) Muslim
D) Born-Again Christian
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-5
23) An age ________ consists of people of similar ages who have undergone similar
experiences.
A) culture
B) paradigm
C) cohort
D) model
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Explain how marketers can best appeal to members of different age
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-6
24) Which of the following is true about the phenomenon of nostalgia?

A) Adults older than 30 are particularly susceptible, but people of all ages can feel nostalgic.
B) Adults older than 50 are particularly susceptible to nostalgia, but people younger than 40 are
more likely to reserve their warm feelings for future events.
C) Most adults are about equal in the amount of nostalgia that they feel.
D) Nostalgia is an important marketing variable, but researchers have no reliable methods of
measuring it.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-6
8
25) Which of the following best describes the concept of a teenager?
A) Most cultures have historically separated youth between the ages of 13 to 17 as being neither
children nor adults.
B) Most primitive cultures have isolated youth between 13 to 17 as being unstable and incapable
of membership in adult life.
C) The concept of being a teenager is a relatively new historical development that did not exist
prior to about 60 to 70 years ago.
D) The concept of a teenager began to appear in Western cultures about 200 years ago as a result
of practices by Native American tribes.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
26) Advertising to teens typically depicts ________.

A) respected adults recommending the product
B) qualified experts explaining the benefit of the product
C) "in" teens using the product
D) family members of two or three generations using the product together
Answer: C
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
27) Which of the following is NOT one of the four conflicts common to all teens identified by
Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency?
A) growth versus restriction
B) autonomy versus belonging
C) idealism versus pragmatism
D) narcissism versus intimacy
Answer: A
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
9
28) Another name for Generation Y is ________.
A) War Babies
B) Slackers
C) the Lost Generation
D) Echo Boomers
Answer: D
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
29) Gen Yers are at home in a ________, communicating by texting and IMing.
A) thumb culture
B) tween market
C) gray market
D) renaissance culture
Answer: A
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
30) Which of the following best explains why marketers view teens as "consumers-in-training"?
A) Teenagers have little influence on their families' purchase decisions, but they carefully watch
and model the consumer behavior of their parents.
B) Marketers typically do not begin targeting consumers until they are teenagers.
C) Teenagers have little discretionary income, so they have few opportunities to make
independent purchase decisions.
D) Teenagers often develop brand loyalty during their adolescence, committing to a brand and
continuing to purchase it for decades to come.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
10
31) The cohort of consumers born between 1965 and 1985 has been labeled ________, or "baby
busters."
A) War Babies
B) The Lost Generation
C) Generation X
D) Baby Boomlets
Answer: C
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
32) If you were a person born between 1946 and 1964, you would be called a ________.
A) Baby Boomlet
B) Baby Buster
C) War Baby
D) Baby Boomer
Answer: D
Diff: 1
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-8
33) Marketers must know the needs and wants of their customers. Which of the following
presents the most accurate picture of the typical elderly consumer today?
A) Most are old, infirm, depressed, stay-at-home people who live a hand-to-mouth existence.
B) Most are active, interested in what life has to offer, and are enthusiastic consumers with the
means and willingness to buy many goods and services.
C) Most live with their children, have little savings, and have an increasingly difficult time
adjusting to the changing technical world around them.
D) Most have refused government support and are going through a hermitization process. They
don't trust anyone under 60.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-9
11
34) Researchers measure ________ on dimensions that include "feel-age" and "look-age."
A) chronological age
B) perceived age
C) age cohort
D) social age
Answer: B
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-9
35) Japan is a very tightly knit culture with rich history and social identification. In this culture,
people tend to infer meanings that go beyond the spoken word. This classifies Japan as a
________ culture.
A) high-context
B) low-context
C) progressive
D) paradigm
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-2
36) Manuel still remembers the impact of his first college class in the United States. As a new
immigrant, he was sincere in his desire to learn about the American culture that he had chosen to
adopt. His college professor taught Manuel many things about the ways of the U.S. culture. In
doing so, the professor was acting as a(n) ________.
A) cohort
B) acculturation agent
C) guidance agent
D) ethnographer
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-3
AACSB: Analytic skills
12
37) Maria Gomez is thrilled to be in the United States. After spending her childhood years in
Mexico, she is looking forward to the freedom given to teenage girls in the United States. "I can
wear shorts, pantsuits, and even halter tops and no one will think badly of me," says Maria.
Maria is in the process of ________.
A) maintenance
B) adaptation
C) resistance
D) segregation
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-3
38) Peggy Simmons has a tough assignment. She is to live in Japan for the next five years and
successfully introduce her company's line of cosmetics to the Japanese woman. Her company's
management hopes that living in an average neighborhood, commuting to work every day, eating
native food, and speaking Japanese will help Peggy involve herself in the society more quickly
than if she stayed separate from her hosts. The company's management wants Peggy to use the
________ model.
A) life course paradigm
B) progressive learning
C) warming
D) consumer identity renaissance
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-3
13
39) Shannon Reeves and Tish Phillips remember their days of student protest in the 1960s.
Shannon remembers seeing Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock and Tish remembers burning her bra in
front of the central administration building at Yale. These memories about cultural heroes and
events are one of the chief characteristics of an age ________.
A) paradigm
B) renaissance
C) cohort
D) perception
Answer: C
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-6
40) One of the goals of marketing to Gen Yers has been to allow them to remain free of the
restraints of wires and cords, but still be connected to any media at any time. The lifestyle
created by this approach is referred to as ________.
A) identity renaissance
B) cosplay
C) distinct-styling
D) connexity
Answer: D
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-7
41) Jui-Jui has a need to achieve independence. He dreams daily of leaving home and getting his
own apartment; however, because he lives in a neighborhood full of houses, he would have to go
some distance to find an apartment that he could afford. This move would mean that he would
distance himself from his friends. This example is a common dilemma for many teens. Which of
the following conflicts that most teens face is most applicable to Jui-Jui's situation?
A) autonomy versus belonging
B) rebellion versus conformity
C) idealism versus pragmatism
D) narcissism versus intimacy
Answer: A
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-7
14
42) In Canada, product instructions and identifications are written in English and French. To
reach the most customers, the same instructions in the United States should be written in English
and ________.
A) French
B) German
C) Mandarin
D) Spanish
Answer: D
Diff: 2
Skill: Critical Thinking
Objective: 13-3
43) Which of the following is the WEAKEST argument against using ethnic symbolism in
marketing messages?
A) Few ethnic subcultures today have powerful stereotypes the general public associates with
them.
B) Members of ethnic subcultures have increasing economic power.
C) Symbols that once seemed acceptable may come to be seen as negative.
D) Marketers may not understand possible negative interpretations of ethnic symbolism.
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Objective: 13-3
44) The popularity of the movie The Passion of the Christ, the book The Da Vinci Code, and the
play The Book of Mormon are evidence of which of the following?
A) Megachurches are now more powerful than small, community-based churches.
B) Religion can be effectively used by mainstream marketers.
C) Born-Again Christians are the primary religious market in the United States.
D) Church leaders can effectively encourage and discourage the consumption practices of their
followers.
Answer: B
Diff: 3
Objective: 13-5
AACSB: Reflective thinking skills
15
45) Hillary is a typical teenager. She sees and hears ads all the time. Most of the time they are
pretty good, but some ads have a trait that really bothers her. What is that trait most likely to be?
A) Hillary is bothered by companies that run ads that stay true to their brand image and spend a
lot of time backing up what they say.
B) Hillary is bothered by ads that talk down to her.
C) Hillary doesn't like product ads that the promoters think must be entertaining.
D) Hillary doesn't like ads that show problems teenagers face, especially when they aren't
treating these problems in a very serious manner.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Objective: 13-7
46) Jane is a Baby Boomer. How is Jane most likely to be different from her mother when her
mother was 60 years old?
A) Jane is going to have fewer resources for retirement than did her mother.
B) Jane will think of herself as being much older than her mother did at the same age.
C) Jane will no longer be interested in youthful styles, while her mother was likely to retain such
interests.
D) Jane is much more likely to be physically active than her mother was at the same age.
Answer: D
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Objective: 13-8
47) Members of which of the following age cohorts are part of today's gray market?
A) Generation Z
B) Generation Y
C) Generation X
D) The War Baby Generation
Answer: D
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Objective: 13-9
16
48) With respect to the acculturation process, what is the relationship between maintenance and
segregation?
A) People who belong to the dominant culture attempt to maintain their cultural superiority by
isolating the subcultural values of new immigrants and physically segregating members of new
subcultures into separate groups.
B) New immigrants often attempt to maintain their old cultural background by segregating
themselves, living and shopping in physically separated areas from the main culture.
C) Members of a subculture who have been in a larger culture for a long period of time maintain
their alliance to the new culture by segregating themselves from new immigrants.
D) The relationship is subtle. There is constant battle between new immigrants attempting to
maintain their new identity and language and the dominant culture applying pressure to segregate
new immigrants, thus separating them from the new culture.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 13-3
49) The first thing D'Andrea was asked when she went to work for an advertising firm is how
promotions to African-Americans should differ from promotions to Caucasians. After careful
consideration, which of the following is the best advice D'Andrea could give her new employers?
A) Separate advertisements to this ethnic subculture are never done and should not be
considered.
B) All promotions to this ethnic subculture should be distinct from promotions to other ethnic
groups.
C) The African-American market is hardly as homogeneous as many believe, and many
differences between black and white markets may not be real.
D) All promotions to African-Americans have to take into account the market's income, which
has been declining drastically over the last two decades.
Answer: C
Diff: 2
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 13-4
17
50) What is a major difference between a Generation Y and a Generation X consumer?
A) Generation Y is more alienated from traditional culture than Generation X and is reached
with more cynical promotional themes.
B) There are so many more members of Generation X than Generation Y that promoters had to
use more mass communications with the Gen Xers and fewer one-on-one promotions.
C) There are no basic differences except what would be expected by their age differences.
D) Proportionally, less tobacco and alcohol will be purchased and consumed by Generation Y
members than the Generation X cohort.
Answer: D
Diff: 3
subcultures.
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 13-7
51) Microcultures of young women in Japan start many trends that eventually make their way
around the world.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-1
52) An ethnic subculture consists of a self-perpetuating group of consumers who are held
together by common cultural and/or genetic ties. This subculture is identified both by its
members and by others as a distinguishable category.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-2
53) By mid-century, immigrants will constitute more than 50 percent of the American
population.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-2
18
54) The typical immigrant today in the United States is most likely from Europe.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
55) An ethnographer would be interested in studying the process of acculturation in an

immigrant community.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
56) Acculturation agents may come from the culture of immigration, but not from the culture of
origin.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-3
57) The largest of the "Big Three" American subcultures is the African-American subculture.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
58) More than half of all Hispanic Americans are of Cuban descent.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
19
59) The term Asian refers to 20 ethnic groups, the largest of which is Chinese.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
60) Asian Americans as a whole tend to be an easy market target to communicate with because
of their cultural similarity to one another.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
61) If you were born between 1946 and 1964, you would be called a War Baby because two wars
occurred during that period of time.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-6
62) People born between the two World Wars are part of the Silent Generation.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-6
63) Nostalgia is important to marketers but they have no way of measuring it.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-6
20
64) Teenagers who are obsessed with their own appearance and needs but still desire to connect
on a meaningful level with other people are suffering an autonomy versus belonging conflict.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
65) Gen Yers are the most diverse generation in American history.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
66) Originally, another name for Generation X was "slackers."

Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-7
67) Americans over age 50 are the focus of almost 50 percent of advertising.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-8
68) Marketers have identified the key values of seniors. One of these is severing the connections
with friends and family so that seniors can feel free of restraints.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-9
21
69) Tyler decided to restore a 1956 Ford. When he started, he wasn't sure where he could find
certain parts and product information. He rapidly found that there was an entire group of people
who restored classic Fords. Tyler has been introduced into a microculture.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Learning Outcome: Discuss the influence of groups and word-of-mouth (WOM)
communication.
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-1
70) When Erica converted to Catholicism as an adult, she, by definition, entered into an ethnic
subculture.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-2
71) Martha Sheppard is approaching 70. She wants to give something back to her community.
She works hard at her church as a pastoral care volunteer, at her local hospital as a greeter, and
for a local AIDS prevention and treatment center as a nurses' aide and volunteer. She believes
that she can make a difference. Martha is an example of a senior citizen who is emphasizing
altruism as a key value.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-9
72) Promotions that are directed to a "younger lifestyle" in the Hispanic-American market are
more likely to be successful than promotions directed to a senior Hispanic-American market.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Objective: 13-4
22
73) Asian Americans look closely at brands but are not very brand loyal. This is likely the result
of heightened status consciousness.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Objective: 13-4
74) Age cohorts share similar problems because they are more genetically similar than are people
from different cohorts.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Objective: 13-6
75) It is the actual age of seniors that determines their consumer behavior, not their perceived
age.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 13-9
76) Identify the "Big Three" American subcultures. Discuss size and growth characteristics.
Answer: Three groups that account for much of America's current growth are African
Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans. African Americans make up 12 percent
of the American population. The Hispanic population is now the largest ethnic subculture, with
12.5 percent of the U.S. population. The Asian-American population, though smaller in absolute
numbers at 3.6 percent of the American population, is the fastest-growing racial group.
Note to Instructor: Students may include other facts from the chapter. Please indicate the depth
and breadth of desired answers to avoid confusion.
Diff: 2
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
23
77) Describe the Hispanic-American ethnic subcultural group, demographically and by lifestyle,
noting important consumer characteristics.
Answer: Largely ignored by many marketers until recently, the Hispanic-American population
is now the largest ethnic minority in the United States. Nearly 60 percent of Hispanic Americans
are of Mexican descent; other groups are Puerto Rican, Central American, Dominican, South
American, and Cuban.
Demographic and other characteristics include:

∙ A young market—Many of these consumers are "young biculturals," meaning that they are
comfortable with both Hispanic and American cultures.
∙ Concentrated markets—more than half of Hispanic Americans live in California and Texas,
making them easy for marketers to reach.
∙ Brand loyalty—Hispanic Americans tend to remain loyal to selected brands, especially those
affiliated with or imported from their country of origin.
Note to Instructor: Students may include other facts from the chapter. Please indicate the depth
and breadth of desired answers to avoid confusion.
Diff: 3
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-4
78) Describe the baby boomer market and the impact it has had on marketing efforts.
Answer: Baby boomers are those who were born between the years of 1946 and 1964, and there
are a lot of them! Not only did the "Woodstock Generation" create a revolution in style, politics,
and consumer attitudes during the 1960s and 1970s, but they also continue to influence popular
culture and consumption patterns now that they are older. Reasons for special attention from
marketers:
∙ Economic power—this is an enormous segment of the population. They are also among the
most affluent of consumers, making more money than average. Now in their 40s to 60s, they are
now at the point of greatest income in their careers.
∙ Impact on the marketplace—in addition to wealth, this consumer group shows an upscale
demand for housing, cars, entertainment, food, apparel, and retirement programs, thus making
them the focus of energetic marketing efforts. Consumers who are 35 to 44 spend the most on
housing, cars, and entertainment. In addition, consumers aged 45 to 54 spend the most of any age
category on food, apparel, and retirement programs.
Diff: 3
subcultures.
Skill: Concept
Objective: 13-8
24
79) What is the difference between a subculture and a microculture?
Answer: A subculture is made up of members who share beliefs and common experiences that
set them apart from others. Subcultures are larger and often demographically based (age,
ethnicity, religion, place of residence). Microcultures, in contrast, are much smaller. They are
composed of people who freely identify with a specific lifestyle or aesthetic preference.
Microcultures often come together around products, such as fast cars or fictional characters, such
as Star Trek characters.
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-1
80) Explain the term acculturation and indicate how the progressive learning model might be
used by marketers.
Answer: Acculturation refers to the process of movement and adaptation to one country's
cultural environment by a person from another country. The acculturation process can be
understood by using what is called a progressive learning model. This perspective assumes that
people gradually learn a culture as they increasingly come in contact with it. Thus, marketers are
able to see consumer behavior of an immigrant as a mixture of practices taken from the original
culture and those of the new or host culture.
Diff: 3
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-3
81) Explain the concept of deethnicization. Give an example.

Answer: Deethnicization refers to the process whereby a product formerly associated with a
specific ethnic group is detached from its roots and marketed to other subcultures. Examples are
bagels, burritos, and salsa (to name a few).
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-3
25
82) Who are "born-again Christians," and why are marketers interested in this group?
Answer: Born-again Christians are defined as people who believe in a literal interpretation of
the Bible and who acknowledge being "born again" through their faith or relationship with Jesus
Christ. They are one of the fastest growing religious subcultures in the United States, with about
72 million out of 235 million (31 percent) of American Christians defining themselves as "born-
again."
This subculture has become a major market. Megachurches have incomes of $1.85 billion. There
is a growing merchandising movement among "born-agains" with increasing popularity of
Christian music, books (Christian bookstores sold more than $2 billion worth of products),
clothing, and other symbolic products.
Diff: 2
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-5
83) Explain the concept called age cohort. Briefly explain how marketers might use this concept
to segment markets.
Answer: An age cohort consists of people of similar ages who have undergone similar
experiences. They share many common memories about cultural heroes and important historical
events. Although there is no universally accepted way to divide up people into age cohorts, each
of us seems to have a pretty good idea of what we mean when we refer to "my generation."
Marketers often target products and services to one or more specific age cohorts. The cohorts
spend differing amounts on products. There is plenty of potential attached to all age groups.
Marketers recognize that the same offering will not appeal to people of different ages, nor will
the language and images used to reach them. In some cases, separate campaigns are developed to
attract consumers of different ages.
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-6
26
84) Briefly explain how teens have been found to use ridicule to exchange information about
consumption norms and values.
Answer: One researcher found that beginning in middle school, teens use ridicule to ostracize,
haze, or admonish peers who violate consumption norms. One result of this process is that kids
internalize their peers' stereotypes about aspirational and avoidance groups . They often
significantly alter their consumption patterns to try to align themselves with the aspirational
groups and distance themselves from the avoidance groups.
Diff: 3
subcultures.
Skill: Application
Objective: 13-7
85) Explain the difference between a high-context culture and a low-context culture. Give an
example of each and explain the reason for your choice(s).
Answer: A high-context culture is one in which group members tend to be tightly knit. Group
members are also likely to infer meanings that go beyond the spoken word. The Japanese are an
example of a high-context culture.
A low-context culture is a cultural group that is relatively weak; people are not as tightly knit
together, and they are more literal. The United States ranks as a low-context culture.
Diff: 2
Objective: 13-2
86) Explain how religion can influence consumption. Explain two examples.
Answer: Religious subcultures may exert a significant impact on consumer variables such as
personality, attitudes toward sexuality, birthrates and household formulation, income, and
political attitudes. However, specific product preferences are hard to find unless it has a direct
connection to the religion (for example: kosher food purchased by Jewish people—however, less
than one-third of those who purchase kosher food are actually Jewish). Religious leaders can be
persuasive in discouraging the purchase or selection of certain products or products from certain
companies. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention encouraged members to boycott
Disney in protest of the company's welcoming attitude toward homosexuals.
Diff: 2
Objective: 13-5
27
87) As we age, our values and priorities change. Researchers have identified a set of key values
that motivate older consumers. Marketing strategies aimed at the gray market should relate to
one or more of these motivational factors to be successful. Select one of them and describe how
marketers have applied it. The key values are:
∙ Autonomy
∙ Connectedness
∙ Altruism
Answer:
∙ Autonomy—mature consumers want to lead active lives and to be self-sufficient. The
advertising strategy of Depends, undergarments for incontinent women made by Kimberly-
Clark, is centered on a famous actress, June Allyson, who plays golf and goes to parties without
worrying about her condition.
∙ Connectedness—mature consumers value the bonds they have with friends and family.
Quaker Oats successfully tapped into this desire with its ads featuring actor Wilfred Brimley,
who dispenses grandfatherly advice about eating right to the younger generation.
∙ Altruism—mature consumers want to give something back to the world. Thrifty Car Rental
found in a survey that more than 40 percent of older consumers would select a rental-car
company if it sponsored a program that gave discounts to senior-citizen centers that wanted to
buy vans for their patrons. Based on this research, the company launched its highly successful
program, "Give a Friend a Lift."
Diff: 3
subcultures.
Objective: 13-9
88) Explain why the original descriptions and stereotypes of Gen Xers may be inaccurate.
Answer: In the early 1990s, Gen Xers were identified as a generation and described as
"slackers" because of their supposed alienation and laziness. However, many advertisements that
tried to appeal to the slacker image failed to generate interest among the Gen X cohort. More
importantly, Gen Xers today are adults who are responsible for many culture-changing products
and companies, including Google, YouTube, and Amazon.
Diff: 2
subcultures.
Objective: 13-7
28
89) Subcultures are defined in such a way that a person may belong to many at the same time.
What in the definition allows any given person to belong to multiple groups, and what
subcultures would apply to almost everyone?
Answer: A subculture is defined by shared beliefs and common experiences. Any variable that
separates people into groups with common experiences and beliefs is by definition a precursor of
a subculture. A person, for example, may have parents from Italy, have attended Penn State, and
live in New York City. Each of these variables would identify a group of people with shared
experiences and beliefs.
There are some subcultures that apply almost universally. Each person has an age subculture that
is typical of his or her age cohort. Each person has a primary language that places him or her in a
cultural context, and each person has a certain ethnic or racial background. Most people who
share the same gender also share beliefs and common experiences.
Note to Instructor: The student is being asked here to identify examples of shared beliefs and
experiences that would apply to almost all people within a larger culture. Their examples may
vary, but they should have some element of universality.
Diff: 2
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 13-1
90) Several processes and outcomes come into play as immigrants adapt to their new
surroundings. List these processes and outcomes and create an example that demonstrates the
linkage between them.
Answer: The seven processes and outcomes are movement, translation, adaptation, assimilation,
maintenance, resistance, and segregation. Students should construct an illustration of an
immigrant (any nationality will do) that shows how the person moves through the seven
processes. For example: a) the immigrant is motivated to move; b) once movement occurs, the
immigrant must go through translation of language and culture in her new location; c) as learning
occurs, the immigrant begins to adapt to the new culture and environment; d) during the
acculturation process, the immigrant undergoes assimilation where cultures merge; e) however,
most immigrants still wish to maintain their home culture and this culture is often taught to
children; f) resistance to the adopted culture can have consequences; and, g) many immigrants
today still seem to segregate from the adopted population.
Note to Instructor: Set guidelines for establishing the example if specifics are desired from the
answer.
Diff: 3
Skill: Synthesis
Objective: 13-3
29

Chapter 13

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 13

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Consumer Behavior, 10e (Solomon)

21) The lack of marketing information about religion is due to ________.

24) Which of the following is true about the phenomenon of nostalgia?

26) Advertising to teens typically depicts ________.

55) An ethnographer would be interested in studying the process of acculturation in an

66) Originally, another name for Generation X was "slackers."

Demographic and other characteristics include:

81) Explain the concept of deethnicization. Give an example.

You might also like