Consumers of Hmong Textiles

Abstract

Profiles of midwestern consumers of Hmong textiles were developed and recommendations were made for improved product design and marketing of Hmong textiles. Participants were 20 consumers of Hmong textiles. In-depth interviews were followed by participants' completing a questionnaire. Central to the interviews were the participants' 1) ranking a set of 10 Hmong textiles according to preference and 2) discussing their reasons for placement of textiles at the top and bottom ranks. Data were analyzed using a content analysis system and hierarchical cluster analysis. Six consumer profiles were developed for Fine Workmanship Consumers, Supporters of the Hmong People, Pragmatic Consumers, Patrons of Hmong Folk Art, Function-Oriented Consumers, and Color-Centered Consumers. The results contributed to a proposition that the majority of textile craft consumers fit a common set of profiles regardless of the textile craft purchased or the consumer's home locale.

In‐Home Businesses: Profiles of Successful and Struggling Craft Producers

“…First, each participant's responses were divided into units of analysis based on guidelines and syntactical rules developed by Slaybaugh, Littrell, and Farrell-Beck (1990). Each syntactical unit of analysis expressed one idea referring to attitudes, behaviors, experiences, or observations concerning the topic under question.…”

Consumer Profiles for Fiber, Clay, and Wood Crafts

“…The weavers observed that tourists of various nationalities showed varying aesthetic preferences, appreciation for quality workmanship, and interests in production methods. Slaybaugh, Littrell, and Farrell-Beck (1990) found partial corroboration for the profiles of international tourist consumers among a second group of consumers, U.S. consumers who buy international crafts as part of their everyday lives rather than during travel. Focusing on a small group of midwestern U.S. residents who have purchased Hmong textiles marketed in the United States, the researchers isolated six consumer profiles.…”

“…Hypotheses were proposed that would expand understanding of craft consumers beyond fiber crafts to also include consumers of clay and wood products. 8~ addition, the hypotheses offered the opportunity to compare the domestic consumers of U.S. regional craft products in this study with internationai tourist consumers (Littrell, 1987(Littrell, ,1990 and domestic consumers of international crafts (Slaybaugh et al, 1990). The specific hypotheses tested were a Hypothesis 1: Consumer profiles for fiber products will include themes of.…”

“…Visual stimuli. We reviewed previous research to identify methods for developing research stimuli and for eliciting product preferences in the arts (Adegoke, 1987;Briggs, 1980;Graburn, 1978;Hirschfield, 1977;Littrell, Salleh, & Arney, 1987;Salvador, 1977;Slaybaugh et al, 1990). Actual objects have been used extensively as stimuli in the study of consumer preferences for highly visual and tactile objects such as crafts.…”

“…Separate analyses were conducted for consumers' evaluations of fiber, clay, and wood crafts. To prepare for the content analysis, the tape-recorded interviews were transcribed and each participant's words were divided into units of analysis based on guidelines and syntactical rules developed by Slaybaugh et al (1990). Each unit of analysis expressed an idea related to the properties of, attitudes or behavior toward, experiences with, or observations about the product.…”