Parental consumer learning or ‘keeping up with the children’

Abstract

Children are socialized as consumers earlier now than any other time in history. The rapidly changing pace of society especially with regards to technology, information processing, transportation, etc. makes it possible for them to experience purchasing and consumption at a much faster rate than that of their parents. Children may possess knowledge which their parents lack and they may share their experience and knowledge and in so doing influence their parents. It can result in parents learning about consumption from their children, something which has not been sufficiently acknowledged by previous research. The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of how consumption patterns and knowledge are transferred from children to parents. In-depth interviews carried out with 'children' of age group 13-30 show that they contributed information prior to and during the purchase, but also afterwards by helping to instal or showing parents how to use a product. The adolescents and adult children had often introduced new products to their parents and made them aware of recent trends. Often they also seemed to deal more easily with new technology than their parents.

How National Culture and Parental Style Affect the Process of Adolescents’ Ecological Resocialization

“…Despite the important role of culture in consumer socialization [26,27], it is surprising to note the large gap in the literature on the ecological resocialization process in different cultures. Recently, studies on ecological resocialization have been centered on singular nations (e.g., [8,9,28,29]), but such studies offer mixed results. Grønhøj [29] found no evidence that Danish adolescents directly influence their parents to purchase green products or decrease energy consumption.…”

A Conceptual Framework of the Adoption and Practice of Environmental Actions in Households

“…Easterling et al [131] raised the possibility that children's environmental concern and knowledge may act as a catalyst for family behaviour change. Indeed, Brook Lyndhurst [66], Ekström [132], Gentina and Muratore [16], Maddox et al [133], Mårtensson and Pettersson [126] and Woollam et al [134], present empirical evidence of children and teenagers influencing their parents with respect to EA participation primarily by taking related messages home from school. Such situations have been referred to as children resocialising the family [131], reverse socialisation [4] and ecological resocialisation [16].…”

Primary School 4th Grade Students’ Opinions of Conscious Consumerism

“…Besides, in their study Makela and Peters (2004) indicate that consumer education has a positive impact on students' awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities. In addition; in his study, Ekström (2007) (Ferman, 1993).…”

“…Bugün bilim, teknoloji, iletişim, ulaşım gibi alanlarda sağlanan gelişmeler nedeniyle toplum giderek değişim yaşamakta ve bireyler artık daha fazla tüketim olanağına sahip olmaktadır (Ekström, 2007). Bu şartlar içerisinde tüketici kimliğiyle bulunan birey daha fazla zorlanmaktadır, bunun için bilgilendirilmesi gerekmektedir.…”

“…Alışverişin nesnesi değil öznesi olduğunun farkında olan bilinçli tüketici, bütçesi doğrultusunda planlı alışveriş yapar; ürünler arasından kaliteli, sağlıklı, güvenli ve çevreci olanını seçer, ayıplı mal ve hizmete karşı tepkisini gösterir (Hekimci, 2003;Sağlam, 2010 (McNeal, 2007). Günümüzde ebeveynlerin her ikisinin de çalışma hayatının içinde olmaları ve ailelerin artık daha az sayıda çocuğa sahip olmaları, çocukların aileler için daha önemli bir konuma gelmelerine sebep olmaktadır (Sutherland ve Thombson, 2003;Ekström, 2007). Çocukların ailelerinden talepte bulunma şanslarının artmasının önemli sebeplerinden birisi de çalışan anne babaların mesailerine daha fazla vakit ayırmasıdır.…”