BB week 9 Flashcards
(18 cards)
Why study the body in consumer research?
The body is central to self-construction, social belonging, and reflects cultural and societal norms (Lou & Tse, 2020).
What is consumer bodywork?
Individuals actively modify their bodies to express identity and conform to ideals, not passively accept them (Featherstone, 1982; Giddens, 1991)
How do companies reinforce body mutability?
They offer products/services (e.g., beauty, fitness, surgery) that suggest the body can and should be transformed (Giesler, 2012).
What are examples of body-related consumption?
Fitness (Maguire, 2008), tattoos (Roux & Belk, 2019), cosmetic surgery (Schouten, 1991), diet (Fischer et al., 2007), body image in ads.
How does body consumption relate to social acceptance?
People fear exclusion if they don’t meet group appearance norms; body becomes a social signal (Schouten, 1991).
What is ‘prosumption’ in body-related contexts?
Producing what one consumes – e.g., Black women in Brazil making beauty products under stigma (Rocha et al., 2020).
What is interoception?
Awareness of internal body sensations (e.g., heartbeat, breathing) – some people are more attuned (Gibson, 2019).
How does social media affect body image?
It heightens body awareness and inadequacy, fueling appearance-focused consumption.
What is Cartesian duality?
A philosophical view (Descartes, 1641) that separates body and mind; body seen as secondary and controlled.
How has consumer culture led to bodily disconnection?
Western modernity emphasizes vision and passive pleasures, dulling sensory engagement (Elias, 2000; Bradshaw & Canniford, 2010).
Why is reclaiming the body important?
Most human experience is non-cognitive (95%), yet consumer research focuses mainly on cognition (Thrift, 2000).
Examples of reclaiming the body through consumption?
*Salsa dancing (Hewer & Hamilton, 2010)
*Art appreciation (Joy & Sherry, 2003)
*Clubbing (Goulding et al., 2009)
What is the body’s role in identity construction?
Through adornment, risk, modification (e.g., tattoos, cosmetic surgery), bodies become expressions of self.
What is the significance of the male beauty industry rise?
Driven by Gen Z’s gender fluidity, pandemic self-care, and increased video call exposure
What are ‘Frustrated Fatshionistas’?
Plus-size consumers demanding better fashion representation – mobilizing for choice (Scaraboto & Fischer, 2013).
How does market ideology influence body perception?
The marketplace promotes ideal body types, sells tools to reach them, and socializes consumers into this logic (Schouten, 1991)
Why has the body remained under-theorized in consumer research?
Historically overshadowed by cognitive models and mind-body dualism (Thompson & Hirschman, 1995).
How do consumers experience the body in marketplace ideologies?
Through resistance, adaptation, or internalization of beauty and fitness norms (Thompson & Hirschman, 1995).
