chapter 14 culture

In marketing, an event, place, or person becomes sacred because it is "set apart" from normal activities and begins to be treated with some degree of respect or awe. There are numerous reasons why this may happen, religion being only one of many. There is nothing in the definition that refers to specific or historical religious events, places, or persons. The term as utilized, however, does have similarities with religious feelings. A "sacred" object in religion is treated as very special. It is handled with care and given special packaging considerations. This is also true of sacred objects in marketing. Religious people would be offended if a sacred object was treated casually, or if someone made light of it. The same is generally true with a sacred object in marketing. The manner in which society reacts to Elvis Presley or to Princess Diana is quite similar to how a saint would be treated by a religious person. The two concepts are different in that a sacred object need not have religious connections of any kind. Even those who react to an event like the Super Bowl as a sacred occasion may be offended if the suggestion is made that the event has religious overtones for the person.

Some people have been offended when marketers refer to an event such as the Super Bowl as a sacred event. They believe that business people are being disrespectful. Explain how the concept of sacred in consumer behavior is both the same and different from the concept of sacred in a traditional religious context.

false

A professor was given a warning after he made a bad joke about Princess Diana shortly after her death. Students were likely upset because they saw Princess Di as a profane character worthy of special attention and respect.

ritual

A set of multiple symbolic behaviors that occur in a fixed sequence and tend to be repeated is called a ________.

rite of passage

A special ritual marking a person's change in social status is called a ________.

myth

A story containing symbolic elements that express the shared emotions and ideals of a culture is called a ________.

marketing subsystem

All of the following are subsystems in a culture production system EXCEPT ________.

true

Anna's best friend Aubrey was getting married. Anna spent a lot of time thinking of the perfect gift. She was so excited about the gift that she gave it to Aubrey before the wedding. Aubrey cried and told Anna that she would never in her life have a better friend. Reformulation is the proper term for the new bond between Anna and Aubrey.

altruistic

As a relationship grows and progresses, gift giving tends to become more ________.

fortress

Brands that we closely link to our rituals are called ________ brands; once they become imbedded in our rituals we are unlikely to replace them.

psychological

The story goes that George Washington (as a small child) cut down his father's cherry tree with a hatchet. When asked who might have committed this act (even though young Washington was afraid of punishment for the act), George replied, "I cannot tell a lie; I cut down the cherry tree." This story has taken on mythical proportions in the United States. Which of the following functions does this myth best match?

collecting

The systematic acquisition of a particular object or set of objects is called ________.

true

The worldwide popularity of McDonald's suggests that there is a global consumer culture that unites people around the world by their common devotion to brands.

sacred

Thomas and his family recently toured the Gettysburg battlefield on their vacation. The area was rich in history. While walking, Thomas remembered all the accounts of the battle that he had read in school. He finally understood why this place had such a special meaning in American history and to Americans in general. This tour is best classified as an example of ________ consumption.

contamination

Through the process of ________, objects associated with sacred events or people become sacred in their own right.

true

Creolization occurs when foreign influences integrate with local meanings.

A crescive norm is one that is embedded so deeply inside a culture that it is discovered through interaction with other members of that culture rather than through memory or study. A custom is a crescive norm that controls basic behavior. For example, custom would dictate at what times and how much people eat. A more is a custom with a strong moral overtone. Mores would dictate what kind of food is acceptable to eat. For example, dog meat is taboo in the United States, but not necessarily in other countries. A convention is a crescive norm that regulates how we conduct our everyday lives. Conventions would dictate what utensils we use to eat a meal or what to wear at dinnertime.

Use cultural ideas about food and eating as examples to explain the differences between the three types of crescive norms discussed in the book.

cooptation

It is quite common for mainstream culture to modify symbols identified with "cutting edge" subcultures and present these to a larger audience. Such cultural products undergo a process of ________, by which their original meanings are transformed by outsiders.

conventions

J. P. Stevens always looks perfect in his business suit. The colors are always right for the season and prevailing style. His tie has the proper knot, he does not wear a tie-tac, his handkerchief is the proper "two-fingers" above the pocket, and his socks and shoes do not distract from his overall look. Which of the following does J. P. seem to be adhering to with his "correctness"?

true

Most holidays commemorate a cultural myth.

true

Profane consumption involves consumer objects and events that are ordinary.

ritual artifacts

Ralf and his brother had a business in a Midwest college town taking SUVs and modifying them into tailgating machines. These "awesome party wagons" were equipped with the owner's desired team logo on the front, side, and back; gas grills; and large beverage coolers. Their business boomed, especially when the university had a winning season. Ralf and his brother were creating and selling what could be best described as ________.

cultural formula

Raymond Chandler wrote classic American detective stories. By always using certain roles for his characters and props that were appropriate to the genre, Chandler's novels followed a(n) ________.

economic

Researchers primarily see the gift-giving ritual as one of ________ exchange.

true

Romance novels often follow a cultural formula.

true

The extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally is referred to as power distance.

true

The indulgence versus restraint dimension of Hofstede's Dimensions of National Culture deals with the extent to which a society allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life.

ecology

Which functional area is consistently a part of a cultural system?

more

A ________ is a custom with a strong moral overtone.

personality

Culture is best described as society's ________.

work/leisure

Grooming rituals express two kinds of binary opposition: private/public and ________.

true

Hofstede's Dimensions of National Culture organizes cross-cultural values based on power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence.

true

In many cultures, stories feature talking animals that act as mediating figures.

true

People occupy sacred time and space when they travel on vacation.

ecology

The Japanese greatly value products that make efficient use of space because of the cramped conditions in urban areas in Japan. This is an example of ________ in Japan's cultural system.

craft products

The Macah, a Native American tribe from the Northwest, built functional seagoing canoes that are considered works of art by modern shipbuilders. By definition, these boats would be considered ________.

means-end chain model

The ________ assumes that people link very specific product attributes to terminal values.

ideology

The aspect of a cultural system which describes the mental characteristics of a people and the way they relate to their environment and social groups is known as ________.

false

The transition of Turkish tea to a mass-market product illustrates the process of sacralization.

enacted

We explicitly decide on ________ norms, such as the rule that a green traffic light means "go" and a red one means "stop."

enculturation

What do we call the learning process when we learn the beliefs and behaviors endorsed by our own culture?

desacralization

When a sacred item or symbol is removed from its special place or is duplicated in mass quantities, then it becomes profane as a result of ________.

false

Where you choose to sit in an almost empty movie theater is most likely determined by your culture's mores.

ideology

Which functional area of culture is most closely related to the idea of a common worldview?

convention

Which of the following is NOT one of the three distinct stages of gift-giving rituals?

an art product

Which of the following is an object that is admired strictly for its beauty or because it inspires an emotional reaction?

Profane

________ consumption occurs with objects and events that are considered to be ordinary and everyday.

Reality engineering

________ occurs as marketers appropriate elements of popular culture and convert them for use as promotional vehicles.

Levi-Strauss

________ postulated that myths involve binary opposition, in which two opposing ends of some dimension are represented (such as good versus evil).

The idea behind the cultural formula is that a culture will tell stories in which certain roles and props are utilized in a consistent manner. Certain images and symbols are recycled by being used repeatedly, or by being applied to new situations. Communication and meaning is facilitated because everyone is on "the same page" and understands the meanings and context in which the story unfolds. Reality engineering occurs when marketers appropriate elements of popular culture and use them as promotional vehicles. During a political campaign, the candidate will try to tie him- or herself into as many positive cultural formulas as possible. The candidate, for example, may take off his coat and roll up his sleeves (symbolic of the working man) to demonstrate that the candidate is willing to work for the common person. The flag will be shown as a backdrop. At the same time, the candidate will attempt to manipulate the voters' concept of reality by tying himself or herself to positive cultural images and symbols, while attempting to connect his or her opponent to negative images. Student answers will vary, but should reflect an understanding of the two terms.

Use the example of a political campaign to discuss the relationship between various cultural formulas and reality engineering.

false

Values associated with a long-term orientation are respect for social obligations and the need to save face.

terminal values

What term refers to desired end states that can apply to many different cultures?

Tourism involves seeking authentic experiences that differ from daily, mundane activities.

Which of the following best supports the argument that tourism is a sacred experience?

Styles are often a reflection of more fundamental societal trends.

Which of the following statements is most likely true about styles?

Norms

________ usually dictate what is right or wrong, acceptable or unacceptable.

Culture's functional areas include: a. Ecology-the way in which a system is adapted to its habitat. This area is shaped by the technology used to obtain and distribute resources. b. Social structure-the way in which orderly social life is maintained. This includes the domestic and political groups that are dominant within the culture. c. Ideology-the mental characteristics of a people and the way in which they relate to their environment and social groups. This revolves around the notion that members of a society possess a common worldview. They share certain ideas about principles of order and fairness. They also share an ethos, or a set of moral and aesthetic principles.

A cultural system consists of three functional areas. What are they? Give a brief explanation of each.

The writer produces the novel. She is part of the creative subsystem. She takes her idea from a myth or a story containing the symbolic elements that represent the shared emotions and ideals she shares with her customers. Her novel must be accepted for publication by a managerial subsystem, which makes her ideas tangible in the form of a book, and then mass-produces and distributes her novel. After her novel is published, it must be promoted. The promotion gives meaning to the story and provides it with a set of attributes that are communicated to consumers. This is a communication subsystem. The novel may still remain unnoticed by the general public until the gatekeepers either allow it through to the consumers or begin to promote the book. If the book is given notice by Oprah Winfrey, media people give positive reviews, or if friends, spouses, and associates begin to talk about the novel, then it is much more likely that the symbol pool used by the writer will be communicated to the final consumer. Culture modifies this entire procedure. The creation most likely came from the symbols of the culture. What is accepted and promoted is driven by cultural values and images. Whether the ideas are acceptable to gatekeepers is largely a matter of culture.

A female writer looks at a common myth of the Western culture and writes a novel applying that myth to fictional modern characters. Using the concept of a culture production system (CPS), explain how this writer will market her ideas to her readers.

false

A metaphysical myth fulfills the cultural function of explaining how the components of the universe relate to each other.

true

A style typically begins as a risky or unique statement by a relatively small group of people.

aggregation

Carl Thorne has just passed the final test to become a member of a college fraternity. This rite of passage has moved Carl from being an individual to being a member of a bonded group. When Carl receives his fraternity pin in a final ceremony and joins his new brothers, he will have passed through the final stage of a rite of passage. According to the text, what is this stage called?

true

Casting directors, textbook authors, and retail buyers are all examples of formal gatekeepers in the culture production process.

Answers will vary but each myth explained should include explanations with the four functions: metaphysical, cosmological, sociological, and psychological.

Choose a myth and explain the myth in terms of the four interrelated functions myths play in a culture.

Sacred consumption involves objects and events that are "set apart" from normal activities and are treated with some degree of respect or awe. They may or may not be associated with religion, but most religious items and events tend to be regarded as sacred. On the other hand, profane consumption involves consumer objects and events that are ordinary and everyday; they do not share the "specialness" of sacred ones. (Profane does not mean vulgar or obscene in this context.)

Compare and contrast sacred and profane consumption

culture production system (CPS)

Country singers Marty Stewart and Travis Tritt and their record label decided to change the culture of the Country and Western music scene. With their now famous "No Hats" tour, the singers abandoned conventional country and western fashion (they threw away their hats, let their hair grow long, and wore t-shirts) and tried to appeal to larger and younger audiences with a grinding, sexy message. The process that these singers went through is best described as a ________.

subtle rules discovered as we interact with others

Crescive norms are ________.

Rites of passage are special times in an individual's life marked by a change in social status. Both primitive and modern societies set aside times when such changes occur. Some of these changes may occur as a natural part of life cycles (e.g., puberty or death), while others are more individual in nature (e.g., a birthday or graduation). Rites of passage consist of three phases or stages of role transition: ∙ Separation stage, which occurs when the individual is detached from his or her original group or status, e.g., the college freshman leaves home. ∙ Liminality stage, in which the person is literally in between statuses, e.g., the new arrival on campus tries to figure out what is happening during orientation week. ∙ Aggregation stage, which takes place when the person reenters society after the rite of passage is complete, e.g., the student returns home for winter vacation as a college "veteran." Examples of rites of passage include: a divorce, getting a raise, a birthday, a marriage, a military recruit going to boot camp, an internship completed and a medical practice begun, a novitiate becoming a nun, retirement from a job, and so on. The final rite of passage is death.

Define rites of passage and indicate the various stages of role transition that can occur. Give at least two examples of rites of passage.

An enacted norm is explicitly decided on, such as the rule that a green traffic light means "go" and a red one means "stop." The rules are not subtle; they are specific. A crescive norm is embedded in a culture and is discovered only through interaction with other members of that culture. These norms can be subtle. Crescive norms include the following: a. A custom is a norm that controls basic behaviors, such as the division of labor in a household or the practice of particular ceremonies. b. A more is a custom with a strong moral overtone. A more often involves a taboo or forbidden behavior, such as incest or cannibalism. Violation of a more often meets with strong sanctions from other members of a society. c. A convention is a norm regarding the conduct of everyday life. These rules deal with the subtleties of consumer behavior, including the "correct" way to furnish one's house, wear one's clothes, host a dinner party, and so on.

Describe the difference between an enacted norm and a crescive norm. Indicate forms that the crescive norm may take.

true

Every year, the students at a prestigious engineering school remove a car from the parking lot and place it on the highest point of the roof of the main engineering building. The students have been doing this for decades, but not once has anyone ever confided to an outsider how it was done. This is a classic example of a ritual.

An antifestival is an event that distorts the symbols associated with other holidays. For example, Mardi Gras is a three-day festival held just before Lent. Lent is a religious and pious time, a period of self-sacrifice and meditation leading up to Easter. During Mardi Gras, people adorn themselves in clothing that they would not normally wear and engage in behavior that they normally would avoid.

Explain the idea of an antifestival and describe an example of an antifestival.

Objectification occurs when we attribute sacred qualities to mundane items. This occurs through the process of contamination. Students may provide a mix of examples. For instance, Archie Bunker's chair from the television show All in the Family is a sacred item.

Explain the meaning of objectification and how it occurs. Provide an example.

The three stages include gestation, presentation, and reformulation. Gestation is the preparation stage in which the giver procures an item. The presentation stage is the process of the actual exchange. Reformulation refers to the shift in the bond between giver and receiver due to the experience.

Explain the three distinct stages of gift-giving rituals.

ecology

Gen Akoi greatly values his micro-refrigerator. The refrigerator is so small it will fit almost anywhere. Gen believes that the efficient use of space is one of the characteristics any good product should have. With respect to the functional areas of a cultural system, Gen is focusing on ________ as a variable in selecting his products.

A myth is a story containing symbolic elements that represent the shared emotions and ideals of a culture. A myth is true in that the story contains some metaphysical, cosmological, sociological, or psychological aspect that expresses a truth to a particular culture. However, the actual occurrences in the story do not have to be historically, or even logically, true.

How can a myth be true and false at the same time?

Cooptation occurs when cultural products undergo a transformation. Original meanings are transformed by outsiders. According to the text, instruments of movement (such as advertising and fashion systems) connect to cultural values and symbols; these cultural values and symbols change consumer goods over time. As the consumer performs consumer rituals, individual consumers are affected. As an example of the change, the text explains how the influence of hip-hop has gone beyond its urban, African-American roots to the American mainstream.

Identify what the term cooptation means. Give an illustration of the concept and demonstrate how it applies to the movement of meaning as shown in the text.

gives meaning to new products and provides a symbolic set of attributes

In a culture production system, the communications subsystem ________.

cultural gatekeepers

In the cultural production process, the people who control the flow of information between producers and customers are called ________.

true

In the modern holiday rituals of Christmas, the figures of Christ and Santa can be seen as binary opposites; one promotes selflessness while the other promotes materialism.

people feel overwhelmed or powerless

Interest in the occult is most likely to increase in a society when ________.

advergaming

Kyle liked to think he could program anything digital. He created a new video game, and a major industry firm wanted to buy it from him. He was bothered by their insistence that he modify the game by including a popular product's logo on the clothing of his main character. In this example, Kyle is concerned about the practice of ________.

anthropological

Myths serve four interrelated functions in a culture. All of the following are among those functions EXCEPT the ________ function.

false

Once a culture is established it doesn't change. An apparent change in a culture is simply the emergence of a new culture.

true

Passing a driving test to receive a driver's license is an example of a rite of passage.

ritual

Pavel was an inventor. He read that there were several million people who could not sleep at night until they looked under the bed. He invented a light that could be put under a bed and went on automatically when someone looked there. Pavel's product is designed to help people perform a ________.

false

Products appearing in retail stores are examples of the use of product placement.

cultural selection

Products are winnowed out as they make their way down the path from conception to consumption, a process called ________.

product placement

Promoters attempt to have their products shown prominently in full-length films. This type of promotion is referred to as ________.

the reciprocity norm

Sharon is upset with her secretary. Though everyone in the office agreed not to give Christmas presents this year, Sharon's secretary gave her an expensive bottle of perfume. Which of the following best identifies the source of Sharon's feelings?

false

Shira wants to prove that even the most mundane of objects can be sacralized through the process of objectification. She should use examples of hoarding to support her argument.