Saturday, February 16, 2013
The Consuming Habits of Men Versus Women
The Consuming Habits of Men Versus Women
In Chapter 12 of Consumer Society in American History: A Reader, Mark A. Swiencicki details the Pre-Depression era consumerist habits of males compared with their female counterparts. In his article, Swienciki analyzes statistical data to assert that despite conventional wisdom of the time, men had an equal, possibly greater, impact on the consumer market in comparison with women . He continues on to describe a consumer market that may have erroneously viewed women as primary consumers because “the emphasis on the acquisition of goods rather than on their ultimate consumption has overemphasized women’s role in the consumption process”( Swiencicki, 208). Based on his analysis of consumption habits of men in the Pre-Depression era which included drinking, visiting men‘s clubs and viewing sporting events, Swiencicki states that “the monetary value of men’s consumption may have been about twice as large as woman’s” (Swiencicki, 208).
Fast forward about 80 years from the end of the Pre-Depression era and there still seems to be a stigma that suggests that consumerism is merely a feminine activity. While there is no doubt in the fact that women have a powerful and positive impact on the world of consumerism, there can be no denying that men have their place in realm of consumption. The fact of the matter is that men and women exist and participate in two completely different areas of consumerism. While both sexes use consumerism as a vehicle of social expression, they do it in stark contrast of each other.
In terms of consumerism, females are most likely to be found at a shopping mall and/or department store with their friends shopping for the newest trends in fashion and entertainment. In a sociological sense, it’s a kind of rite of passage for females to peruse the mall with their peers in search of the latest fashion trends. What really separates female consumption from that of males, is that they tend to consume goods rather than services.
While men are less likely to visit a shopping mall to find material goods that often exert their consumerism in terms of consuming services. There’s an old saying that history tends to repeat itself and this statement appears to hold true in terms of male consumption habits. Just as previous generations did in the Pre-Depression era, men tend to consume services such as drinking at a bar, going to a baseball game or playing a round of golf at a local course.
In conclusion, there definitely appears to be an interesting dynamic in the consumption habits of women compared to those of men, especially in the realm of leisure. Women tend to shop with their friends as a social activity while men prefer going to a sporting event as their own form of socialization. Although this seems a simple dichotomy, why is that the consumption of services appears to be overshadowed by the consumption of goods?
Cited Sources:
Mark, Swiencicki A. Consumer Society in American History: A Reader. Ed. Lawrence B. Glickman. Ithica, NY: Cornell UP, 1999. Print.
Tyler Tucker
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The points you make and the questions that are raised by examining the consumer habits based on gender are very interesting. I think the consumption of services is overshadowed by the consumption of goods due to the fact that goods are usually items that can actually be seen, felt, and utilized (in most cases). It is fascinating that the consumption habits that went on between men and women during the pre-depression era are still classified and/or stereotyped correctly in this day and age. This classification holds true for my household as well. Most of my personal consumption is on services and activities such as the ones you named (sporting events, etc) and my wife spends most of her money on goods such as clothes and what not. It almost seems as if there should be some scientific theory or law associated to these consumption styles based on gender due to the way they hold true over time.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic that made me think in a completely different way. I agree with both of you guys in that the purchasing of goods can be seen and flaunted more than a service can. You see women walking around with bags in their hands dressed in the latest fashions and thats what we as a society focus on as "consumption." Now that I think more on it my Dad just left for a week of golfing in Florida for an entire week, which I did not really consider consuming until this reading. Looking at it with goods and services being consumed it gives an entirely different view on this entire topic. Men like to buy the newest technology and such, but adding these activities and services like golf and sporting events it doesn't surprise me one bit that men are a large section of the total consumed.
ReplyDeleteI think a large part of consumption today has to do with not breaking the trends are older generations have created. Men do not want to break the societal norms that we have created, therefore they spend time at the bar or go to a Reds game. It is also embedded in our genetics that we have to be masculine, and both of these events are masculine. I also feel that women shop and spend their time in retail stores for this reason. When we hear a woman say they don't like shopping, we find that odd and therefore call her out on her statement. I think this holds true as well because when we see a woman excel in a sport that's dominated by men, we make fun of the woman for being too much like a man.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post because it poses that question of why the separate genders consume things in different ways. I think you hit the nail on the head with the phrase "rite of passage". For almost every man I know, the best feeling in the world is going out with your dad or some friends and ordering a beer. That male camaraderie is something that can never be replaced. Men can enjoy shopping for goods to an extent, but in general rarely is it ever done for fun. Most women I know go shopping with girlfriends just for the experience, and oftentimes they hardly purchase anything at all. Basically, men find their sense of camaraderie in those service industries like bars and athletic events that society deems more masculine in nature. And women find more pleasure in similar times with their friends, but it centers more around consumption of goods together rather than services.
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