SOCIAL CLASS AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

SOCIAL CLASS AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Social class can be considered as a continuum that is a series of social positions in which each member masyarakatdapat placed, the researchers divided the continuum into a small number of specific social classes or strata. The concept of social class is used to place individuals or families in a social category. Social class is defined as the division of society into a hierarchy of different class status, so that the members of each class have relatively equal status and other class members have a status higher or lower.

SOCIAL CLASS AND SOCIAL STATUS

Measuring social class in terms of social status that is by limiting each social class status that belongs to the number of members compared with members of other social classes. In the study of social class (sometimes called social stratification), the status is often regarded as a relative classification of the members of every social class in terms of certain factors.

For example, relative wealth (the number of economic assets), power (the level of choice or personal influence of others) and treatment (level of recognition received from others) are the three factors that are often used when assessing social class.

SOCIAL CLASS IS A FORM SEGMENTATION AND NATURAL hierarchical

Social class categories are usually arranged in a hierarchy, which ranges from a low status to high. Classification of social class means that other people with them (in the same social class), their superior (higher social class), as well as inferior compared to them (the lower social classes. Membership of social class consumers are used as a frame of reference ( reference group) for the development of attitudes and behavior.

SOCIAL CLASS CATEGORIES
There has been no agreement among the sociologists how many class divisions are required to be able to describe quite clearly the class structure in the United States.

SOCIAL CLASS SIZE
A systematic approach to measure social class covered a wide variety of categories, including a subjective measure, the size of reputation, objective measure of social class.

SUBJECTIVE SIZE
To measure social class with this approach, individuals are asked to assess their social class position respectively. Classification of social class membership is generated based on participants' perception of himself or his self-image of participants. Social class is considered as a phenomenon of "personal" is a phenomenon that describes one's sense of belonging or identification with others. A sense of social group membership are often called social consciousness.

SIZE REPUTATION
Reputation approach for measuring social class requires the informant about the people who elected to make the initial consideration of social class membership of others in society.

OBJECTIVE SIZE
Size objective consisted of various demographic or sosioekonomisyang variabell selected on the individual being studied. Size objective social class is divided into two main categories namely single variable index and index of the combined variable.

Single Variable Index
Index single variable using only one socio-economic variables to assess social class membership. Several variables are used for purposes as follows:

Works, is a social measure widely accepted and may be the best measure of social class that can be documented because it describes the status associated with the job.
Education, level of formal education a person is another estimate for the position of a commonly accepted social class. The higher one's education the more likely the person has a high income and also the position of the admired or respected.
Income, ie individual or family is the other socioeconomic variables are often used to estimate the position of social class.
Other variables, which is used as an index of social class are items owned. Scheme of the most famous and is the most complex assessment tool to evaluate what belongs to the scale of social status Chapin.

Combined Variable Index
Systematically composite index combines a number of socioeconomic factors to form a single measure of overall social class position. This index is very interesting to study because it can describe it better, a completely social class compared with variable index tungggal.
Two composite index of the most important are:

Index of status characteristics, composite measure of social class is the classic Warner's Index of Status Characteristics (ISC). ISC is a weighted measure of various socioeconomic variables occupation, income (total income), the model home and area of ​​residence (environmental quality)
Socioeconomic status score, sosioekonomic Status Score (SES) combine the three variables occupation, family income and education level. SES was developed by the United States Bureau of the Census

SOCIAL CLASS PROFILE LIFESTYLE
It has been found evidence that in every social class there are factors particular lifestyle (beliefs, attitudes, activities and behavior together) that tend to distinguish members of each class of members of other social classes. Profiles of social class is presented as a composite portrait of the following: upper-upper class, upper-lower class, upper-middle class, lower-middle class, lower-upper class and lower-lower class.

MOVEMENT OF SOCIAL CLASS

Upswing due to the availability of free education and various opportunities to develop and promote self-
Movement down

Grouping GEODEMOGRAFI
In recent years this traditional social class size has been improved by hunbungan between geographic and socio-economic data consumers in order to create a more powerful grouping geodemografi. The rationale underlying this is a "person who has the equation in a case usually gather together.

CONSUMER RICH
Rich households is a very attractive target segment because its members have an income that can provide a larger part of all of their income that is free to be used according to their own abilities.

DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER RICH MEDIA
Media habits of the rich are different from the media habits of ordinary citizens. For example, people have higher incomes watch less TV than those who are lower income.

Divide markets RICH
Because not all wealthy consumers have similar lifestyles, marketers have tried to separate the various segments that are important in this rich market as has been done by Mediamark Research, Inc. (MRI) which has been split into a rich market segments:

Well-Feathered Nests, households with at least one person who earn high incomes and no children (37% of the Upper Deck)
No Strings Attached, households with at least one person who earn high incomes and no children (32% of the Upper Deck).
Nanny's in Charge, households with two or more persons who have income, no one has a high income and no children (11% of the Upper Deck).
Two Careers, households with two or more persons who have income, no one has a high income but no children (14% of the Upper Deck).
The Good Life, households with high wealth levels, with no people to work and heads of households who do not work (6% from the Upper Deck).

At least the local market competitors, the rich countryside is a rich market segment that has not been reached. The rich ordinary rural divided into four categories:

Sub-urban Transplants, people who moved out of town but still home to go to work in cities with high salaries.
Equity-rich sub-urban expatriates, residents who sell their homes to earn a huge profit, then buy a house that is much cheaper in small towns and far different life.
City Folks with Country Homes, rich people who like to spend the winter holidays or summer in the rural areas of beautiful scenery, especially in the mountains and beaches.
Welthy Landowners, farmers and other indigenous people who live life rich in love from the land.

CONSUMERS ARE NOT RICH
People who are low income or lower-class consumers (earning less than $ 30,000) is probably the people who are loyal to brands than consumers are more like an arena they feared would make the mistake of switching to brands that they do not know.

EMERGENCE OF CLASS TECHNO
This class emerge due to technological progress. The people who are not familiar with or less have the computer skills called "technology lag". The notion that the inability to use the technology adequately negative impact on the style and quality of life. This has resulted in the formation of "class structure of technology" which centered around the high computer skills a person has.

APPLICATION OF SOCIAL CLASS TO BEHAVIOR OF SELECTED CONSUMER
CLOTHES, MODE, AND SHOPPING
The members of a particular class has a different perspective on what they deem fit with fashion or good taste. Social class is also an important variable in determining where a consumer is shopping.

SEARCH leisure
Membership of social class are closely related to recreation and leisure activities.

SAVINGS, SPENDING, AND CREDIT
Saving, spending and credit card usage has a relationship with social class position.

SOCIAL CLASS AND COMMUNICATION
The grouping of different social classes in terms of their media habits and how to communicate and receive communications. Knowledge of these differences is important for marketers who divide their markets on the basis of social class.






Reference:
Schiffman, L.G., & Kanuk, L.L. 2007. Consumer Behavior, 9th ed. New Jersey, Pearson Prentice Hall.