Socialization of adult and young consumers into materialism: The roles of media and church in Peru

Abstract

Purpose – The present research seeks insights into the consumer socialization process of both children and adults in a developing country, Peru. The role played by two socialization agents, media and church, has been explored in terms of how each is related to an important facet of consumer attitudes, level of materialism.

Methodology/approach – Male students attending a faith-based high school in Peru, as well as one of their parents, completed a survey in Spanish seeking information on their television viewing, their faith, and their views regarding possessions.

Findings – The more traditional socialization institution, church, appears to be less important to younger consumers than to their parents; but it has a greater influence on materialism for youth than their parents. The power of media as a socialization agent for both groups is seen not only via television advertising, but also through television programming.

Research implications – As one considers how consumers learn to be consumers, both from a purely theoretical standpoint as well as from a strategic marketing perspective, one should take into account both avenues for information transmission. The role played by both seems to change people's lives, both in terms of perceived importance, as well as actual consumer decision making.

Citation

Smith Speck, S.K. and Peterson, T. (2010), "Socialization of adult and young consumers into materialism: The roles of media and church in Peru", Belk, R.W. (Ed.) Research in Consumer Behavior (Research in Consumer Behavior, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 133-159. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0885-2111(2010)0000012008