Read the following text: Schouten, John W. & James H. McAlexander (1995), Subcultures of consumption: an ethnography of the new bikers, Journal of Consumer Research, vol.22, June, pp.43-61. Using the theories developed in this and related studies - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages ithin such subcategories, the individuals involved have found social media as a means of carving their own identity, participating in certain activities of their interest groups and eventually identifying with other people (Schouten & McAlexander, 1992:27). Under such subcategories of social media consumption, the individuals involved are guided by a set of common values, which then derives commitment of the individuals in the objects and the activities they value as a consumption group (Fox, 1987:345).
It is through the unique consumption subculture that has been developed by such individuals, that a social structure that defines leisure, modernity, technological enlightenment and urbanized status of social media users has developed (Walter, 2012:n.p.). This culture has transcended the gender, age, cultural, language and national or continental borders, thus cutting across all these social categories. The social media consumption subculture forms through the process of an individual joining a social media group as a new and less active member, who eventually goes through the process of socialization and becoming accustomed to the social media group’s activities and objects, until the individuals can rise to the highest ranks, for example by becoming an active blogger on the subject, object or the activity that the social media group has been established to stand for and support (Rosewarne, 2012:7).
Therefore, the subculture of social media consumption challenges the conspicuous consumption theory which holds that people spend money on goods and services so that they can display their economic power (Mason, 1984:32). In total contrast, the subculture of consumption introduces a different consumption theory, where the individuals involved in the social media interest groups are not engage in the purchase of the products belonging to their interest groups for the sake of displaying their economic power, but for the purpose of fulfilling their psychological needs ...Download file to see next pagesRead More