Christmas in Terms of the Classical Psychological Perspective - Case Study Example

Christmas it in Terms of the Classical/Psychological Perspective and of the Cultural Perspective in Consumer Name Subject Instructor Institution Date: Introduction Christmas is among the few annual rituals that are extensively celebrated globally, particularly in countries with Christian tradition. Traditionally, it mainly involved family gatherings and giving out of gifts. Current literature on the cultural and psychological perspectives in consumers regarding the ritual of Christmas has attempted to develop an understanding of consumer behaviours and their consumption perspectives (Wennell, 2015). Tynan and Mckechnie (2006) observe that in the present-day Western cultures, there is an apparent change in motivations and values of consumers as regards their consumption behaviours during the Christmas ritual. There are also concerns that the consumption meanings are today not compelled merely by utilitarian values, as more factors like social, hedonic, secular and sacred meanings have come into play. This essay argues that from a purely social and economic point of view, Christmas is greatly significant as it achieves a crucial role in legitimizing and sustaining consumer capitalism. From a cultural perspective, it has created and reinforced the culture of consumerism. How Christmas has changed over time Christmas has changed over time from celebration of the birth of Christ to more of consumer culture. According to Kasser and Sheldon (2002), Christmas festivities have evolved from a ritual prohibited in certain parts of the world to one that takes over the entire month of December. A past study by Gallup poll in 2000 showed that some 96% of Americans commemorate the ritual (Kasser & Sheldon 2002). Typical behaviour during this festivity includes events where workplaces are closed down, people travel upcountry, and heavy expenditure on gifts. Traditionally, it started as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, who is broadly associated with preaching a principle of anti-materialism and love. Therefore, while the element of love still dominates, where extended families gather around to renew ties by exchanging gifts and feasting, the element of materialism has taken over the Christmas ritual with the prime stature of worship being Santa Claus, which Kasser and Sheldon (2002) ironically consider to be a “secular adaptation of Christ” and whose sphere of influence revolves around material abundance. In the United States, Christmas festivities have become a significant element of the country’s economy. A 2016 study by Statista showed that Christmas has become the largest economic stimulus for a number of countries globally, as sales increase radically in nearly all retail areas (Bender 2016). For instance, the retail industry made some US$3 trillion U.S. dollars in the month of December 2013. The sales reflected some 19.2% of total sales of the retail industry in the same month. In 2016, the retail industry sales were $3.19 trillion, while the average expenditure on gifts was estimated at $752 (Bender 2016). Therefore, from a purely economic point of view, Christmas is greatly significant. In countries where Christmas is sponsored by the state as a festival and celebrated by nearly all households, it achieves a crucial role in legitimizing and sustaining consumer capitalism. Overall, consumer research has attempted to provide fascinating analyses of consumption during Christmas, while sociology has centred on examining the gift-giving rituals. On the other hand, anthropology has attempted to investigate meanings of the Christmas ritual in varied cultures (Kasser & Sheldon 2002). The Role of Hedonic Consumption According to Clarke and Mortimer (2013), hedonic shopping results from a subjective and personal choice and shows the psychological significance of purchase based on values liked to thrill or excitement in the shopping experience. Kelement et al. (2016) consider hedonic consumption as a vital factor that brings about the dimensions of consumer behaviour related to emotive, expressive, or multi-sensory dimensions of an individual’s experience with a product. Venkatesha and Meamber (2007) explain that as the commercial influence on Christmas ritual increases, more aesthetic images are integrated into the ritual. The researchers defined the term "aesthetics" as sensory experiences related to arts and other visual objects, such as music, craft, or performing arts. Additionally, it comprises the sensory experiences related to ordinary objects. Clarke and Mortimer (2013) explains that the motivation to give out gifts during Christmas is a “performative” process as the action of giving out gifts is connected to a person’s inner feeling and thoughts, which may predict a certain purchase decision. Therefore, the tendency for self-gifting is different from conventional behaviours of purchasing gifts as the necessity to ask others regarding what they would prefer for a gift is eliminated. Today, consumers have to contend with many purchase decisions annually during Christmas festivities, including items for personal utility. The items are vied as self-gifts and make up a type of personal indulgence and hedonic shopping. The motivation to purchase items by consumers often oscillate from buying self-gifts and gifts for others. Regarding hedonic consumption, Clarke and Mortimer (2013) explains that shopping is seen to be a recreational activity that emanates from a consumer culture that serves to maintain conspicuous consumption and buying of items for purposes of indulgence. In this regard, the human senses have a potent influence on cognitive, social, emotional, and physical dimensions of shopping experiences. The researchers explained that the right sensory stimuli have a potential to calm and relax mood, which influences consumers’ decision-making and as a result control the inclination to spend (Clarke & Mortimer 2013). On the other hand, the general ambience that consumer generate during Christmas festivities increases their excitement and enthusiasm to spend. As a consequence, when the experience is enthusing or exciting, the shopping experience during Christmas is more likely to be engaging. Clarke and Mortimer (2013) explains that it is for this reason that retailers are driven to deal with the predicament of slow selling stock by aptly timing clearance sales to serve as an economic motivation to consumers by bringing about higher value for consumers, such as pre-Christmas sales and post-Christmas sale events. In spite of the context, retail sales are integral components of retail environment as it is essentially a promotional technique that serves to express the phenomenon of consumer culture. Therefore, gift shopping during Christmas embodies a type of role enactment whereby consumers make purchases while looking to fulfil some life roles, including good friendship or to renew the bonds of an extended family. During Christmas, consumers anticipate the pleasure generated by purchasing self-gifts or gift for others. Hence, hedonic shoppers would engage in extensive shopping during Christmas, as it makes them feel good about themselves. In addition, they are not likely to regret the decision to make a purchase or engage in post-purchase dissonance, as hedonic consumers look for surprise and variety. Roles of self and identity in the consumption experience In a study of relationship between consumption and identity, Hope (2000) argued that much of the studies on this area focused on the supposition that “consumers are what they consume, and therefore consume what they are.” Hope (2000) commented that this appears to be the most vital fact regarding consumers’ behaviour. In other words, an apparent relationship between consumption and identity is that identity can translate into consumption, and consumption can reveal a consumer’s identity. By applying the socio-cultural perspective of consumption, it is critical to argue that there is a clear link between consumption and identity. During Christmas, consumer attempt to express their desirable identities by consuming the products they perceive will enable them to create and maintain that identity or self-image as Christians. This process of consumer imagination potentially situates a consumer within the socio-material world and assists in developing strategies for communicating consumers’ abstract identities to non-Christians and other Christians (Hope 2000). Kelement et al. (2016) also explains that consumers are likely to shop while seeking to fulfil certain roles like ‘being a good friend” or expressing a certain identity during Christmas. In which case, the practices associating with product purchase and consumption during the Christmas festivities are linked to the functional or emotional needs that a consumer seeks to satisfy. For this reason, consumer products are not considered as being uni-dimensional in nature. Rather, they are considered as being hedonic, utilitarian, fulfilling some form of gratification, and attaining certain functional needs. According to Wennell (2015), in countries where celebrating Christmas is treated as a culture, two perspectives are apparent in the public’s consciousness. First is the narrative of the birth of Jesus Christ and the second is the narrative of gift giving, feasting and general consumption. While gifts feature in the first narrative, they are not within the context of exchanging gifts. Instead, gifts are given unilaterally to baby Jesus and his family with no expectation of reciprocation in future. Instead, those who give out the gift wish to identify with the Christian religion, and as a result engage in symbolic giving out of gifts. Therefore, it is mainly to express a religious identity, particularly by Christians (Wennell 2015). Ethics of Consumption Associated with In an attempt to explain ethical consumption, Barnett et al. (2005) explained that concerns regarding how to keep a sense of morally responsible action tends to emphasise the problems of caring at a distance and taking for granted certain forms of moral self-hood where responsibility is linked to ideas of human agency. According to Barnett et al. (2005), ethical consumption entails purchasing items while ensuring the common good of others. As Wennell (2015), when attention is turned into ethical consumption, what becomes clearer to consumers who are both religious and ethical are the resource they have to depend on. Wennell (2015) contends that it is clearly something unique to consume items purchased ethically as a result of religious conviction to ensure consistency with the requirements of the Christian religion. The practice of secret and tribute giving is likely to inspire followers of the Christian religion to purchase fairly traded items for the benefit of other people, including orphanages. Kelement et al. (2016) explain that a unique feature of religion is that it has a capacity to influence those identifying the Christian religion to be religious and hence to comply with ethical principles. From a different perspective, ethical principles that are drawn from a religious tradition could be considered as significant ethical imperatives for consumers, in spite of whether they are associated with Christianity or not. This explains the ongoing trend where Christians and non-Christians today celebrate Christmas (Wennell, 2015). Put differently, ethical principles that can be drawn from a certain religion can be leveraged as crucial for any ethical consumer, due to the religious practices of doing good to others associated with Christianity. Overall, the Christmas festivities potentially remind consumers to comply with ethical principles that require them to “do good to others” as they would want others to do to them. This perspective is clearly at the core of ethical consumption during Christmas. Consumers buy gifts that they give to others without expecting any reciprocation. Conclusion From social and economic point of view, Christmas is greatly significant as it achieves a crucial role in legitimising and sustaining consumer capitalism. From a cultural perspective, it has created and reinforced the culture of consumerism. Christmas has changed over time from celebration of the birth of Christ to more of consumer culture. Today, while the element of love still dominates, where extended families gather around to renew ties by exchanging gifts and feasting, the element of materialism has taken over the Christmas ritual. During Christmas, shopping is seen to be a recreational activity that emanates from a consumer culture that serves to maintain conspicuous consumption and buying of items for purposes of indulgence. By applying the socio-cultural perspective of consumption, it is critical to argue that there is a clear link between consumption and identity. Therefore, gift shopping during Christmas embodies a type of role enactment whereby consumers make purchases while looking to fulfil some life roles, including good friendship, achieving self-identity or identifying with other Christians. During Christmas, consumer attempt to express their desirable identities by consuming the products they perceive will enable them to create and maintain that identity or self-image as Christians. Overall, the Christmas festivities potentially remind consumers to comply with ethical principles that require them to “do good” to others as they would want others to do to them. However, there is a need for further study on how Christmas influences those identifying with the Christianity to be religious and therefore comply with ethical principles. How this occurs should be researched further. 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