Gender-and ethnic-subcultural influences on product symbolism

Abstract

Interest In the sociological aspects of consumption has spurred a number of marketing researchers to examine more closely the phenomenon of product symbolism. This study attempts to understand the determinants of product symbolism by positing significant influences of ethnic and gender subcultures. In this study product symbolism refers to the conventional meaning of a product In theform of consumers' ascriptIOns of characteristIcs of a hypothellcal user or owner of the product. Survey results among a sample of males and females of Malay and Chinese ethnic groups in Malaysia indicate a significant gender-subcultural influence but an insignificant ethnic-subcultural influence.