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The Commodification of Self-Esteem: Branding and British Teenagers
Abstract
This study explores the role of consumption in the lives of British adolescents, with a particular focus on its role in forming and maintaining self-esteem. Through a large qualitative study, over 100 adolescents revealed their attitudes and feelings toward consumption-particularly fashion. It was found that as a result of peer pressure and the importance of conformity among adolescents, consuming the correct possessions at the right time, is essential for social acceptance, gaining and maintaining friendships and thus self-esteem. This paper argues that self-esteem has been commodified. The consequences of failing to "keep up" with consumption trends were revealed; these include social exclusion, negative peer evaluation, and reduced self-esteem. Moreover, these negative consequences were particularly pronounced among adolescents from low-income families who, in contrast to their financial status, were eager to purchase the more expensive brands. Adolescents appear to have a striking awareness of the role of branding, advertising, and peer pressure in forming their consumption attitudes, yet they are unable to resist them. The findings from this study highlight the need for a rethinking of the more traditional components of adolescent self-esteem. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
... However, findings are mixed, with some scholars finding that nostalgic advertising fails and may even backfire while non-nostalgic advertising succeeds (e. g., Liao et al., 2019;Muehling, Sprott, & Sultan, 2014;Muehling, Sprott, & Sprott, 2004). This difference may result from consumers' different perceptions of the product in the ads (Chang & Tung, 2016;Isaksen & Roper, 2012), which can affect their responses to advertising (Hoang & Tran, 2022;Liu & Mair, 2023). ...
... In the tourism context, history sense refers to tourists' perception that a destination has a long history and fashion sense refers to tourists' perception of a destination as popular or fashionable (Isaksen & Roper, 2012;Liao et al., 2019). Destination nostalgic advertising arouses the viewer's "sentimental longing for the past" (Muehling et al., 2014, p. 73) while destination non-nostalgic advertising focuses on the present (Ju, Kim, et al., 2016). ...
... Tourists may feel that going to fashionable destinations relieves them of the need for a category-wide information search, evaluation, and shortlisting process to select a destination (Lewis et al., 2019), facilitating faster travel decisions. Therefore, fashion is considered as a means of constructing one's identity (Isaksen & Roper, 2012), which drives tourists to visit fashionable destinations. In all, destination non-nostalgic advertising is more likely to evoke tourists' fashion sense, thus enhancing tourists' visit intentions. ...
This study investigates the impact of nostalgic advertising and perceived destination types on tourists using four experiments. Study 1a and Study 1b revealed that destination nostalgic advertising is more likely to evoke tourists' history sense and further trigger visit intention, while destination non-nostalgic advertising is more likely to evoke tourists' fashion sense and further trigger visit intention. Study 2a and Study 2b revealed that perceived destination type plays a moderating role in these effects. Nostalgic advertising in utilitarian destinations is more likely to evoke tourists' history sense and further trigger visit intentions, while non-nostalgic advertising in hedonic destinations is more likely to evoke tourists' fashion sense and further enhance visit intentions. These findings have valuable implications for destination marketers seeking to develop effective marketing strategies.
... A segment that has felt the brunt of this shift is adolescents, hence representing a demographic of significant concern. The rapid growth of the global economy and the emergence of a highly consumerist society have made young individuals the main target of aggressive marketing strategies and intense peer pressure (Isaksen & Roper, 2012). As a social group currently experiencing a transitional period, adolescents marked by identity searches and trying to achieve an ideal pattern of self (Indarjo, 2009) are characterized by emotional volatility, sensitivity, and often a lack of rational decision-making (Wahyudi, 2013). ...
... High school marks the final phase of mandatory education before stepping into the broader world through further studies or jobs (Ridhayani & Johan, 2020). Furthermore, students, especially in urban areas like Jakarta, are susceptible to excessive consumption influenced by urbanization, global culture, digital access, and peer pressure (Isaksen & Roper, 2012;Mahrunnisya et al., 2018). These trends often lead them to spend beyond their means, risking financial instability. ...
This research addresses the prevalent issue of consumerism and its relationship with financial literacy among high school students in Jakarta. Influenced by rapid urbanization, global cultural norms, and digital technologies, consumptive behavior is prominent, especially among urban youth. Recognizing financial literacy, which encompasses financial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as a critical factor influencing consumerism, this study sought to examine this complex interplay. This study was collected through an online questionnaire and involved 120 respondents of high school students in Jakarta. The multiple linear regression analysis was performed using SPSS to analyze the results. The result revealed a moderate level of financial literacy among high school students in Jakarta, with a score of 63.55. However, this score is very close to the lower end of the moderate spectrum, indicating a widespread low level of financial literacy. At the same time, the high cost of living in Jakarta and the ready availability of consumer goods can lead to uninformed financial decisions and impulsive spending. The findings underscore the significant impact of financial literacy, which includes financial knowledge, behavior, and attitudes, on the consumptive behavior of these students. Therefore, fostering improved student financial attitudes and behaviors is essential for prudent financial management and spending. Given the scope of the study, future research could include additional variables that impact consumer behavior to provide a more comprehensive understanding.
... On the other hand, TMT relates self-esteem to the human ego, insecurities, and selfdoubt, further reflecting the extent to which individuals positively feel about themselves and the subjective assessment of their value, which are found to increase under potential threats [55,68,69]. Such individuals are convinced of their poor social value and think that their abilities, life ambitions, and social identities are unworthy and, accordingly, individuals with low self-esteem strive to own material possessions to elevate their social position and raise their sense of worth [9,66,[69][70][71]. This implies that there is a negative relationship between materialism and self-esteem, as revealed in prior studies [67]. ...
... Possessing survival is the extent to which individuals can preserve the things they purchase and own, such as materialistic goods (i.e., clothes, food, and shelter), which refer to the individuals' materialistic status [68]. Non-materialistic individuals are more spiritual and seek less metaplastic goods in their lives [71]. However, if they own them, they tend to preserve them as a part of their spiritual beliefs. ...
Sustainable purchasing attitudes have been a topic of increasing research interest; however, to date, limited studies have investigated its antecedents, particularly within Generation Z in developing countries. In this paper, we empirically explore the factors that affect young consumers’ attitudes to purchasing sustainably within the holistic approach of terror management theory (TMT) by qualitatively exploring how the TMT constructs of death salience and self-esteem influence sustainability attitudes within Gen Z in Saudi Arabia, while considering the role of religion in the proposed TMT framework. Using purposive sampling, qualitative rich data were collected from 18 interviews with young consumers (Gen Z). Our findings revealed insights that help to understand the attitudes that influence sustainable purchasing judgments among young consumers in Saudi Arabia. This contributes to a better understanding of the holistic literature on sustainable purchasing attitudes and may have several implications for sustainable brand management in addition to opening up new research avenues for further investigation.
... Conversely, low self-esteem is associated with difficulties in handling complex problems, leading to negative emotions and mental health challenges. Notably, studies have shown a negative correlation between self-esteem and stress, underscoring the importance of selfesteem in adolescents' emotional development and mental health (Isaksen, & Roper, 2012). In exploring the influencing factors on adolescents' self-esteem, this article delves into three key perspectives: parental care and family education, teacher-student relationships, and peer relationships. ...
... Conversely, low self-esteem is associated with difficulties in handling complex problems, leading to negative emotions and mental health challenges. Notably, studies have shown a negative correlation between self-esteem and stress, underscoring the importance of selfesteem in adolescents' emotional development and mental health (Isaksen, & Roper, 2012). In exploring the influencing factors on adolescents' self-esteem, this article delves into three key perspectives: parental care and family education, teacher-student relationships, and peer relationships. ...
... Conversely, low self-esteem is associated with difficulties in handling complex problems, leading to negative emotions and mental health challenges. Notably, studies have shown a negative correlation between self-esteem and stress, underscoring the importance of selfesteem in adolescents' emotional development and mental health (Isaksen, & Roper, 2012). In exploring the influencing factors on adolescents' self-esteem, this article delves into three key perspectives: parental care and family education, teacher-student relationships, and peer relationships. ...
This study investigates the intricate dynamics of familial influences on adolescent mental well-being,
focusing on self-esteem and social anxiety within the family context. The objectives include
examining the correlation between a supportive family environment and adolescent self-esteem and
social anxiety, evaluating evidence-based strategies' effectiveness, and analyzing differences in these
outcomes within culturally sensitive family environments. A cross-sectional survey design is
employed, with a stratified random sampling method targeting 200 students and parents in Lahore.
Structured questionnaires measure family environment, adolescent self-esteem, and social anxiety.
Findings reveal a positive correlation between a supportive family environment and adolescent wellbeing, evidenced by high mean scores in communication, emotional support, and family cohesion.
The multifaceted nature of adolescent self-esteem and nuanced dimensions of social anxiety align
with existing literature. The study confirms a positive correlation between a supportive family
environment and adolescent self-esteem, coupled with a negative correlation with social anxiety.
Evidence-based strategies exhibit statistically significant improvements, emphasizing their efficacy in
enhancing family dynamics. ANOVA analysis underscores the importance of cultural sensitivity in
shaping adolescents' mental health. In conclusion, the study provides crucial insights into family
dynamics' profound impact on adolescent mental health, supporting recommendations for effective
communication programs, evidence-based interventions, cultural sensitivity training, and community
support networks.
Keywords: Supportive Family, Adolescent, Self-Esteem, Social Anxiety, family environment.
... need for others' approval and acceptance (Isaksen & Roper, 2012), which may lead to an increased preference for warm brands, whereas the opposite occurs for those high in self-acceptance. This finding suggests that the strength of warm brands may supersede any protection offered by self-acceptance, as self-acceptance did not weaken the importance of brand warmth to excluded consumers. ...
Consumers' feelings of being excluded—which indicate a deficit in important social resources such as connection, acceptance, and support—have increased over the last 50 years. In this research, by adopting a resource‐based view of brands, we examine how and why brands play a role in socially excluded consumers' lives. Across a series of studies, we find that excluded consumers perceive warm (vs. less warm) brands as better relationship partners. Because of this, excluded consumers choose warm (vs. less warm) brands more often, and they feel less lonely as a result. We also test the role of brand warmth relative to brand competence and to individual differences in self‐acceptance. We find that excluded consumers' preferences for warm brands persist even when the warm brands are low in competence and even when consumers possess high self‐acceptance. This research reveals the relational, resource‐restorative role of warm brands and provides implications for consumers' coping and emotional well‐being in our increasingly isolated society.
This paper argues that the generation of social intimacy is critical to enabling acts of environmental care. By interrogating the intimate socialities of a group of young people who grew up in a village community committed to carbon reduction, I untangle the influence of everyday intimacies on everyday (un)sustainabilities, particularly in relation to the popular but uncritical positioning of young people as ‘sustainability saviours’. I problematise assumptions that young people's social intimacies are a straightforward enabler of lifestyle change aligned with sustainability by highlighting the fluidity of intimacies and associated senses of trust throughout young adulthood. I argue further that capitalising on this fluidity might in fact amplify bottom‐up environmental care if young people can move readily between networked spaces of trust and support. Drawing from scholarship on friendship, family and community intimacies and the substantial literature on households as crucibles for more sustainable living, I suggest there is considerable reconciliation work demanded at a personal level in order to live comfortably within the everyday intimacies of social life at the same time as committing to individual environmental action. These arguments advance debates around the optimal social drivers of more sustainable lifestyles, at the same time as sounding a cautionary note in relation to the too easy emplacement of responsibility for driving change at the feet of young people.
This paper presents Systematic Theory Mapping (STM), a comprehensive and systematic method, as the first step toward defining and dealing with complex and wicked problems. Social systems exhibit a messy, multifaceted, and multi-level composite of problems characterized by causal complexities and non-linear interactions of numerous contributing variables. Exploring such a wicked composite of problems for causal explanations and theory building through reductionist empiricism is unrealistic, expensive, and futile. Systems thinking is required to understand the configurations driving wicked problems and navigate their causal complexities. We construed brand externalities as a wicked problem and provided an illustrative example for STM. A systematic narrative review is used to amalgamate diverse stakeholder perspectives and capture the structures and processes that generate brand externalities. System dynamics, employing a causal loop diagram, is used to organize the findings and develop a causal theory of brand externalities. The proposed method can help scholars, managers, and policymakers better define complex managerial and social problems and identify the likely consequences of their actions.
The interaction processes of culturally homogeneous and culturally diverse groups were studied for 17 weeks. Initially, homogeneous groups scored higher on both process and performance effectiveness. Over time, both homogeneous and heterogeneous groups showed improvement on process and performance, and between-group differences converged. By week 17, there were no differences in process or overall performance, but the heterogeneous groups scored higher on two task performance measures. Implications for management and future research are given.
I: Background.- 1. An Introduction.- 2. Conceptualizations of Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination.- II: Self-Determination Theory.- 3. Cognitive Evaluation Theory: Perceived Causality and Perceived Competence.- 4. Cognitive Evaluation Theory: Interpersonal Communication and Intrapersonal Regulation.- 5. Toward an Organismic Integration Theory: Motivation and Development.- 6. Causality Orientations Theory: Personality Influences on Motivation.- III: Alternative Approaches.- 7. Operant and Attributional Theories.- 8. Information-Processing Theories.- IV: Applications and Implications.- 9. Education.- 10. Psychotherapy.- 11. Work.- 12. Sports.- References.- Author Index.
, The first book on the ethics of research with children, extending the ethics of research with adults to research with children and young people aged up to 18 years. 130 pages.
