Culture , Subculture

Culture:

• Is the accumulation of shared meanings, rituals, norms, and traditions

among the members of an organization or society.

 Definitions:
• Culture is Collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the
members of one human group from another... Includes system of values;
and values are among the building blocks of culture...” (Hofstede,
1980)
 Contd.
• Includes shared believes, attitudes, norms, roles and values found among
speakers of a particular language who live during the same period in a
specific geographic region
(Triandis, 1995).
 Characteristics of culture

• Culture is learned

• Common to members of a certain group

• Determines the behavior of group

• members
• Culture (customs, values, habits) makes

• life more effective

 Contd.
• Culture exists to serve the needs of the
• society
• Culture is acquired from society throughout
• our life time.
• Culture is not static
• Culture is learned through interactions with
• other members of the culture.
• Culture is transferred from generations to
• generations.
 Culture and Consumer Behavior

• Culture has immense influence on the values and lifestyles of individuals.

• It cannot be underestimated as it actually

affects their thoughts, motives and value

Systems due to this dynamics people consumption changes.
• it plays an immense role in affecting the

consumers’ affective and cognitive choices

of consumption and spending.

• culture explains the value systems of the

consumers that subsequently governs the

interpretation of environment around the

consumers.
 Contd.

• Core values of a society define the usage of products

 
• Positive and negative opinions for brands and for
communication programs

• Culture define the ideology of consumption

 Subculture
• A distinct cultural group that exists as an identifiable segment within
a larger, more complex society.
• A subculture is a segment of a larger culture whose members share
distinguishing values and patterns of behavior.
• The unique values and patterns of behavior shared by subculture
group members are based on the social history of the group as well
as on its current situation.
• Asian Americans are a rapidly growing subculture, due primarily to
immigration. Asian Americans have the highest average household income
of any ethic group. However, Asian Americans are also the most diverse
group, with numerous nationalities, languages, and religions
 Contd.
• Native Americans
• Nearly half live in the West, and there are approximately 550

Native American tribes, each with its own language and traditions.

• Asian-Indian Americans

There are approximately 1.7 million Americans of Indian heritage.

There are well educated, affluent, and fluent in English.
 Contd.
• Arab Americans

They are approximately 1 million Arab Americans in the U.S..They are

come from a variety of countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and Kuwait.
They share a common Arabic heritage

and the Arabic language