Exam 12: Social Class and Lifestyles

Although teenagers do not have the income of older consumers, they are still an attractive market based on income. Why?

The average American's standard of living continues to improve. These income shifts are linked to two key factors: ________.

What modern American ceremony would come closest in intent to a Native American potlatch?

If the super rich bought "shredded Levi's jeans" to wear to formal parties, they would be exhibiting a sophisticated form of conspicuous consumption known as ________.

In school, it always seemed as if Kenneth got all the breaks. He had access to all the right resources, such as special privileges, fancy cars, a large allowance, and dates with all the beautiful girls. Even at work, he was put on the fast track and got promoted early to a high-prestige job. It seemed as if Kenneth was artificially ranked higher than others. The process that best describes what happened to Kenneth is called ________.

How does the relationship between wealth and social class affect the way marketers segment affluent markets? Are there some consumption situations in which income alone is a good indicator of consumer behavior?

Jason is a marketing researcher working for a client who believes that social class will be an important segmenting device. Jason decides to find social class categories by simply asking respondents to pick their own category. Which of the following best supports Jason's approach?

________ income is the money available to a household over and above that required for a comfortable standard of living.

The ________ marketing perspective recognizes that people sort themselves into groups on the basis of the things they like to do, how they like to spend their leisure time, and how they choose to spend their disposable income.

Social analyst Thorstein Veblen believed that we buy things to create ________. This means we use our purchases to inspire envy in others through our display of wealth or power.

Explain the concept of social mobility and its various forms.

What are the two major components of social class? Explain and comment on each component (such as which is more important).

Psychologists use the term homogamy to describe "assortative mating." Which of the following phrases is the best illustration of homogamy?

Mr. Patterson is 57 years old. His annual household income is $500,000. He has been married to the same woman most of his adult life. He doesn't spend much on clothing. According to research, how is Mr. Patterson different from the typical American millionaire?

The term affluenza refers to ________.

Sandra Jackson decided to become a nurse after several years as an elementary teacher. She still wanted to help people; she just wanted to do it differently. Sandra's case is an example of which of the following?

Trisha grew up in a drug-ridden inner city neighborhood. Through sheer determination and intelligence, Trisha is now a medical doctor teaching on the staff of a large university hospital. Trisha is proud of what she has accomplished, but sometimes she feels like she isn't quite sure who she really is. The concept of ________ assesses the impact of such inconsistencies.

For this question, let's assume that being physically attractive is an asset. Use the principle of hierogamy to explain how assets can be utilized to advance social class.

A person who receives rewards and status because of his hard work is said to have ________ status.

Tian Zhao's parents were peasants from central China. Tian got a degree in electronics from a university and now works for a medium-sized firm building computer components for a company in Europe. Tian has bought himself a Canon camera and a Dell computer, and he wears Nike running shoes. He is a member of the mass class.