Determination of consumer taste and preferences Business Term Paper (Term Paper Sample)

What is the extent to which consumer tastes are determined by social class differences?
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Mainly, social class difference influences the way of life in the contemporary society. This means, what one wears, how one speaks, what one eats, the people you interact with have much to do with the social class. In particular, fashion has over the past decades been used to set the standards and the boundaries between different social classes (Rachel, 2020). Therefore, the research question is premised on finding the extent to which consumer taste is determined by social class differences in contemporary society. Reportedly, the boundary created by the social class differences has over time become blurred. This essay delves into the blurred boundaries within the social class and taste, social media influence on consumerism, and the impact of black culture. There has been an attempt to talk about fashion and taste as a subset of class. However, the ambivalence among the consumers about this boundary has triggered a different trajectory of the debate by positing that fashion indeed works in the favor of the lower class. To underpin this debate in this path, it is important to look at the blurred boundaries within the social class and taste, the role of social media in consumerism, and black culture (African American) within the context of a typical consumer. To do this, this essay uses an in-depth analysis of the various scenarios created in contemporary purchase habits. This is done by first offering a roundup perspective on the concept of social class and how it determines the way of life abreast underscoring the examples step by step applying a theoretical background based on the three examples abovementioned.
Ostensibly, social class is a crucial indicator of one’s positioning within society. The social class helps stratifies a community or a person within the frames of economics, education, experiences, and quality of life (Kavanagh, 2017). These ingredients of class influence the taste of an individual. For instance, it is a general perception that wealthy people identify with exorbitant commodities which is the exact opposite for the poor people. Therefore, class has often been an important indicator of one’s position which inadvertently influences their tastes. This paper intends to unpack this notion and spot the current shift in perception. Like mentioned, the boundaries have been blurred and social class has not become a significant factor that determines taste.
Besides, it is important to speak about the concept of taste and it is brought about in the context of the different classes. In this case, it is essential to use practical examples rather than theoretical ones. First, one may want to ask how a class is developed. For instance, the USA context where race has used an aspect of social stratification can be used to substantiate the case. The black who are under the minority is often economically disadvantaged as they do not have access to be health care, decent, and justices (Schaefer, 2008). The sense of disenfranchisement influences their social positioning in the US. In that case, most of the blacks and other people of color in the US fall under the class. This community is mainly associated with lower living standards, engages in drug trafficking, and is the main target of gun violence. While this background information is beyond the scope of this essay, it points out how classes play a role in disadvantaging the minority (Schaefer, 2008). It also informs the point posited by the debate that social positioning can allow one to access luxury or not. In this case, the whites have a higher proclivity to access exorbitant products including fashion compared to the blacks who have suppressed economic muscle.
Having established the manifestation of an economic stake in different classes, it is important to re-embark on the original argument which refutes the conventional perception of class as a determinant of taste. At this level, it is important to look at the factors that have shifted the original perception to what is today. As shall be demonstrated by various lines of thought, it is imperative to decamp the school of thought that taste is greatly determined by class differences rather it would be time to appreciate the fact that, the taste is untamable and crosses the boundaries; this is substantiated by discussing the key factors such as the impact of social media on distorting the boundary, the black culture, and technological advancement.