Socio cultural factors

Socio cultural factors

Role of family

Definition: a group of two or more people related by birth, weddind or adoption and residing together

Basic functions provided by the family

Economic well being: Although families in the affluent nations of North America, Europe and Asia are no longer formed primarily for economic security, providing financial means to its dependents unquestionably a basic family function. Economic well-being has changed considerably during past 30 years. No longer are traditional husband as economic provider and wife as home maker and child-rearer still valid. For instance, it is very common for married women with children in the United States and other industrial countries to be employed outside the home for their husbands to share household responsibilities.

The economic role of children also has changed. Today, despite the fact that many teenage children work, they rarely assist the family financially. Instead, many teenagers are expected to pay for their own amusements.

Emotional support : The provision of emotional nourishment (including love, affection, and intimacy) to its members is an important function of the contemporary family. In fulfilling this function, the family provides support and encouragement and assists its members in coping with decision making and with personal or social problems. To make it easier for working parents to show their love, affection, and support to their children, greeting card companies have been increasingly creating cards for parents to give to their children (vice versa)

Suitable family lifestyles: Another important family function in terms of consumer behavior is the establishment of a suitable lifestyle for the family. Upbringing, experience, and the personal and jointly held goals of the spouses determine the importance placed on education or career, on reading, on television viewing, on the learning of computer skills, on the frequency quality of dining out, and on the selection of other entertainment and recreational activities.

Family lifestyle commitments, including the allocation of time, are generally influencing consumption patterns.

Types of families :

Traditional family types:

• Married couple : simplest type of family consisting of husband and wife

• Nuclear family : Consist of husband wife and at least one child

• Extended family : Consist of nuclear family with at least one grand arent

• Joint family : Blood relatives and their spouses with kids staying together

New modes of family:

• Biended family : A family in which either or both partner were previously married

• Single parent Family : A family in wich only one of the parents is present

• Unmarried Family : Parents, unmarried but living together

• Communal family : A group of families living together and sharing responsability

Family life cycle stages

The concept of household or family life cycle is important for marketers in segmenting the market. In 1966, William wells and George Gubar proposed eight stages to describe the family life cycle.

The following life cycle stages are typical of families:

1. The bachelor stage: young, single person under age of 35 years. Incomes are generally low since they have started careers, but they may have few financial burdens and sufficient discretionary income.

2. Newly married: young couples, no children. If both spores are employed, they will have high level of discretionary income.

3. Full nest 1: young married couples with youngest child under 6 years of age. There would be greater squeezes on income because of increased on childcare. However, if they are members of a joint family, the level of discretionary income is likely to be high.

4. Full nest 2: young married couples with children from 6 years to 12 years of age. Better financial position because income of both parents rising. Children spend more hours outside their parents influence.

5. Full nest 3: older married couples with dependent teenage children living at home. Financial position of family continues to improve. There are increasing costs of college education for children.

6. Empty nest 1: older married couples with no children living with them, parents still employed. Reduced expenses result in greater savings and highest discretionary income.

7. Empty nest 2: older married couples with no children living with them and parents retired. Drop in income and couple relies on savings and fixed income from retirement benefits.

8. Solitary survivor 1: older single persons with low income and increasing medical needs.

Family decision making and consumption-related roles:

When two or more family members are directly or indirectly involved in the decision making process, it is called family decision making. Such family decisions differs from individuals decisions in many ways. For example, if we consider the purchase of a bicycle for a child, some of the relevant aspects to think about can be: who recognizes the need for bicycle? How a brand is selected? What role the concerned child plays?

Joint decisions are more likely to operate in the early stages of family life cycle when both spouses are relatively less experienced. After gaining experience, they usually delegate responsibilities concerning buying decisions to each other.

Key family consumption roles

For a family to function as a cohesive unit, tasks such as doing the laundry, preparing meals, setting the dinner table, taking out the garbage, and walking the dog must be carried out by one or more family members. In a dynamic society, family related duties are constantly changing however, we can identify either distinct roles in the family decision making process.

For example, a family member may be walking down the cookie aisle at a local supermarket when she picks out an interesting new fat-free cookie. Her selection does not directly involve the influence of other family members. She is the decider, the buyer and, in a sense, the gatekeeper, however,

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