B.C. Senooane and M.A. Phiri
Vol 16 | Issue 1, pp. 84-99
Abstract
Much of the research into children and their consumer behaviour has been predicated on theories of cognitive development. Developmental approaches have been criticised for focusing primarily on cognitive development and neglecting other factors that may significantly influence a child’s consumption behaviour. This study proposes Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Framework for Human Development (1979) as an alternative method for understanding the environmental factors that influence tweens’ consumer behaviour. Ecological models emphasize the social context of behaviour and seek to discover and understand the process and conditions that ultimately shape human behaviour. Theories of consumer culture and the sociology of consumption are largely silent when it comes to African children. The purpose of this study was to develop a socioecological model to understand tweens’ consumer behaviour in the apparel industry. This was achieved by way of a convergent parallel mixed-method study which included 192 respondents and 60 focus group participants. The findings suggest that there are a myriad of environmental factors that influence branded apparel consumption in tweens. The results may assist marketers and practitioners alike to understand the South African tween consumer.
Keywords: ecological models, tweens, environmental factors, consumer culture, materialism, brands, apparel
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