Consumer Psychology by Brian M Young

Author:Brian M Young [Young, Brian M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783319909103
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Having a Child

All across the world people of different ages decide to have children. Although the majority of couples consist of a man and a woman and in the majority of these male/female unions the biological mother and father are the couple, there are many other possible combinations. The decision process is complex i.e. who really decides and how they negotiate and what factors are taken into account. What is clear though is that in many societies nowadays decisions are made on a combination of factors; financial, emotional, lifestyle, health and medical and we don’t just rely on moral precepts of what the right thing to do is. These decisions are made in many cultures although in more traditional societies they are accompanied by a variety of different customs related to childbirth from decision making to birth itself. It would take too long to even start discussing them so I have chosen one from my own culture, a composite if you like of what I am familiar with, stripped down to its essentials with a consumption theme added.

At some time our couple 27 might start thinking of having or adopting children and this is a major event in lots of ways. Pregnancy and birth are seen as a change in status for the family and the woman in particular. Pregnant women can signal their status publically and visually, at least in later stages and will talk about it with friends who tacitly or explicitly recognise her different status. If this is the first child then some couples will need to find out what the do’s and don’ts of pregnancy are. Online sites like Mumsnet are popular and provide useful information like what can or can’t be consumed like alcohol (no) and exercise (yes, with limitations). Being pregnant provides an opportunity for sharing and enhancing intimacy, in Erikson ’s sense with your partner. The new child will need to be clothed, fed, and toileted. She will need a place to sleep and transport to get around. Some of these will be provided by grandparents and godparents, and the rest by the couple. There is an informal system of gift-giving related to the birth and dedicated cards for that occasion are available from stores and small gifts like baby toys and clothes are acceptable. Gifts are one-way i.e. not reciprocated but recognised by the receiver 28 with a card or other communication. However the main consumption items, and here parents, grandparents and possibly godparents will contribute are related to baby’s new life. Here is the new family’s first exposure to the massive range of goods and services for baby and toddler. 29 There are high status modes of transporting baby so the well-equipped status conscious mother will possess a baby carrier (Cybex, £175) car seat(s) for different ages (Stokke, £219), and an exclusive classic Silver Cross Surf Aston Martin Edition pram for £3000 30 for that special walk in Kensington Gardens.

One name that did come up in my search was Bugaboo .

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