THE MATERIAL/

ECONOMIC SELF
• MATERIAL SELF PRESENTATION AND IDENTITY
According to John Heskett, a British writer and lecturer
on the economic, political, cultural and human value of
industrial design, design combines “need” and “desire”
in the form of practical object that can also reflect the
user’s identity and aspirations through its form and
decoration. Heskett was a professor at the Institute of
Design at Illinois Institute of Technology and taught
design history and design thinking. For him, there is a
significance and function behind everyday things. He
explains that there is a subconscious effect of design
in everyday life.
This reflect the personal identity wherever the
person is: home, work, and restaurant are at a
leisure place. Thus, design really matters from the
smallest things like toothpick, spoon and fork, the
kind and presentation of food that people eat up to
the bigger gadgets, equipment and cars.
Roland Barthes (1915-1980) the French critical
theorist, was one of the first to observe the
relationships that people have with objects, and in
particular look at objects as signs or things which
could be decoded to convey message beyond their
practical value.
In 1950s he popularized the field of Semiology (the
study of objects as signs). A sign is anything that
conveys meaning. It was Barthes who revealed
that everyday objects are not just things but a
complex system of signs which allows one to read
meaning into people and places. What people
increasingly produce are not material objects, but
signs.
In Semiotic analysis, objects functions as signifiers
in the production of meaning. For example, clothes
may have a simple functional meaning, to cover
and protect the body but also double up as a sign.
They construct a meaning and carry a message, which
as a member of a culture one can understand. Barthes
argued that all things, verbal or visual, could be viewed
as a kind of speech or language. This means that
objects can speak, and even the most ordinary object
might be eloquent..
Semiotic is the study of signs that Barthes introduced.
Examine how words, photographs, images and objects
can work as a language to communicate a range of
ideas, associations and feelings. According to him, a
sign has two elements; signifier which refers to its
physical form (e.g. diamond ring) and signified, the
mental concepts it refers to (e.g. engaged to be married).
Hence, objects are not just things but are reflections of the
wider lives of communications and individuals. All these
suggests that objects act as complex systems of signs
which allow one to read meaning into people, places and
purpose. Through advertising, products become irresistible-
perfumes, not just a sweet smelling liquid but an essence of
allure making it user- irresistible. The things people use, own
and surround themselves with might accurately reflect their
personalities. Not surprisingly, the clothes one wears, the
car one drives and the furnishing of one’s home, are all
expressions of one self, even when they act as disguises
rather than as reflections. In relation to this, the things that
surround people are inseparable from who they are. Signs
are also used to differentiate one person or group from
others.
The theory of the meaning of material possessions
suggests that material goods can fulfil a range of
instrumental, social, symbolic and effective
functions.
1. INSTRUMENTAL FUNCTIONS relate to the
functional properties of a product. For example,
a person bought a pick-up style of a car for the
family and business functions.
2. SOCIAL SYMBOLIC FUNCTIONS signify
personal qualities, social standing, group
affiliation and gender role. For instance buying
an iPhone instead of other mobile phones.
3. CATEGORICAL FUNCTIONS refer to the
extent to which material possessions may be
used to communicate group membership and
status. Example is buying or renting a condo
unit in Makati City.
4. SELF EXPRESSIVE FUNCTIONS reflect a
person's unique qualities, values or attitudes.
There are people who may represent
themselves by collecting objects with a Hello
Kitty brand. Others may express their favorite
color through the color of their accessories.
ECONOMIC SELF PRESENTATION AND
IDENTITY
• Economics is defined as the study of things that a
person is lacking, of how people make use of the
things that they have, and of making the right
decisions. It is the condition of the person, group
or region as regards to material prosperity.
• Economic Self sufficiency is the ability of
individuals and families to consistently meet their
needs.
• Economic Consciousness is the result of socialization
and professionalization of the subject that acquires a
particular significance in human affairs. It includes social
perceptions, attitudes, relationships, and opinions of
personal/social groups about different economic objects
and phenomena.
• Economic Identity is a psychological phenomenon that
results from social categorization. For instance, a
category of economic status is whether a person
belongs to the rich, sustainable or poor sector of society.
The factors that affect the economic identity of the
individual are professional development and self-
determination as well as the motivational and value
sphere of his personality.
SYMBOLIC MOTIVES
1. STATUS, the extent to which people believe they
can derive a sense of recognition or achievement
from owning and using the right kind of product,
can be an important motivator of behaviour.
• Materialism is the importance ascribed to the
ownership and acquisition of material goods in
achieving major life goal. In some cultures, a lady
should wear expensive jewellery to attract a
wealthy man into marrying her. Status may
increase consumption and can motivate
behaviour.
2. AFFECTIVE MOTIVES is a concept used in
Environmental Psychology. Affect (emotions) serve as a
motivator of pro-environmental behaviour. In relation to
the economic self, affective motive, can be a basis of the
buying behaviour. Thus using the affective motive:
people buy the goods not only because they think they
need it but more so because of the joy/happiness buying
the goods provide through the mere acquisition of it.
• Anticipated effect is when a person is expecting to feel
good or guilty when doing something. Anticipated
positive effect and negative effect are important
predictors of whether to buy or not to buy the product.
This can be a strong motivator or barrier for the buying
behaviour
THE ROLE OF CONSUMER CULTURE ON THE SENSE
OF SELF AND IDENTITY.
• CONSUMER IDENTITY is the pattern of consumption that
describes the consumer. People may no longer consume
goods and services primarily because of its functional
satisfaction. This develops the consumer culture.
Consumption has become increasingly more meaning-
based; brands are often used as symbolic resources for
the construction and maintenance of identity. Brands and
products are now being used by many consumers to
express their identities. People may construct their social
identities through the consumption of commercial brand or
luxury commodities. This is one of the basic features of
people in modern era, a behaviour that leads to
consumerism.
• Consumerism is the preoccupation with an
inclination toward the buying of consumer goods.
It is also based on the theory that an increasing
consumption of goods is economically desirable.
This is made possible because of the availability
of open market or technology-based market. High
class consumption is attached to the identities of
people in the society and it legitimizes consumer
culture in the daily lives of people by choice or
compulsion people respond to goods and
services based on people assumptions that is
associated to their social identities.
In buying commodities, there are instances when
people tend to base their buying behaviour on the
function of goods. In most cases, how they think
and feel influence their decisions, causing them to
behave is unpredictable and irrational ways.
Behavioural Finance is a new field that combines
behavioural and cognitive psychological theory with
conventional economics and finance to provides
explanations for why people make irrational
financial decisions. If a person fails to choose, then
that person chooses to fail.
Decision making is important when being
confronted to buy something. Just like a dog who is
able to catch the ball, every time the ball is thrown,
if the dog represents the person and the ball
represents the things that person wants, then there
will be no end to buying. On the other hand, when
a person only buys goods because he needs them,
he may feel incomplete for it lacks the joy in buying
for wants provides the person. Thus, Behavioural
Finance tries to provide answers to these
interesting facets of consumer behaviour.