GENERATION Y AND INDIVIDUALISM: CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS AND ADAPTABILITY IN THE FACE OF SOCIAL CHANGES / GERAÇÃO Y E INDIVIDUALISMO: PERCEPÇÕES E ADAPTABILIDADE DO CONSUMIDOR FRENTE ÀS MUDANÇAS SOCIAIS

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

16/03/2011

RESUMO

Although much is said today about Generation Y, academic studies aimed at these consumers are still scarce in Brazil. Described generally as being individualistic, technological and opened to diversity, their characteristics are still source of controversy, from the time of birth - for some, 1977; for others, 1985 - until their behavior - some describe them as being well behaved, team workers and moralists (Howe and Strauss, 2000); others as selfish, superficial and rebels (Twenge, 2006). On the other hand, the issue of individualism in Brazilian society is still surrounded by uncertainty, since the majority of academic studies, focused mainly to North America, Europe and Asia (Gouveia, 2002), creates an almost dichotomy between individualistic and collectives societies based on features of American/European and Asian countries. This work, based on qualitative interviews conducted with AB class young people residents in a large Brazilian city, with ages between 23 and 34 years, assesses their behavior and their perception of the society in which they belong. Focusing on research aspects of individualism, interpersonal relationship (relationship instability, in and out-groups, family), competitiveness (academic, professional life beginning, pressures for success) and hedonism (immediacy, worries with beauty, instability of choices) and permeating characteristics such as means of communication (social networking, cell phones, text messaging), diversity (homosexuality, internationality, tribes) and consumption (consumerism, status), this study draws a value landscape of these young Brazilians, who sense the invasion of individualism in their daily life and not just adapt to it in different ways, but develop different levels of questioning the issue. Hybrid aspects perceived in Brazilian individualism differentiate it from both the North American and Asian styles, since, although competitiveness, superficiality in relationships and the quest for status are an almost unanimous perception, the need to establish bonds, the unpleasantness caused by pressure for status and the lack of self-examination generate dissatisfaction, anxiety and, often, diverse ways to relate and define what success truly is. From the standpoint of marketing, as the research is not limited to the study of Generation Y but also includes how individualism is perceived and absorbed by this group, it provides greater guidance to product development and communication campaigns. One example is the advertising of a health insurer: You need not to be beautiful, have a marvelous marriage and a house out from magazine to be happy, mentioned spontaneously by more than one respondent. Since, as points out Triandis (2002), the tendency to individualistic societies is inevitable in complexity increasing environments, Brazilian improving moment demands greater understanding of these issues, so companies can enjoy a close and pleasurable relationship among these connected and eager for identity consumers.

ASSUNTO(S)

geracao generation comportamento de consumo consumption behavior individualismo individualism

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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