Cultural Differences in Consumer Socialization: A Comparison of Chinese-Canadian and Caucasian-Canadian Children

Abstract

Based on the extant literature on the cultural/subcultural differences in socialization goals and parental practices in the childrearing process, this study compares Chinese-Canadian and Caucasian-Canadian families with respect to three issues central to consumer socialization – family communication patterns, children's consumer decision-making styles, and children's influence in family purchase decisions. Some significant results include: (1) Chinese-Canadian children perceived both of their parents as more socio-oriented than Caucasian-Canadian children perceived theirs whereas no significant between-group difference was found on the perceived level of concept-orientation for either parent; (2) Chinese-Canadian children, relative to their Caucasian-Canadian counterparts, exhibited more utilitarian and confused-by-overchoice consumer decision-making orientations but less social/conspicuous and impulsive orientations; and (3) Chinese-Canadian children exercised greater purchase influence than their Caucasian-Canadian counterparts for the adolescent ‘convenience’ product category but no difference was found for the adolescent ‘durable’ product category.