Brown Bag Series - Feb 17
DAN Management Brown Bag Series
Title: Multifaceted Acculturation in Multiethnic Settings
Presented by: Mark Cleveland and Cecelia Xu
February 17, 2017
1:00 - 2:00 pm
SSC 4444
Immigration is rapidly changing the face of many Western societies. Ethnic minority research in marketing has hitherto overlooked the nature of acculturation occurring beyond the majority-minority dichotomy. We contend that in pluralistic social environments, minorities acculturate not only to the predominant group, but also to the global consumer culture (GCC), and potentially, coexisting ethnic minority populations. This study investigates Chinese-Canadian immigrants’ acculturation to mainstream Canadian culture (represented by Canadian identity/pride), to GCC, and to the South-Asian (i.e., Indian subcontinent) culture, considering the roles played by strength of in-group affiliation (Chinese identity) and positive dispositions towards cultural out-groups (cosmopolitanism). We then consider how these cultural forces combine to drive the consumption of mainstream/ethnic foods—a product category long demonstrated to be culture-bound. Chinese-Canadian consumers were surveyed, employing multi-item measures for the cultural constructs, relevant demographic measures, and the consumption frequency of various foods associated with global/Canadian, Chinese, and South-Asian cultures. Supporting cultural integration, the results revealed direct (positive) effects of Chinese ethnic identity on identification with GCC, and South-Asian acculturation, whereas the effect on Canadian identity/pride was indirect, mediated by cosmopolitanism. These socio-cultural constructs in turn differentially drive consumption of foodstuffs emanating from mainstream, Chinese, and South-Asian cultures.
Open to all Faculty and Staff
