Symbolic consumption: a sociocultural perspective in understanding consumer behavior. Consumo simbólico: una perspectiva sociocultural en la comprensión del comportamiento del consumidor.

Abstract

This paper aims to provide additional elements in understanding consumer behavior, through the analysis of several variables that are beyond the traditional approach from the perspectives that reflect consumption as a process guided in a exclusively rational way. The consumer can no longer be understood as a set of static personal characteristics, needs, motivations or attitudes that are related in the same way if you are exposed to a context of purchase and consumption; on the contrary, the culture must be included as a relevant variable that inevitably permeates the whole process and turns products into signs and meanings that serve as means to make sense of the social and psychological consumer. It is therefore important to study the consumer from a sociocultural perspective that allows for the existence of different types of consumption that are classified according to the meaning they have for those who consume culturally. Thus, the existence of statutory consumption, conspicuous consumption, hedonic consumption and consumer identity constitute new areas of interest for the understanding of consumption as an excuse to build social relationships, rather than the simple satisfaction of basic needs. This is what is known as symbolic consumption.