Consumer choices regarding food and other items related to their Essay

Consumer choices regarding food and other items related to their income and social status - Essay Example The main query behind all the research effort was to determine how social inequality dictates the consumption of products. To answer this question, the research questions posed were as follows: 1. How does the lower-income buyer view their consumption habits in relation to government, politics, or corporate employment? 2. What role, if any, does television usage (volume and content) dictate lower-income buyer preferences and consumption behaviours? 3. In relation specifically to food, how do food insecure individuals view the food products they purchase in relation to needs or environment? 4. What is most important to the lower-income buyer- peer opinion or price sensitivity and to which types of products does either/or apply? In other words, this sociological research project is expected not only to draw a relationship between income, consumption and lifestyle but also to determine how the lower class of society respond to the jobs provided to them in terms of daily living, purchasing and consumption activities. Obviously the highly relevant factors of media advertising and peer group recommendations had to be included as these factors cannot be ignored in the consideration of modern lifestyle choices- no matter what strata of society we are dealing with in a typical Western economy. The methodology involves first of all the creation of a Food Log, followed by a multi-purpose Survey covering the purchasing habits of the lower class families in selected areas. The multipurpose survey will have three distinct sections- one about general consumption behaviours, the second about the influence of television and peers on decision-making, and the third about any physiological restrictions that each participant maintains in their lifestyle. These surveys were distributed by the researcher in an environment where low-income shoppers frequented in the region, while guaranteeing anonymity to the participants. However the expected sample to be collected was 50-100 individuals of varying demographics and socio-cultural backgrounds to gain a broader perspective of what drives product consumption as it relates to their social inequality as compared to other more resourceful consumers. The data gathered from the study was then analysed and correlated