Negotiated meanings of fashion-forward television programmes : A case study on Sex and the City and Gossip Girl
SÄYNÄJOKI, HEIDI (2013)
2013
Yrityksen taloustiede, markkinointi - Marketing
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2013-05-28
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http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-23995
http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-23995
Tiivistelmä
The number of fashion-forward television programmes has grown drastically during the last few decades. The relationship between television and the fashion industry has become more and more synergistic and television is an effective media for spreading fashion trends globally. The symbolic meanings communicated by the media within the contemporary culture of consumption have a central role in the negotiations of cultural meanings made by consumers. The purpose of the study is to identify what kind of meanings consumers negotiate from fashion-forward television programmes Sex and the City and Gossip Girl. Fashion-forward television refers to television programmes that are seen as able to influence future fashion trends.
The theoretical framework of this study is based on Consumer Culture Theory. However, as the theory actually refers to multiple theoretical perspectives on the relations between consumers, marketplace and cultural meanings, this study concentrates in the cultural meanings in the mass media culture of consumption and the interpretation of self, others, television media and fashion in this context. Consumers are seen as unpredictable and interactive individuals, who are cleverly negotiating meanings in the contemporary culture of consumption.
The empirical data in this study was collected by focus group interviews. Focus group interview means that a group of selected people are gathered together to discuss a certain topic in order to gain in-depth information on the feelings and thoughts of the group. There were two focus group interviews in this study with 3 and 6 participants. All of the participants were Finnish females aged between 22 and 28 years. They all belong to the target audience of the television programmes studied and have been following one or both of the series regularly. Secondary online data was used to complete the empirical data.
The specific cultural meanings negotiated from fashion-forward television can be divided into four categories on the basis of the object of the meaning. The first category consists of the meanings attached to self. The second category contains the meanings attached to others. The third category includes the meanings attached to the fashion-forward television programmes and the fourth category consists of the meanings attached to fashion. However, this is not an omniscient categorization, as cultural meanings may consistently be transferred between categorizations.
Keywords: Consumer culture, meanings, fashion-forward television
The theoretical framework of this study is based on Consumer Culture Theory. However, as the theory actually refers to multiple theoretical perspectives on the relations between consumers, marketplace and cultural meanings, this study concentrates in the cultural meanings in the mass media culture of consumption and the interpretation of self, others, television media and fashion in this context. Consumers are seen as unpredictable and interactive individuals, who are cleverly negotiating meanings in the contemporary culture of consumption.
The empirical data in this study was collected by focus group interviews. Focus group interview means that a group of selected people are gathered together to discuss a certain topic in order to gain in-depth information on the feelings and thoughts of the group. There were two focus group interviews in this study with 3 and 6 participants. All of the participants were Finnish females aged between 22 and 28 years. They all belong to the target audience of the television programmes studied and have been following one or both of the series regularly. Secondary online data was used to complete the empirical data.
The specific cultural meanings negotiated from fashion-forward television can be divided into four categories on the basis of the object of the meaning. The first category consists of the meanings attached to self. The second category contains the meanings attached to others. The third category includes the meanings attached to the fashion-forward television programmes and the fourth category consists of the meanings attached to fashion. However, this is not an omniscient categorization, as cultural meanings may consistently be transferred between categorizations.
Keywords: Consumer culture, meanings, fashion-forward television