Transcript definition of social work

CHAPTER FOUR
CONSUMING COUNTERFEIT GOODS
© 2011 Taylor and Francis
Fake Stuff
Key Ideas
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The Supply and Distribution of Counterfeits
Policing Counterfeiters
Consuming Counterfeit Goods
© 2011 Taylor and Francis
The Supply and Distribution of
Counterfeits
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Means: fishing boats, cargos, operations conducted
on the internet
Example: Regional Flows of Counterfeit Goods from
Manufacturer to Taiwan (See the next page for
illustration)
Policing Counterfeiters
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Regional Protectionism: the efforts of local
government to protect local counterfeiting
operations given their importance to local economic
activity.
Reasons to Consume Counterfeit Goods
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Cultural Capital
Status Insecurity
Self Concept
Value Consciousness
Materialism
Conformity
Affordability
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Fashion Consciousness
Ethics
A Quest for
Otherness
Gift-Giving
Cultural Capital
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Cultural capital refers to institutionalized, or widely
shared, high status cultural signals used for social
and cultural exclusion. The list of the signals include
attitudes, preferences, formal knowledge,
behaviors, goals and credentials, while the
exclusionary property of cultural capital makes it
highly coveted.
A small number of these consumers with cultural
capital expressed feelings of shame for buying
fake products; most of them fingered the brand
names as unethical.
Status Insecurity
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Status-seeking is a universal and often
advantageous behavior for one to increase his
power and influence in social relationships, gain
access to future resources and demonstrate his
competency and ability to others.
consumers may conspicuously consume goods simply
to avoid the appearance of being low-class.
Status Insecurity (cont’d)
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The consumption of counterfeit goods potentially
enhanced the perceived welfare of low-income
consumers, depending on the extent to which the
eye of the beholder can be deceived. (Luuk van
Kempen 2003)
Self Concept
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Self-concept refers to how one defines himself by
internalizing and integrating personal qualities and
other characteristics.
Research shows that consumers who buy brand
products are self-conscious and especially
concerned about the impressions they make.
Consumers who buy counterfeits are similarly
concerned about their impressions, although those
images they project betray a tension between an
original identity and a borrowed appearance.
Value Consciousness
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Value Consciousness refers to “a concern for price
paid relative to the quality received.”
Some consumers of counterfeit products have
described the fakes as providing “more bang for
the buck.” Others may ignore counterfeit luxury
labels and select non-luxury goods because they
belief that the prestige of a label does not enhance
quality and may increase price.
Materialism
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Materialism refers to a set of centrally held values,
related traits and attitudes focusing on the
importance of possessions in one’s life and guiding
the selection of events and things. The materialists
also prefer an authentic luxury label category over
a counterfeit because of their strong association of
self-esteem with purchase category.
Research shows that in Hong Kong and Shanghai,
one’s tendencies of conformity and materialism do
not affect the level of buying counterfeit goods.
Conformity
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Conformity refers to social pressures which
encourage individuals to follow the norms and rules
or, in some cases, to break them. Asians are prone
to such conspicuous consumption in order to conform
to the expectations of others regarding purchase
decisions.
Conformity (cont’d)
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But a conflicting tendency of abasement coexists in
the Chinese culture: paradoxically, being identified
as a pirate buyer makes people lose face, and
buying popular brands may not be considered
modest. In Shanghai and Hong Kong, pirated
products were mainly purchased for the buyers
themselves or their family. If pirated gifts are given
to friends, the giving of such a gift result in loss of
face for the giver.
Conformity (cont’d)
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Research shows that Shanghai buyers have more
conformity motivation than Hong Kong buyers.
Consumers in Shanghai believe that brands and
images are essential to the “good things in life.” To
the contrary, Japanese consumers are prone to
conform to the social norms that luxurious
accessories became necessities to “fit in.” Some
Japanese teenagers would even sleep with middleaged salarymen just to get money together for that
all-essential luxurious purse.
Affordability
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Previously, price was seen as the main motivator for
consumers to buy pirated goods.
For the Chinese migrant workers who earn several
hundred bucks a month, brand names are
unaffordable luxuries. The functionality of consumer
goods is almost always emphasized by consumers,
due in part to the fact that these consumers are
from lower income groups.
Affordability (cont’d)
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But for the middle class shoppers like my friend
Claire, a Board Supervisor of a major profitable,
public company in Taiwan, when she said “brand
names are unaffordable” conveys her principle that
being frugal is a virtue. Ironically, lowering prices
of legitimate brands to comparable levels of the
fakes mislead consumers to think the original
products are pirated.
Price, instead of quality, became an indicator for
distinguishing pirated goods from original goods for
some consumers.
Fashion Consciousness
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Fashion consciousness refers to a person’s degree of
involvement with the styles of fashion of clothing.
Research shows that young people tend to have a
strong fashion consciousness to communicate their
maturity and adultness. Young people also have
desire to buy prestige fashion products to establish
their identity and gaining prestige among the peers.
This led to the frequent use of fake products among
college students.
Ethics
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Affluence and past affiliation with ethical groups
are better predictors of the consumer’s ethical
stance.
(Belk, Devinney and Eckhardt 2005)
A Quest for Otherness
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“Shopping for counterfeit goods is a relaxing
activity for a getaway trip.” (one informant, Julie)
Sociality
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Counterfeit goods are popular gift-giving choices in
Japan, U.S. and Taiwan.
Shenzhen: Luohu Mall
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The banner
reads “Battle
the fake sales
until they
disappear!”Bu
t many
shoppers
carry suitcases
for fake
shopping.
Glances of Shenzhen
Glances of Yiwu
Glances of Yiwu
Glances of Yiwu
Glances of Yiwu
Shanghai
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Science and Technology Museum metrol station mall.
The electronic bulletin reads” enforcing IPR and
battle counterfeiting to build commercial trust.”
Shanghai
Taipei
Taipei