Social and cultural factors of conspicuous consumption in Kurdish society

Authors

  • Shilan Muhamad Ali Department of Sociology, College of Humanities, University of Sulaimani , Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region-Iraq
  • Najat Muhammad Faraj Department of Sociology, College of Humanities, University of Sulaimani , Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region-Iraq

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21928/juhd.v11n4y2025.pp31-40

Keywords:

Conspicuous consumption, social and cultural factors

Abstract

In recent years, the use of conspicuous consumption has emerged as a pervasive phenomenon across numerous societies. This development reflects a broader transformation in patterns of personal expenditure, wherein individuals increasingly allocate a portion of their income to non-essential goods and services, particularly those related to physical appearance. Such conspicuous consumption is frequently motivated not by necessity, but by the desire to attract public attention and to project a specific social image, particularly to members of affluent or influential social groups.

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the underlying motivations driving the increasing use of conspicuous consumption, with particular emphasis on the substantial financial resources devoted to non-essential consumer goods. This research aims to identify the social and cultural determinants that have facilitated the proliferation of conspicuous consumption use within Kurdish society.

To achieve these objectives, the study employs a quantitative research design utilizing a social survey methodology. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, which served as the principal research instrument. The sample comprises residents of Sulaimaniyah city, drawn from three distinct neighborhoods: Garden City, Derwaza City, and Kurd City. An equal number of participants (100) were selected from each neighborhood through stratified random sampling, ensuring representation across various socioeconomic strata, from high-income to low-income groups. The findings indicate that social factors constitute the predominant influence on conspicuous consumption use among the respondents. Economic and health-related considerations were identified as secondary factors. These results underscore the significance of social norms, peer influence, and cultural expectations in shaping consumer behavior related to physical appearance in the Kurdistan region.

References

عەرەبی :

الحســن، احســان محمــد و عبــد الحســين زينــي (١٩٨٢) :الاحصا ەالاجتماعی،الموصل، دارالکتب للطباعە والنشر.

وجیە محجوب، طرقا البحث العلمی ومناهجە ١٩٨٨، ص١٣٥

ایمن محمود محمد عبدالعال، مجلە دراسات فی الخدمە الاجتماعیە (٢٠٢٢)، العدد (٥٧) الموقع الاکترونی https//jsswh.journals.ekb.eg

لحسن ،أحسان محمد (١٩٩٩)مناهج البحث الاجتماعي.ط1. دار وائل للنشر والتوزیع

ئینگلیزی:

Alghanim, S. & Ndubisi, N.O. (2022). The Paradox of Sustainability and Luxury Consumption: The Role of Value Perceptions and Consumer Income. Sustainability. 14(22),14694.

Alicke, M. (2007). In Defence of Social Comparison. Revue internationale de psychologie sociale, 20, 11-29.

Amaldoss, W. & Jain, S. (2005). Conspicuous consumption and sophisticated thinking. Management Science, 51 (10), 1449-1466

Areiza-Padilla, J.& Manzi Puertas, M. (2021). Conspicuous Consumption in Emerging Markets: The Case of Starbucks in Colombia as a Global and Sustainable Brand. Frontiers in Psychology, 12

Bronner F. & de Hoog R. (2019). Comparing conspicuous consumption across different experiential products: Culture and leisure. International Journal of Market Research, 61, 430–446.

Bryman, A. (2008). Social research methods. Oxford university press.

Charles, K. K., E. Hurst, and N. Roussanov (2009). Conspicuous Consumption and Race, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 124(2), 425–467.

Christen, M. & Morgan, R. (2005). Keeping up with the Joneses: Analyzing the effect of income inequality on consumer borrowing. Quantitative Marketing and Economics, 3 (2), 145-173

Corneo, G. & Jeanne, O. (1997). Conspicious consumption, snobbism and conformism. Journal of Public Economics, 66, 55-71.

Corneo, G. & Jeanne, O. (1997). Conspicious consumption, snobbism and conformism. Journal of Public Economics, 66, 55-71

Dekhili, S., Achabou, M.A. & Alharbi, F. (2019). Could Sustainability Improve the Promotion of Luxury Products? European Business Review, 31, 488–511

Dijkstra, P., Gibbons, F. X., & Buunk, A. P. (2010). Social comparison theory. In J. E. Maddux & J. P. Tangney (Eds.), Social psychological foundations of clinical psychology (pp. 195–211). The Guilford Press.

Dubois, B., Czellar, S., & Laurent, G. (2005). Consumer segments based on attitudes toward luxury: Empirical evidence from twenty countries. Marketing Letters, 16(2), 115-128.

Goldsmith, R., Flynn, L. and Eastman, J. (1996). Status consumption and fashion behaviour: An exploratory study, Association of Marketing Theory and Practice Proceedings, Hilton Head, SC, 309–316.

Griskevicius, V., Tybur, J. M. & Van den Bergh, B. (2010). Going green to be seen: status, reputation, and conspicuous conservation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98, 392–404

House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (Eds) (2004), Culture, leadership, and organizations. The GLOBE study of 62 societies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Kaus, W. (2013). Conspicuous consumption and “race”: Evidence from South Africa, Journal of Development Economics, 100 (1), 63-73

Khan, M. (2006). Consumer Behaviour and Advertising Management. New Age International.

Krahmer, D. (2006). Advertising and Conspicuous Consumption. Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), 162 (4), 661-682

Lautiainen, T. (2015). Factors affecting consumers’ buying decision in the selection of a coffee brand. Unpublished Bachelor’s dissertation, Saimaa University of Applied Sciences, Finland

Mason, R. (1981) Conspicuous Consumption: A Study of Exceptional Consumer Behaviour, New York: St. Martin’s Press

Nelissen, R. M., & Meijers, M. H. (2011). Social benefits of luxury brands as costly signals of wealth and status. Evolution and human behavior, 32(5), 343-355.

Pybus, K., Power, M., Pickett, K. & Wilkinson, R. (2022). Income inequality, status consumption and status anxiety: An exploratory review of implications for sustainability and directions for future research, Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 6 (1), 100353

Renzetti, C. (2022). Theories of Criminal Behaviour. In L. Kurtz (ed), Encyclopaedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict, 3rd ed. Academic Press

Ritezer, George (2011). Sociological theory (8th ed) new york: Mc graw Hill.

Shukla, P. (2011) Impact of interpersonal influences, brand origin and brand image on luxury purchase intention: measuring interfunctional interactions and a cross-national comparison. Journal of World Business, 46, 242–253

Tesser, A., & Collins, J. (1988). Emotion in social reflection and comparison situations: Intuitive, systematic, and exploratory approaches. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55(5), 695-709.

Veblen, T. (1934) The Theory of the Leisure Class, New York: Random House, Inc.

Wilkinson, R.G. & Pickett, K. (2018). The inner level: how more equal societies reduce stress, restore sanity and improve everybody’s well-being. London: Allen Lane

Zinkhan, G. and Prenshaw, P. (1994) Good life images and brand name associations: Evidence from Asia, America and Europe, Advances in Consumer

Published

2025-09-23

How to Cite

Ali, S. M., & Faraj, N. M. (2025). Social and cultural factors of conspicuous consumption in Kurdish society. Journal of University of Human Development, 11(4), 31–40. https://doi.org/10.21928/juhd.v11n4y2025.pp31-40

Issue

Section

Articles