ABSTRACT
Up to this point we’ve explored how the consumer’s mind works to shape thoughts and feelings, and guide purchase decisions. But the social forces at work behind our consumption practices are equally important to understand in order to obtain a full and rich vision of consumer behavior. In this chapter we’ll begin with a discussion of cultural influences on consumers, then examine how subcultures and broad social groupings affect our consumer behavior, and move on to investigate the more immediate and pervasive impact of the people we know best and trust most: family and friends.
