Brands and Othering: a Study of Children’S Social Identity Formation

Brands and Othering: A Study of Children’s Social Identity Formation This paper examines the role brands play in the formation of children’s social identities. Identity is something that is under constant change and formed through similarities and differences to the Other. In this process, brands play a prominent role. Our study shows that children construct their social identities largely through articulating difference from and similarity to others. In focus group discussions, children were found creating a world through discourse, in which some were included and others excluded. These discursive practices of exclusion and inclusion through which the children constructed their identities were performed on three levels: peers, reference groups and cultural models.

Citation:

Terhi Väistö, Johanna Moisander, and Sammy Toyoki (2011) ,"Brands and Othering: a Study of Children’S Social Identity Formation", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 607-608.