Conspicuous Consumption in Provinical Youth: Features of Motivation

The article presents results of the research on conspicuous consumption in young people living in the city of Kaluga. The results show that conspicuous consumption is actually a form of commercialized self-presentation and is to a certain extent typical of one third of provincial youth. Super-conspicuous consumption correlates with narcissism and ostentatious personality. In moderate cases conspicuous consumption is merely instrumental and is perceived by the individual as a means to an end. The following four motivational trends of conspicuous consumption were defined: social motivation (attaining high status), Ego-motivation (aimed at self-awareness and self-determination), defensive motivation, and material motivation. According to the dominant motives the following six basic types of conspicuous consumption in youth were specified: hysteroid, status, prestigious, aesthetic, fashionable consumption, and demonstrative snobbery. The explored consumption is typical of the individuals with the socalled "triangle of demonstrative behavior": low and average subjective economic well3being, unfulfilled personal potential and high levels of assertion. Conspicuous consumption is much less common for superrich, intellectual elites and village residents.