Young Consumers, Deprivation, and Christmas Commercialisation

Abstract

Christmas is a special period in most countries of the world for many consumers. It is often associated with consumption on a considerable scale. This is especially true for children who are driven by a high need for affiliation which prompts their requests for goods and services that will give them the opportunity to interact with other children. Achieving this is a great challenge for many children in various households due to their ongoing experience of deprivation which comes in various ways such as food security, fuel poverty, and presents or gifts. This chapter is an eclectic synthesis of these issues to highlight the imbalance in society as these children experience exclusion from the mainstream commercial system as a result of poverty. The specific relevance of consumer culture theory (CCT) is linked to the commercialization of Christmas and living in economically disadvantaged circumstances in relation to this consumer segment. The implications of the discourse in this chapter are far-reaching to many ramifications.