Journal of Consumer Research· 2012Q1
Frustrated Fatshionistas: An Institutional Theory Perspective on Consumer Quests for Greater Choice in Mainstream Markets
- 655citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2012year
Short summary
Plus-sized consumers, or 'Fatshionistas,' mobilize to demand greater fashion choice from mainstream markets by developing collective identity, identifying institutional entrepreneurs, and leveraging adjacent field logics.
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Key points
- Fatshionistas mobilize for greater fashion choice from mainstream markets.
- Mobilization is triggered by collective identity, institutional entrepreneurs, and adjacent field logics.
- Consumers use change strategies that challenge specific practices while reinforcing broader institutional logics.
- Market change dynamics depend on consumer legitimacy and the alignment of demands with existing institutions.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Why and how do marginalized consumers mobilize to seek greater inclusion in and more choice from mainstream markets? We develop answers to these questions drawing on institutional theory and a qualitative investigation of Fatshionistas, plus-sized consumers who want more options from mainstream fashion marketers. Three triggers for mobilization are posited: development of a collective identity, identification of inspiring institutional entrepreneurs, and access to mobilizing institutional logics from adjacent fields. Several change strategies that reinforce institutional logics while unsettling specific institutionalized practices are identified. Our discussion highlights diverse market change dynamics that are likely when consumers are more versus less legitimate in the eyes of mainstream marketers and in instances where the changes consumers seek are more versus less consistent with prevailing institutions and logics.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Consumer Research, 2012 · DOI ↗
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Field: Urban Studies
Urban StudiesSocial Sciences