What are poor and lower class people like?

Will Barratt, Ph.D.

Work: service, retired, white collar, blue collar

Education: Some high school, high school graduate, some college,

Home:  Rent, own

Money and money management: low or below average assets

Shop: Express, The Limited, Lane Bryant, Wal-Mart, Home Shopping Network, Publisher’s Clearing House, Rite Aid, Avon, in home.

Read: Comic books, Vibe, Saturday Evening Post, Spin, Reader’s Digest, American Woodworker, OK! Magazine, American Legion Magazine, Motorcyclist, Good Housekeeping, Hunting, Essence, Jet, Town and Country, Women’s day, Parents,

Watch:  Maury, Jeopardy, Game show network, Dr. Phil, Sabado Gigante, Telemundo, The Price is Right, Jerry Springer, As the world turns, Soapnet, Primer Impacto, People’s Court, Judge Judy, The Young and the Restless

Drive: Kia Spectra, Rio, Suzuki Forenza, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Dodge Charger, Hundai Tiburon, Mercury Sable, Chevrolet Aveo, GMC Canyon, Ford Ranger, Ford Crown Victoria, Suzuki Reno, Chrusler 300, Mercury Grand Marquis, Dodge Ram.

Vacation, play, and travel: Bingo, Whitewater rafting, Gamble in Atlantic City or Reno, own a motor home, needlepoint, domestic travel on Jet Blue, collect stamps,

Insurance and memberships were not listed in the PRIZM descriptions for these groups.

Method

I have aggregated information from the 15 PRIZM market segments classified as Downscale and Low Income to describe the poor and lower social class.  This collection of 15 market segments is described as low to downscale.  Using US Census data this would be incomes under $40,000, or place these individuals in the lowest 40% by household income.

Market segmenting makes assumptions about consumption and creates clusters of people based on their consumer characteristics, age, and on where they live.  The Nielsen Company has identified 66 PRIZM market segments, http://www.claritas.com/MyBestSegments/Default.jsp 58 P$YCLE segments, and 53 ConneXions segments, and described them by demographics and lifestyle and media traits.

Commentary

These are not stereotypes, these are consumer behaviors based on research on what people report about themselves.  These data and descriptions are widely used by marketers in the US.  The underlying assumption here is that social class is reflected in consumer behaviors.  By looking closely it is clear that this group has little money.  This consumer assumption about social class does not reflect social class as culture or social class as identity.


Also:

What are upper-middle class people like?

What are upper-middle-middle class people like?

What are middle-middle class people like?

What are lower-middle-middle class people like?

What are lower-middle-middle class people like?

Will Barratt, Ph.D.

Work: Service, white collar, retired

Education:  some high school, high school graduate, some college, college degree

Home: Rent, own

Money and money management: low, lower-mid, moderate, above average

Shop: Banana Republic , Victoria’s Secret, True Value, Macy’s, QVC, Lowe’s, Kmart, Wal-Mart, Columbia House, oldnavy.com, Sears, CVS, Walgreens, The Gap

Read: Latina, Elle, fraternal magazines, New Yorker, Ladies Home Journal, Four Wheeler, Family Handyman, Guns and Ammo, science fiction, Car Craft, Fit Pregnancy, North American Hunter, Seventeen, Life & Style, Ser Padres, Ebony

Watch:  Tyra, VH1, Wheel of Fortune, The View, One Life to Live, Speed Channel, CBS Early Show, satellite dish, auto racing, WWE Wrestling, Nick at Night, Outdoor Channel, Premio Juventud, Noticiero Univision, El Gordo Y La Flaca, BET

Drive: VW GTI, Suzuki SX4, Ford Taurus, Chrysler PT Cruiser, Kia Borrego, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Titan, Ford F-Series, VW GLI, Suzuki, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Pathfinder

Vacation, play, and travel: play soccer, karate, domestic travel by rail, domestic travel by bus, collect coins, fishing, sewing, camping, movies

Memberships: fraternal order

Method

I have aggregated information from the 15 PRIZM market segments classified as Lower-Mid, by Nielsen to describe the upper-middle social class.  PRIZM classifies this group as Lower-Mid, but from a researcher perspective, it is the lowest of three groups in the middle.

Market segmenting makes assumptions about consumption and creates clusters of people based on their consumer characteristics, age, and on where they live.  The Nielsen Company has identified 66 PRIZM market segments, 58 P$YCLE segments, and 53 ConneXions segments, and described them by demographics and lifestyle and media traits.

Commentary

These are not stereotypes, these are consumer behaviors based on research on what people report about themselves.  These data are widely used by marketers in the US.  The underlying assumption here is that social class is reflected in consumer behaviors.  This consumer assumption about social class does not reflect social class as culture or social class as identity.


Also:

What are upper-middle class people like?

What are upper-middle-middle class people like?

What are middle-middle class people like?

What are poor and lower class people like?

New Post The students guide to becoming upper-middle class

What are middle-middle class people like?

Will Barratt, Ph.D.

Work: retired, service jobs, white collar

Education: some college, college graduate

Home:  rent, mostly homeowners

Money and money management: Low, below average, average, above average, to moderate assets

Shop: Ace Hardware, Orbitz.com, FedEx Kinkos, Marshalls, Kohl’s

Read: Audubon, Entrepreneur, Cycle World, Baby Talk, Smithsonian

Watch:  Masterpiece Theater, Family Guy, Scrubs, Univision, Live from Lincoln Center

Drive: Buick Lucerne, Subaru Outback, Mazda 6, Mitsubishi Lancer, Chevrolet Impala

Vacation, play, and travel:  NBA games, sing karaoke, cruise on Norwegian lines.

Memberships: Veteran’s club

Method

PRIZM classifies this group as Midscale, but from a researcher perspective, it is the middle of three groups in the middle. Classification into social class hierarchy depends on many things, but this group is in the middle of all Nielsen groups.  I have aggregated information from the 5 PRIZM market segments classified as Midscale by Nielsen.

Market segmenting makes assumptions about consumption and creates clusters of people based on their consumer characteristics, age, and on where they live.  The Nielsen Company has identified 66 PRIZM market segments, 58 P$YCLE segments, and 53 ConneXions segments, and described them by demographics and lifestyle and media traits.

Commentary

These are not stereotypes, these are consumer behaviors based on research on what people report about themselves.  These data are widely used by marketers in the US.  The underlying assumption here is that social class is reflected in consumer behaviors.  This consumer assumption about social class does not reflect social class as culture or social class as identity.


Also:

What are upper-middle class people like?

What are upper-middle-middle class people like?

What are lower-middle-middle class people like?

What are poor and lower class people like?

What are upper-middle-middle class people like?

Will Barratt, Ph.D.

Work: Service, white collar, management, professional, retired

Education: high school graduate, some college, college graduate, graduate plus

Home: rent, mostly owners

Money and money management: income and assets are, moderate, above average, to high

Shop: IKEA, Bloomingdale’s, Eddie Bauer, Express, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Disney Story, buy educational toys, BarnesandNobel.com, Lands’ End, Ethan Allen Galleries, Costco, Office Depot, Gevalia Kaffe, Old Navy, Best Buy, eBay.com, BMG Music, Sherwin Williams

Read: Wired, Tennis, Consumer Reports, Details, Scouting Magazine, Parenting, Macworld, Modern Bride, Harper’s Bazaar, VFW Magazine, AARP The Magazine, Black Enterprise, American Baby, Field and Stream, People en Espanol, Daytona 500,

Watch:  The Office, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, 24, Soccer, Gravity Games, The Sidney Channel, Discovery Health, Fox Sports Net, Maxim, MTV, BBC America, Inspiration Network, Antiques roadshow,  TeleFutura, Cartoon Network, X Games, Latin Grammy Awards, Bassmaster,

Drive: Acura TSX, Buick LaCrosse, Subaru Forester, VW Rabbit, Saturn Aura, VW Routan, VW Passat, Subaru Legacy, Nissan Xterra, Lexus LX, Mercury Grand Marquis, Chevrolet Impala, Lexus IS, Chevrolet Uplander, Chevrolet Silverado, Saturn Ion, GMC Sierra

Vacation, play, and travel:  Play racquetball, attend opera, own a timeshare, international videos, horseback riding, karate, listen to classical music, books on tape, travel by motor home, motivational tapes, attend high school sports, children’s videos, hunting,

Method

I have aggregated information from the 17 PRIZM market segments classified as Upper-Mid by Nielsen to describe the upper-middle-middle social class.  This is the upper of the three middle groups described by Nielsen.

Market segmenting makes assumptions about consumption and creates clusters of people based on their consumer characteristics, age, and on where they live.  The Nielsen Company has identified 66 PRIZM market segments, 58 P$YCLE segments, and 53 ConneXions segments, and described them by demographics and lifestyle and media traits.

Commentary

These are not stereotypes, these are consumer behaviors based on research on what people report about themselves.  These data are widely used by marketers in the US.  The underlying assumption here is that social class is reflected in consumer behaviors.  This consumer assumption about social class does not reflect social class as culture or social class as identity.


Also:

What are upper-middle class people like?

What are middle-middle class people like?

What are lower-middle-middle class people like?

What are poor and lower class people like?

New Post - The students guide to becoming upper-middle class