Question

How differently from psychology and sociology does culture explain consumer behavior?

Answer 1

Classically, the elements of consumer behavior are organized according to the \disciplines psychology and sociology from which consumer behavior theory borrows. For cross-cultural consumer behavior, however, an integrated method is required in that each discipline deals with culture, but at different levels. While psychology studies human behavior at an individual level, sociology does so at the group level. However, culture operates at each level. Personality and culture are inseparably bound together. Though how people learn can be studied at the individual level, the learning varies with the society where they live. Modern anthropologists view culture as "interiorized."

While dealing with consumer behavior, we are interested in determining what people are, how they feel and understand, how they learn, and finally, what they do after learning. All these aspects are related to the individual personality and trait of a consumer which is directly affected by the culture or values he/ she is exposed to. In consumer behavior, we never see culture as an external thing, however. We separate out the environmental parts of the culture (e.g. the artifacts) and perceive it as an integrated (inner) part of the consumer.