A Cultural Framework of Lifestyle: Lived Meanings of Women’S Everyday Consumption
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A Cultural Framework of Lifestyle: Lived Meanings of Women’s Everyday Consumption Haslinda Hashim (BSc, MBA) Thesis submitted to Lancaster University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) December 2010 ProQuest Number: 11003597 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11003597 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 Declaration This thesis is the author’s own work and has not been submitted substantially the same form for the award of a higher degree elsewhere. CONTENTS Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... 7 A bstract......................................................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 1: Background of the study .....................................................................................11 1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................11 2.0 Overview of the consumer lifestyle research .................................................................12 3.0 Research question and objectives ....................................................................................14 4.0 Research Design................................................................................................................15 5.0 Structure of the thesis.......................................................................................................15 Chapter 2: Making Sense of Lifestyle .................................................................................. 20 2.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 20 2.1 Overview of the Lifestyle Concept ................................................................................21 2.2 Lifestyle in the Wider Socio-Cultural Context .............................................................22 2.3 Lifestyle as Lived Culture .............................................................................................. 30 2.4 Lifestyle, Self-Identity and Consumer Culture .............................................................35 2.4.1 Existential Life Themes/Life Goals and Lifestyle ................................................ 41 2.5 Lifestyle and Consumer Culture: Beyond Purchasing Object ....................................44 2.6 Summary ............................................................................................................................51 Chapter 3: Cultural Approaches in Consumer Research............................................... 52 3.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 52 3.1 Cultural Conception in Consumer Research ................................................................. 53 3.2 Etic Approaches of Cultural Consumer Research ........................................................ 55 3.2.1 Etic Approaches to Lifestyle Analysis in Consumer Research ...........................57 3.2.2 Review of the Etic Approaches in Consumer Research ...................................... 60 3.3 Emic Approaches of Cultural Consumer Research ......................................................66 3.3.1 Cultural Framework as Meaning Systems for understanding Lifestyle ............. 73 3.3.2 Gendered Consumption Meanings and Lifestyle ................................................. 77 3.3.3 Gendered Self: The Caring framework .................................................................. 80 3.4 Summary........................................................................................................................... 88 Chapter 4: (Malay) Women’s Local Cultural Framework .............................................89 4.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................90 4.1 Malaysia-An Overview ...................................................................................................90 4.3 Malaysian Modernization and Gender ..........................................................................93 4.4 Islam and Adat in Malaysia .......................................................................................... 103 4.4.1 (Malay) Women and Bilateralism Framework of Adat ....................................107 4.5 Islamic Modernity and Gender in Contemporary Malaysia ..................................... 116 3 4.5.1 Negotiating Islamic Modernity .............................................................................. 122 4.5.2 Seeking knowledge ................................................................................................. 124 4.5.3 Veiling .......................................................................................................................125 4.5.4 Religious Practice as Cultivating Piety (Submission to God) ........................... 128 4.6 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 132 C hapter 5: Methodology ........................................................................................................ 134 5.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................134 5.1 Philosophical and Theoretical Paradigm ..................................................................... 135 5.2 Discussion of Epistemology, Ontology and Theoretical Perspective ......................139 5.2.1 Interpretation and Role of the Researcher ............................................................ 143 5.3 Methodology: Phenomenology .....................................................................................146 5.3.1 Existential Phenomenology ....................................................................................150 5.3.2 Employing Existential Phenomenology................................................................151 5.4 Sample Selection .............................................................................................................156 5.4 Phenomenological Interview ........................................................................................ 159 5.5 Data Analysis and Interpretation ...................................................................................160 5.6 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 163 Chapter 6: Lived Cultures of Lifestyle: Meanings of Malay Women Everyday Consumption ............................................................................................................................ 164 6.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 165 6.1 Nine Lifestories ...............................................................................................................165 6.1.1 Riza’s LifeWorld -The Hands on Lifestyle ..........................................................165 6.1.2 Nurin’s LifeWorld-The Idealistic Lifestyle .........................................................173 6.1.3 Asyikin’s LifeWorld-The Pragmatic Lifestyle ....................................................178 6.1.4 Ramlah’s LifeWorld-The Prudent Lifestyle .........................................................185 6.1.5 Siti’s LifeWorld-The Climber Lifestyle ............................................................... 193 6.1.6 Rima’s Lifeworld-The Entrepreneur Lifestyle ....................................................199 6.1.7 Salmi’s Lifeworld-The Survivor Lifestyle .......................................................... 206 6.1.8 Mumi’s Lifeworld-The Easy Going Lifestyle .....................................................214 6.1.9 Bibah’s LifeWorld-The Devoted Lifestyle ......................................................... 224 6.2 Summary ......................................................................................................................... 229 Chapter 7: Living Melodies of Life: Emergent Life Themes/Life Goals ................... 230 7.0 Introduction .....................................................................................................................230 7.1 Life Theme/Life Goal 1: Being a Mother/Being a Career Woman .........................231 7.2 Life Theme/Life Goal 2: Being a Progressive Co-Breadwinner/Not Being a 240 Progressive Co-Breadwinner .............................................................................................. 240 7.3 Life Theme/Life Goal 3: Harmonious Being/Disharmonious Being ..................... 248 7.4 Life Theme/Life Goal 4: Being in Control /Being out of Control ...........................252