CULTUFLE CHAVGE AND THE CONSUWIPTION OF BASIC FOODS: THE CASE OF LEBANESE-CANADIAVS Rony J. Kastoun A Thesis in the Faculty of Commerce and Administration Presented in Partial Fultilmrnt of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Administration at Concordia University Montreai. Quebec, Canada Rony J. Kastoun. 2000 National Library Bibliothèque nationale ($1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of ths thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownershp of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. CULTURE CHANGE AM)THE CONSUMPTION OF BASIC FOODS: THE CASE OF LEBANESE-CANADIANS Rony J. Kastoun This paper is concemed with the relationship between culture change and the consumption of basic foods. The literature dealing with acculturation. ethnic identification. and consumption is reviewed and focused on an ethnic group neglected in the consumer research literature: the Lebanese-Canadians. Hypothrses regarding the relative power of acculturation and rthnic identity as two separate yet correlated constructs that predict a variation in the consumption fiequencies of various basic food items are drawn and a multidimensional culture change mode1 is built. A survey using a convenience sample of Lebanese-Canadians residing in the Montreal .Lletropolitan Area is analysed. The results reveal that acculturation aqd ethnic identification are multidimensionai constructs which have some impact on ethnic majority and chic minonty basic foods. respectively. In addition, evidence is found that Lebanese-Canadian respondents reside in at least a two- culture world. Severai consumer lifestyle factors also rmerge fiom the data analysis with differing relationships with culture change. Finally, implications for marketers are discussed dong with limitations and directions for funue research. Culhrre Change und the Consumptim of Basic Foods: nie Case of Leb~nese~Cattadians iii 1 am indebted to my supervisor and tracher Dr Michel Laroche, to Professor Gad Saad from rny examining cornmittee. and to Professor Naoufel Dqhfous from CiQA.CI for their precious guidance and advice. 1 am pteful to Marc Alexander Tomiuk and Chns i'vliodek for their help. and 1 wuld particularly like to acknowledge Isabelle bliodek for her invaluable technical and editorial assistance. I also owe a great dral to my family and fiends esprcially rny mother and father. rny grandparents. uncles John and Tony. father Philip. Roudy. Irnnifer. Ziad. Tony. Cherif. Mano. Michel. Maurice, and Louise: 1 could not have done it witliout your support and precious encouragements. Last but not lenst. thank you Tonmy for your faithfulness ... Responsibility for errors and omissions in this thesis is mine alone. and I remain conscious of the debt owed to the numerous researchers on whose work 1 have drawn to Lay the foundations of my study. Culture Change and the Consumption of Basic Foods: The Case of Lebanese-Canadians iv To my mother andf0thrr. ro Roztdy and Jenny Introduction ...........................................................1 StudyLayout ..................................................... 6 Research Goals .................................................... 7 Conceptual Development .................................................8 1.1 . Culture and Consumption .................................... 10 1.1.1 . Consumption. Culture. and Subcultures Outlined ............ 13 1.1.2 .Subcultures Based on Ethnicity .......................... 16 1.1.3 . bleasuring Ethnicity Today .............................19 1.1.4 . Culture Change and Consumption ........................21 1.2 . Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Acculturation ..................... 26 1.1.1 .The Multidimensionality of Acculturation ................. 30 1. 3.3 . Mode!s of Acculturation ...............................21 12.3 .Acculturation Conceptualized ...........................34 1. 2.4 . French-Canadians and Food ............................ -35 1.3 . Ethnic identification and the Lebanese Culture .................... JI 1.3.1 .The blultidimensiondity of Ethnic Identity .................46 t .3.2 . Models of Ethnic Identification ..........................49 1.3.3 . Ethnic Identification and Lebanese-Canadians ..............53 1 .3.4 .Food Consumption Behaviour of People of Lebanese Origin ...6 1 1.4 . Acculturation . Ethnic Identification .and Culture Change Interrelated . 68 1.4.1 .Grouping Acculturation and Ethnic Identity Dimensions ......72 1A.2 .Acquisition of Dominant Culture Traits ................... 75 1A3 . Retaining the Culture of Ongin .......................... 77 1.44 .Culture Change and Basic Foods: Research Hypotheses .......85 1.4.5 - Culture Change and Multiculturalism: Research Mode1 .......88 ResearchMethodology ................................................. 91 2.1 . Meauring Culture Change for Lebanese-Canadians ................ 92 2.1.1 .A Typolog of Lebanese and French-Canadian Basic Foods ...94 2.1.3 .Acquisition of French-Canadian Culture Items ..............96 2.1.3 .Lebanese Culture Maintenance Items .....................99 2.1.4 .Consumption Frequencies of Basic Foods ................. 102 2.1.5 - Lifestyles and Demographics ........................... 104 2.2 - Ethical Provisions and Language Used ......................... 106 2.3 - Pretesting the Questionnaire ................................. 108 2.4 - Swey Procedures ......................................... 108 - - . - Culture Change and the Consumption of Basic Fou& The Case of Lebattese-Canadlans vi Results and Analysis .................................................. 11 1 3.1 . Descriptive Statistics ....................................... 112 3.2 . Acculturation? Ethnic Identification . and Lifestyle Factor Analyses ... 1 17 3 .2. 1 .Acculturation Determinants ............................ 118 3.2.3 . Ethnic Identitication Determinants ...................... 120 3.2.3 .Lifestyle Factors .....................................123 3.3 . Average Scores ........................................... 125 3.4 . Regression Analyses ....................................... 129 3-41. Culture Change and Basic Food Consumption ............. 130 5 A2 .Culture Change and Lifessles .......................... 140 Discussion ...........................................................147 4.1 - The Lebanese Participants ................................... 149 4.7 - Culture Change Evlodelled for Lrbanese-Crinadians ............... lj0 4.3 - Consumption of Ethnic khjority and Ehic Minon ty Foods ........lj3 4.3.1 - French-Canadian Basic Food Consumption ...............157 4.3.2 - Lebanese Basic Food Consumption ...................... 159 4.4 - Lebanese Consumer Lifessles ................................ 162 4.5 - Global Analyses ...........................................167 Conclusion ..........................................................17 3- Major Contributions of Study ...................................... 174 Limitations and Future Research ....................................180 Appendices .......................................................... 186 Appendix A Culture Change Questionnaire FrenchFinaIDraft ......................................... 186 Appendix B Consurnption ofBasic Foods as a Funcùon of Culture Chmgand Drmopaphics: The Case of Lebanese-Canadians .............................196 Appendix C Lifestyles as a Function of Culture Change and Demographics: The Case of Lebanese-Canadians ............................. 198 References ...........................................................200 Culture Change and the Consumption of Bdc Foods: Tlie Case of Lebanese-Canadions vii Figure 1 Conceptual Models of Acculturation ................................. .3l Figure 2 Ethnic Identification of Lebanese-Canadians .......................... .43 Figure 3 Conceptual Models of Ethnic Identification ........................... -50 Figure 4 Stages of Minority Group Ethnic Identity ..............................5 1 Figure 5 Acquisition of French-Canadian Culture BatteryofDimensions .............................................76 Figure 6 Maintenance of Le banese Culture BatteryofDimensions ............................................. 84 Figure 7 Culture Change and the Consurnption of Basic Foods MuIticultural and h[ultidimensional blodel for Lebanese-Canadians .........89 Figure 8 Residency Years of Lebanese Respondents in Canada Histogram ...................................................... 116 Figure 9 Culture Change and the Consumption of Basic Foods Mode1 for Future Research on Lebanese-Canadians ..................... 153 --- CuftureChnge and leConsumption of sasic Foods: Trbe Case of kbanese-Cu~adiam viii Table I Lebanese in the Canadian Census of 1996