An exploratory study of postmodern consumer culture behaviours within the cultural events industry in Glasgow.

Abstract

This dissertation explores postmodern consumer culture behaviours within the cultural events industry in Glasgow. The study of consumption behaviours within a cultural events context is important to the events management industry, as events must constantly adapt to meet the ever-changing consumer trends within society. This research is motivated by three research questions: (1) Does the modern advance in mobile technology facilitate or remove the physical connection between the attendee and the event spectacle itself (2) Do people attend cultural events due to the image surrounding them and the image that they wish to perceive by attending, or do they attend due to sheer passion and interest for the event subject? (3) Have cultural events lost their true meaning/purpose as a result of the growth in the "hipster culture" in postmodern society? To examine these questions, the researcher gathered information from previous studies and compared the findings with the results produced from a series of semi-structured interviews. A review of previous research offers a descriptive account of various themes that relate to postmodern consumer culture e.g. identity, mobile technology and hipster culture, as well as a brief background to Glasgow's cultural events industry. To date, no systematic investigation has considered how these themes may affect the cultural events industry. Results from the qualitative research indicate that the use of mobile technology within a cultural events context acts as a barrier to physical interaction with the event spectacle itself. It was noted that the rise of mobile technology within postmodern society offers itself as a potential threat if event managers do not address the matter appropriately. The researcher was unable to come to an overall conclusion as to whether consumers attend cultural events out of sheer passion or as a means of fulfilling certain perceived identity criteria. Results showed that, on the whole, most consumers attend events purely out of passion for the event subject, however, it was also noted that consumers are equally as guilty of creating a false identity through the medium of cultural events. The research also highlighted the fact that cultural events within the city of Glasgow have lost their true meaning/purpose as a result of the growth in the 'hipster culture' in postmodern society. It was made clear to the researcher that consumers who are passionate about a certain event subject may be upset or offended by members of the 'modern hipster' sub-demographic attending the same event, purely as a means of fulfilling certain identity criteria. The study was concluded in an appropriate manner offering an overall summary of results and recommendations for future research.