Can “Real” Men Consume Ethically? How Ethical Consumption Leads to Unintended Observer Inferences

Abstract

Observers infer a consumer’s identity through a range of consumption categories (Belk et al. 1982). Although consumers are aware of the judgments of others, and alter their behaviors to create specific identities when socially accountable to others (e.g., White and Peloza 2009), observers do not limit their inferences to the specific identity consumers intend to project. They make additional inferences that may be unintended on the part of the consumer. In the current research, we explore how observers make ancillary inferences by examining the potential for ethical consumption choice to generate gender inferences beyond social responsibility as well as consumer responses to gender inferences.