The new middle class in Turkey: A qualitative study in a dynamic economy

Uner M. M., Gungordu A.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW, cilt.25, sa.3, ss.668-678, 2016 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 25 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2016
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2015.11.002
  • Dergi Adı: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.668-678
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: New middle class, Emerging markets, Iceberg model, Consumption, Turkey, SOCIAL-CLASS
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Although the middle class phenomenon is a widely investigated topic within a wide range of academic fields such as sociology, political sciences, anthropology, the current study concentrates on the middle class from a marketing perspective in the context of an important Emerging Market Turkey. The definition we adapt in this study pertaining to the new middle class includes the households that have gained substantial disposable income and have experienced substantial lifestyle changes since the market liberalization reforms which commenced in the 1980s. We first present the importance of the middle class in emerging markets (especially the BRIC), the concept of middle class and the new middle class phenomenon. We then review the literature on the new middle class in Turkey and we explore whether secular and conservative subgroups of the new middle class differ in consumptional and attitudinal dimensions. Finally, we offer preliminary insights based on a qualitative study with 36 new middle class consumers in urban Turkey. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.