Do as I Say, Not as I Do: The Relationship between Adults in the Process of Children Socialization in Food Consumption

Abstract

The parent-child relationship in the process of children socialization has been examined in several studies concerning parental style and communication patterns. However, even though the socialization process is known to vary from family to family, there is still need to better understand the negotiation that happens between tutors and children. The aim of this paper was to verify how the relationship between those responsible for the child (father, mother and grandmother) creates a specific family dynamics, which leads to a unique socialization process. The goal of this study becomes particularly complex when you consider the great diversity of family arrangements in contemporary society, differing from the common father-mother structure. The context of the study was food consumption, using the brand Coca-Cola as a market resource that materializes parental dynamics. The investigation followed a qualitative approach. Researchers interviewed those responsible for the child education. Seven families were examined, with a total of twelve people interviewed. The results showed that the relationship between adults generates specific parental mediation patterns, in the context of consumer socialization. A typology of parental mediation dynamics was suggested: consonant cooperation, conflict, central power and diffuse cooperation. It was also found that Coca-Cola is a brand with different functions and patterns in each context of parental mediation.