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CHAPTER 14
ETHNIC, RACIAL, AND RELIGIOUS SUBCULTURES
Multiple Choice
1. Consumers lifestyles are affected by group membership within society-at-large.
These groups are known as:
a. culture.
b. subcultures.
c. cliques.
d. normal groups.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 472
2. “Surfers,” “Dead Heads,” “Netizens,” or “Trekkers” are all examples of what
is known as:
a. culture.
b. subcultures.
c. cliques.
d. normal groups.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (E) Application Page: 472-473
3. Our subcultures often play a key role in defining the __________ and typically
command fierce loyalty.
a. purchasing dialog
b. reference clique
c. extended self
d. demographic identification
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 473
4. A(n) ___________________ consists of a self-perpetuating group of consumers who are held together by common cultural and/or genetic ties, and is identified both by its members and by others as a distinguishable category.
a. reference group
b. political group
c. psychographic group
d. ethnic or racial subculture
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 474
5. Which of the following terms best describes the United States society?
a. Homogeneous.
b. Heterogeneous.
c. Xenophobic.
d. Demographically pur
e.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 474
6. Membership in ethnic subcultures is often predictive of consumer variables. All of the following are variables that can often be predicted by ethnic identification
and affiliation EXCEPT:
a. level and type of media exposure.
b. food and apparel preferences.
c. price sensitivity.
d. political behavior.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 474
7. In a ________________ culture, members of the culture tend to be loosely knit and
words carry most of the weight in messages.
a. high-context
b. low-context
c. northern-context
d. southern-context
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 474-475
8. Japan is a very tightly knit culture with rich history and social identification. In this culture, people tend to infer meanings that go beyond the spoken word. This
classifies Japan as a ________________ culture.
a. high-context
b. low-context
c. northern-context
d. southern-context
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (E) Application Page: 475
9. One drawback cited in the text of portraying couples of different racial heritage in
advertising is that:
a. they are often hard to find.
b. there may be resentment in some minority communities about people who
outmarry.
c. it is against the law in some states.
d. many magazines will not carry such advertising.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 476
10. In a recent study it was revealed that multicultural households exceeded white
households in purchasing (were attractive targets for products) in which of the
following categories?
a. personal care products
b. furniture
c. vacations
d. alcoholic beverages
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 476
11. Bagels are a good example of a product that has succeeded in going through
a process of _______________. This is the process whereby a product formerly
associated with one ethnic group is detached from its roots and marketed to other
subcultures.
a. de-ethnicitization.
b. demarcation.
c. reverse racial profiling.
d. target marketing.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (E) Fact and Application Page: 476
12. The process whereby a product formerly associated with a specific ethnic group is detached from its roots and marketed to other subcultures is called:
a. de-alienation
b. de-ethnicitization
c. de-immigration
d. de-culturization
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 476
13. When Vicki Smith goes to her local grocery store, she is surprised to find a new
counter has been added to the store’s deli. Sushi is now available from a certified
Sushi chef. The Smiths have been eating Asian food at least once a week for several months. This new addition will really make preparation easier. The above example is illustrative of which of the following trends?
a. De-alienation.
b. De-ethnicitization.
c. De-immigration.
d. De-culturization.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Application Page: 476
14. In 2000, the U.S. Census showed _______________ to be the largest ethnic
subculture with 12.5 percent of the U.S. population.
a. Hispanic American
b. African American
c. Asian American
d. European American
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 477
15. Though smaller in absolute numbers, which of the following American ethnic
subcultures are the “fastest growing?”
a. Hispanic American.
b. African American.
c. Asian American.
d. European American.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 477
16. Which of the following ethnic subcultures attributes its fast growth to the fact that
more people from this group immigrate each year to the U.S. than are born in the
native country?
a. Hispanic Americans.
b. African Americans.
c. Asian Americans.
d. European Americans.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 477
17. Historically, the bulk of American immigrants came primarily from ___________.
a. Europe.
b. China.
c. South America.
d. India.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 478
18. When new immigrants arrive in this country, they tend to cluster geographically. The best source of information and advice for this group comes from which of the
following sources?
a. Advertising.
b. Consulates or embassies.
c. The local community where the immigrant locates.
d. Relatives in the immigrant’s home country.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 478
19. To be successful in marketing to new immigrants to America, the marketer must
remember to market to the immigrants:
a. using their monetary units.
b. using their cultural heroes.
c. using their own language.
d. using their own native products.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 478
20. As groups immigrate to America in increasing numbers, certain patterns of
consumption and interests have become evident for these groups. Which of the
following immigrant groups can be characterized as being (primarily) one which
places great value on education and financial security, has a very high savings rate,
and buys a lot of insurance?
a. Indian (Asia).
b. Filipino.
c. Hispanic.
d. Nigerian.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 478
21. Many subcultures have strong ______________ associated with them. For example,
in some countries someone of Scottish decent is seen as being “thrifty,” whereas in another country the same person might be described as being “stingy.” (Pick the
most accurate of the choices).
a. personalities
b. memories
c. stereotypes
d. descriptions
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 479
22. _________________ has(have) been used in the past by marketers as a shorthand to connote certain product attributes. The images employed were often crude and unflattering. In Walt Disney’s Dumbo, singing black crows appeared to have the
same characteristics as old-time minstrel shows. Many found the analogy to be
in poor taste.
a. Personalities
b. Memories
c. Descriptions
d. Ethnic symbolism
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (M) Application Page: 479
23. African Americans comprise a significant racial subculture in the United States.
Which of the following percentages accurately describes the population percentage of African Americans in the United States today?
a. 8%.
b. 10.5%.
c. 12.3%.
d. 16.5%.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 479
24. All of the following might account for differences in black/white consumption
behaviors EXCEPT:
a. differences in income.
b. differences in age and in gender.
c. concentration in urban versus suburban areas.
d. dimensions of social class.
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 479
25. The majority of Hispanic Americans in the U.S. claim ties to which of the following countries?
a. Spain.
b. Puerto Rico.
c. Brazil.
d. Mexico.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 480
26. Hispanic Americans are considered to be a very brand-loyal market segment. Which of the following percentages approximates the amount of loyalty to favored brands by this group?
a. 25%
b. 30%
c. 45%
d. 56%
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (H) Fact Page: 480
27. Hispanic-American consumers tend to be highly concentrated in just a few American cities. All of the following have high concentrations of Hispanic Americans except:
a. Denver.
b. Los Angeles.
c. New York.
d. San Francisco.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 481
28. Companies have begun to appeal to the Hispanic market by communicating with it in Spanish. This has not always been the case. __________ made history in 1993 by
running the first Spanish-language commercial ever broadcast in prime time on a
major American network.
a. Microsoft
b. Coca-Cola
c. Chevrolet
d. Nike
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 481
29. Demographically, two important characteristics of the Hispanic market are worth
noting. Which of the following best describes these two characteristics?
a. It is a mature group with money to spend.
b. It is a young group that has stabilized its growth rate in recent years.
c. It is a young group that is now almost totally bilingual.
d. It is a young group and the Hispanic family tends to be large in siz
e.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (M) Application Page: 482
30. Public policy experts worried at one time that ethnic minorities would get left behind as the general population in the United States rushes to go online. However, the
Hispanic population has made good advances in this area. According to a 2000 survey, __________ of the nation’s Hispanic households has a computer.
a. 35 percent
b. 42 percent
c. 58 percent
d. 75 percent
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 482, Net Profit
31. Marketers are always concerned about the age of a market because it can reveal
growth potential. The median age of the Hispanic market is:
a. 32.
b. 35.
c. 29.7.
d. 23.6.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (H) Fact Page: 482
32. All of the following are needs or values expressed by Hispanics EXCEPT:
a. the need for status.
b. a strong sense of pride.
c. self-expression.
d. high self-confidenc
e.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 483-484
33. Jason Brown is a new creative director for Chiat-Day Advertising Agency in Los
Angeles. It is his job to develop a central theme for a new campaign to reach the
large Hispanic population. Jason must market a new fruit drink that will be targeted to
this subculture. According to information presented in the text, which of the
following themes or scenarios would be the most effective with the Hispanic market? (Pick the best available choice)
a. Male models that are domineering and commanding.
b. Female models who are sexy and commanding.
c. Assertive role models who are cast in non-threatening situations.
d. Traditional Hispanic role models shown as conservatives.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (H) Application Page: 483-484
34. Which of the following factors is especially important when marketing to the
Hispanic market because of the degree to which these consumers have integrated into the American way of life?
a. Adaptation
b. Socialization
c. Acculturation
d. Intergenerational movement
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 483
35. _________________ refers to the process of movement and adaptation to one
country’s cultural environment by a person from another country.
a. Adaptation
b. Socialization
c. Acculturation
d. Intergenerational movement
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 483
36. Manuel still remembers the impact of his first college class in the United States. As a new immigrant he was sincere in his desire to learn about the American culture that he had chosen to adopt. If his college professor taught him about the ways of the U.S.
culture, then his professor would be called a(n):
a. proctor.
b. guidance agent.
c. acculturation agent.
d. cultural icon.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Application Page: 484
37. The _____________ has the perspective that assumes that people gradually learn a
new culture as they increasingly come in contact with it.
a. socialization model
b. progressive learning model
c. transference model
d. forced intragenerational model
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 485
38. Peggy Simmons has a tough assignment. She is to live in Japan for the next five
years and successfully introduce her company’s line of cosmetics to the Japanese
female. By living in an average neighborhood, driving to work everyday, and eating and speaking Japanese, her company hopes that the __________________ will help her involve herself in the society quicker than if she stays separate from her hosts.
a. socialization model
b. progressive learning model
c. transference model
d. forced intragenerational model
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Application Page: 485
39. Consumers who retain a strong ethnic identification differ from other consumers in a variety of ways. Which of the following is one of those ways, according to
material presented in the text?
a. They are less brand loyal.
b. They reject ethnic media in an attempt to branch out from their ethnic
background.
c. They have a positive attitude toward business in general.
d. They are more likely to prefer brands with prestige labels.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 485
40. French Canadians show a high level of acculturation, yet retain a strong ethnic
affiliation. This is an example of which of the following concepts?
a. culture perspective
b. ethnic pluralism perspective
c. bi-polar socialization
d. heritage role model
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 485
41. Maria Gomez is thrilled to be in the United States. After spending her childhood
years in Mexico, she is looking forward to the freedom given to teenage girls in the United State s. “I can wear shorts, pants’ suits, and even halter tops and no one will think badly of me,” says Maria. Maria is in the process of adopting products, habits, and values that are identified with the mainstream culture of the United States. This process is known as:
a. adaptation.
b. maintenance.
c. resistance.
d. segregation.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (M) Application Page: 484-485
42. Which of the following groups is the fastest-growing ethnic minority group in the United States?
a. Hispanic Americans.
b. African Americans.
c. Asian Americans.
d. European Americans.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 485
43. Which of the following ethnic subcultures could be characterized as one that is
generally the most affluent, best educated, and most likely to hold technology jobs?
a. Hispanic Americans.
b. African Americans.
c. European Americans.
d. Asian Americans.
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Applications Page: 486
44. What is the most difficult aspect of marketing to Asian Americans besides the
language barrier?
a. They are culturally diverse.
b. They only buy from their native land.
c. They do not trust the American financial or credit system.
d. They show no affinity for American-made products.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 486
45. Religion is big business in the United States. As evidence of this, sales of
Christian merchandise now exceed _____________ per year.
a. $100 million
b. $500 million
c. $1 billion
d. $3 billion
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (H) Fact Page: 487
46. What percentage of Americans is Catholic?
a. 10%.
b. 15%.
c. 25%.
d. 33%.
Answer: (c) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 488
47. What is the largest religious group worldwide according to a recent research report?
a. Christian.
b. Islam.
c. Hindu.
d. Buddhist.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 488
48. Of the 100 million Americans online, _________ used the Internet for religious
purposes each month.
a. 15%
b. 25%
c. 30%
d. 38%
Answer: (b) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 488, Net Profit
49. The dominant religion in the United States is:
a. Protestant.
b. Catholi
c.
c. Jewish.
d. Buddhist.
Answer: (a) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 488
50. Religious subcultures in particular exert a significant impact on consumer variables in all of the following areas EXCEPT: (Pick the least likely)
a. personality.
b. attitudes toward sexuality.
c. birthrates.
d. household items (products).
Answer: (d) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 491
True/False
51. Groups known as subcultures have members who share beliefs and common
experiences that set them apart from others.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 472
52. An ethnic subculture consists of a self-perpetuating group of consumers who are held
together by common cultural and/or genetic ties. This subculture is identified both by its members and by others as being a distinguishable category.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 474
53. In Japan, ethnicity is almost synonymous with racial contempt.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 474
54. Membership in ethnic subcultures is often predictive of consumer variables. A good example of this is the type of automobile purchased.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 474
55. A low-context culture is one where the members tend to be undereducated. Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 474-475
56. The United States is an example of a high-context culture.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Application Page: 474-475
57. Multi-cultural households outspend white households in the United States in grocery, entertainment, and clothing categories.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (H) Application Page: 476
58. There is an increasing trend toward blurring of ethnic and racial boundaries. Answer: (True) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 476
59. Intermarriage rates in the United States are highest among people of Asian descent. Answer: (True) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 476
60. De-ethnicitization refers to the process whereby a product that is associated with an ethnic group is avoided by another ethnic group (such as eating a food that might be taboo).
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 476
61. The high growth rate in Asian Americans is due to an accelerating birth rate. Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 477
62. The African American population in the United States is projected to surpass the
Hispanic American population by the year 2013, thus becoming the largest ethnic
subculture in this country.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 477
63. The Hispanic American subculture is the fastest growing of the “big three”
subcultures in the United States.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 477
64. Soy Sauce is now the most popular condiment on U.S. tables and restaurants. This is an example of how ethnic subcultures are impacting consumer behavior in the
United States.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (E) Fact and Application Page: 477
65. The average immigrant today in the United States is most likely to be from Europe. Answer: (False) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 478
66. At present, African Americans comprise 12.3 percent of the U.S. population. Answer: (True) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 479
67. Both blacks and whites spend about two-thirds of their incomes on housing,
transportation, and food.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 479
68. African American consumers have embraced the Internet. Currently, about 28% of online shoppers are African American.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (H) Fact and Application Page: 479, Marketing
Opportunity
69. Demographically, two important characteristics of the Hispanic market in the United States is that it is a young market and the average Hispanic family is large in size. Answer: (True) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 482
70. Socialization refers to the process of movement and adaptation to one country’s
cultural environment by a person from another country.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 483
71. Hispanics tend to place a high value on self-expression and family devotion. Answer: (True) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 483
72. An acculturation agent is used by businesses to document the tastes and preferences
of ethnic and racial subcultures for marketing purposes.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 484
73. Asian Americans are generally the most affluent and best educated of the ethnic and racial subcultures in the United States.
Answer: (True) Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 486
74. Asians as a whole tend to be an easy market target because of their cultural
similarity to one another.
Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 486
75. At present, the dominant religion worldwide based on numbers is the Islamic faith. Answer: (False) Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 488
Essay Questions
76. What is the difference between a subculture and an ethnic subculture?
Answer:
A subculture is one whose members share beliefs and common experiences that set them apart from others. An ethnic subculture is a self-perpetuating group of consumers who are held together by common cultural or genetic ties; it is identified both by its members and by others as being a distinguishable category.
Difficulty: (E) Fact Page: 472, 474
77. Explain the difference between a “high-context culture” and a “low-context culture.” Give an example of each and explain the reason for your choice(s).
Answer:
A “high-context culture” is one where group members tend to be tightly knit. This culture is also likely to have meanings in their culture that go beyond the spoken word. The Japanese are an example of a high-context culture; they consider themselves to be one people and shun outsiders.
A “low-context culture” is a cultural group that is relatively weak. Ethnic subcultures predominate. The United States ranks as a low-context culture.
Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 474-475
78. Explain the concept of de-ethnicization. Give an example.
Answer:
De-ethnicization refers to the process whereby a product formerly associated with a specific ethnic group is detached from its roots and marketed to other subcultures. Examples are bagels, burritos, and salsa (to name a few).
Difficulty: (E) Fact and Application Page: 476-477
79. List and then describe the “Big Three” American subcultures. Discuss size, growth characteristics, and reasons for growth where appropriate.
Answer:
Three groups that account for much of America’s current growth are African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans. The Hispanic population is now the largest ethnic subculture with 12.5 percent of the U.S. population. The Asian American population, though smaller in absolute numbers, is the fastest-growing racial group. This group is largely due to immigration; the number of Asian immigrants who arrive in the United States each year is actually greater than the number that are born in the country. Students may include other facts from the chapter.
Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 477
80. Describe the African American ethnic subcultural group, demographically and by lifestyles, noting what consumer characteristics are of note.
Answer:
African Americans as a subculture now account for 12.3 percent of the U.S. population. Other characteristics of note include:
Spending patterns - In many product categories and as a proportion of income, blacks and whites have spending patterns that are very similar. Differences that
exist may be better explained by income and concentration in urban areas.
Both blacks and whites spend about two-thirds of their incomes on housing,
transportation, and food.
Consumption behaviors—differences are more likely due to differences in income, the relatively high concentration of this group in urban areas, and other dimensions of social class.
For additional information, see the chapter section.
Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 479-480
81. Describe the Hispanic American ethnic subcultural group, demographically and by lifestyle, noting important consumer characteristics.
Answer:
Largely ignored by many marketers until recently, the Hispanic-American population is now the largest ethnic minority in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of Hispanic Americans are Mexican; the smallest of the three major subgroups is Cuban (however, they are the wealthiest of the Hispanic American groups).
Demographic and other characteristics include:
Youth - The median age of Hispanic Americans is 23.6 years vs. 32.0 for the U.S.
overall.
Household size - The Hispanic-American family is much larger than those of the rest of the population. The average Hispanic-American household contains 3.5
people, compared with 2.7 for other U.S. households.
Educational levels rising - Hispanic-American commitment to education is accelerating and leading to increasing numbers of Hispanic managers and
professionals.
Concentrated markets - Over half of Hispanic-Americans are concentrated in just six major metropolitan areas: Los Angeles, New York, Miami, San Antonio, San
Francisco, and Chicago, making them easy to reach.
Income levels - Hispanic Americans represent two economic extremes: Cubans who fled to Miami in the 1950s and 1960s had high educational levels; by now
they have become successfully established in South Florida life.
Brand loyalty - Hispanic Americans tend to remain loyal to selected brands, especially those affiliated with or imported from their country of origin.
Subcultural influences of note - The Catholic Church and the family are strong influences on Hispanic Americans; they place a high value on self-expression
and family devotion.
See other facts as necessary in the chapter section.
Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 480-485
82. Explain the term acculturation and indicate how the progressive learning model might be used by marketers.
Answer:
Acculturation refers to the process of movement and adaptation to one country’s cultural environment by a person from another country.
The acculturation process can be understood by using what is called a progressive learning model. This perspective assumes that people gradually learn a culture as they increasingly come in contact with it. Thus, marketers are able to see the consumer behavior of a consumer to be a mixture of practices taken from the original culture and those of the new or host culture.
Difficulty: (M) Fact Page: 483-485
83. Researchers have tried to study what happens to a new immigrant to the United States with the hope of understanding the difficulties that acculturation brings to the immigrant. Explain how acculturation agents might help with the process of assimilation into our society. Be sure to note the different types of acculturation agents in your explanation. Answer:
Acculturation agents are people and institutions that teach the ways of a culture. They are also critical to the success of an immigrant into a foreign society. Some of these agents are aligned with the culture of origin (these might be family, friends, the church, local businesses, or even media that use a native language to keep the immigrant in touch with the “old country”). Other agents are associated with the culture of immigration (such as public schools, English-language media, and even government agencies). This group helps the immigrant to learn the new culture.
Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 484
84. Describe the Asian-American ethnic subcultural group, demographically and by lifestyle, noting significant consumer characteristics.
Answer:
Asian Americans represent the fastest-growing minority group. They are generally the most affluent, best educated and likely to hold technology jobs of the various
subcultural groups.
Segmenting the subculture: "Asian" refers to more than 20 ethnic groups, with Chinese the largest, followed by Filipinos and Japanese. Marketing problems
emerge when these groups are mistakenly targeted as a single entity; some
groups in fact are historical enemies.
Affluence - Asian Americans are an affluent segment with average household incomes $2,000 greater than those of white Americans and $7,000 to $9,000 higher than
those of blacks and Hispanic Americans. Asian Americans are conservative
financially.
Education - Of Asian Americans over 25 years of age, one-third have completed four or more years of college. The college graduation rate of Asian Americans is
twice that of whites, four times that of blacks and Hispanic Americans. Consumption pattern - Asian Americans tend to be very status-conscious and will spend money on premium brands. They show themselves to be a good market
for technically-oriented products such as VCRs, personal computers, and
compact disc players. Marketers to Asian Americans need to be sensitive to
their cultural beliefs.
Use other facts from the chapter as are necessary.
Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 485
85. Characterize the religious subculture as depicted in the text.
Answer:
There are large amounts of people around the globe who participate in a religion. Estimates are that there are 2 billion Christians, 1.2 billion who practice Islam, 900 million Hindus, 315 million Buddhists, 15 million Jews, and Primal Indigenous (190 million). In addition, there are 750,000 Scientologists and 700,000 Rastafarians. Among Americans, the majority (57%) are Protestant, 25 percent Catholic, 5 percent Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist, and 2 percent Jewish. About 12 percent of Americans have no religious preference.
There is little evidence that has been accumulated that indicates that religious affiliation has the potential to be a valuable predictor of consumer behavior. Religious subcultures may exert a significant impact on consumer variables such as personality, attitudes toward sexuality, birthrates and household formulation, income, and political attitudes. However, specific product preferences are hard to find unless it has a direct connection to the religion (for example: kosher food by Jewish people--however, less than one-third of those that purchase kosher food are actually Jewish).
Difficulty: (M) Fact and Application Page: 487-492