Consumer wisdom and well-being investigated via intergenerational interactions

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examines consumer wisdom and well-being in family life. Drawing on Luchs et al. (2021), it specifically examines how consumer wisdom develops and is transmitted in intergenerational interactions via consumption. Qualitative data was gathered via twenty long interviews with Moroccan grandmothers and eleven long interviews with their teen/adult grandchildren. The data analysis uncovers how wisdom interacts with intrapersonal, interpersonal, and extrapersonal well-being in families. First, it examines how grandmothers develop and transmit their wisdom to their grandchildren through intergenerational interactions embedded in consumption. Second, it shows how grandmothers manifest wisdom as they balance their well-being. Finally, the study provides a novel perspective on grandchildren’s development of wisdom. This study extends our knowledge about the complexity of consumer wisdom and how wisdom contributes to well-being. The findings suggest how wisdom can be used in marketing strategies and marketing communications, and provides societal implications related to consumer wisdom and well-being.