Mother and Teen Daughter Socialization Toward Ethical Apparel Consumption

Abstract

Informed by socialization theory, this study explored whether and how mothers and their teen daughters socialize one another with respect to ethical apparel consumption. The study also examined variables that may influence mothers' and teen daughters' ethical apparel consumption. An online survey provided useable data from 100 mother–daughter pairs. Paired‐sample t‐tests revealed that mothers and daughters differed relative to the attributes they valued in making apparel purchases (e.g., ethical, functional, social acceptance, and personal aesthetics) as well as in their levels of fashion involvement, materialism, charitable/social cause involvement, and ethical apparel consumption. Mothers and daughters perceived that the mothers were more likely to initiate conversations about ethical consumption, supporting a traditional model of socialization. Mothers' ethical apparel purchase behavior was predicted by ethical attributes of apparel and frequency of mother–daughter communication about ethical consumption. Daughters' ethical apparel purchase behavior was predicted by ethical attributes and their involvement in charitable/social causes.