This dissertation is an exploration of how Hispanic women of different levels of acculturation communicate their individual, social and cultural identities through clothing and appearance. The purpose of this study is to help understand the way in which clothes, as objects, embody deeper cultural values, and how the meanings assigned to them are socially constructed and diffused in a bicultural context. This dissertation employs a cross-disciplinary theoretical perspective, bringing together concepts from social-psychology, symbolic interactionism, symbolic consumption, diffusion of innovation, and acculturation theories. Following the exploratory nature of this study, in-depth interviews and observations were employed to systematically examine the experiences of ten Hispanic women living in the United States. The study demonstrates that, when it comes to clothing and appearance, Hispanic women have more commonalities than differences. Hispanic women --regardless of the level of acculturation— retain over time a set of values and beliefs characteristic of the Hispanic culture. These values and beliefs are learned early on from their mothers and maintained through constant interaction with the Hispanic culture through friends and family. Hispanic cultural values drive the way Hispanic women communicate gender, attractiveness, age, ethnicity, and social class. Another important part of this work explains the competency that Hispanic women have in communicating the different roles of their identities through clothing and appearance. This competency allows them to balance the need to make a positive impression on others with the need for self-expression. Finally, this study illustrates the interconnection between the different aspects of the adoption of clothes by pointing out sensorial experience, fit, and interpersonal influence as the major drivers of adoption among Hispanic women. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2008. / April 11, 2008. / Material Culture, Acculturation, Clothes, Appearance, Hispanic Marketing, Fashion, Hispanic Women / Includes bibliographical references. / Felipe Korzenny, Professor Directing Dissertation; Leisa Flynn, Outside Committee Member; Stephen D. McDowell, Committee Member; John K. Mayo, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_182105 |
| Contributors | Inglessis, Maria Gracia (authoraut), Korzenny, Felipe (professor directing dissertation), Flynn, Leisa (outside committee member), McDowell, Stephen D. (committee member), Mayo, John K. (committee member), School of Communication (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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