exploring apparel relationships and body image

237 Pages·2007·4.61 MB·English

by  Brock, Mary

EXPLORING APPAREL RELATIONSHIPS AND BODY IMAGE OF TWEEN GIRLS
AND THEIR MOTHERS THROUGH QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF
SEGMENTED FOCUS GROUPS

Except where reference is made to the work of others, the work described in this thesis is
my own or was done in collaboration with my advisory committee. This thesis does not
include proprietary or classified information.

_______________________________________
Mary Katherine Brock

Certificate of Approval:

______________________________ ______________________________
Lenda Jo Connell, Co-Chair Pamela Ulrich, Co-Chair
Professor Associate Professor
Consumer Affairs Consumer Affairs

______________________________ ______________________________
Daniel Gropper Wi-suk Kwon
Professor Assistant Professor
Economics Consumer Affairs

______________________________ ______________________________
Karla Simmons George T. Flowers
Assistant Professor Interim Dean
Consumer Affairs Graduate School
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EXPLORING APPAREL RELATIONSHIPS AND BODY IMAGE OF TWEEN GIRLS
AND THEIR MOTHERS THROUGH QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF
SEGMENTED FOCUS GROUPS

Mary Katherine Brock

A Thesis
Submitted to
the Graduate Faculty of
Auburn University
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the
Degree of
Master of Science

Auburn, Alabama
May 10, 2007
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EXPLORING APPAREL RELATIONSHIPS AND BODY IMAGE OF TWEEN GIRLS
AND THEIR MOTHERS THROUGH QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF
SEGMENTED FOCUS GROUPS

Permission is granted to Auburn University to make copies of this thesis at its discretion,
upon request of individuals or institutions at their expense. The author reserves all
publication rights.

________________________________
Signature of Author

________________________________
Date of Graduation
iii
VITA

Mary Katherine Brock, daughter of Dr. Don and Mary Brock, was born October
1, 1980, in Augusta, Georgia. She graduated from Dutch Fork High School as
Valedictorian in 1999. She attended Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina
from 1999 to 2003. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree
in Biochemistry and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Visual Arts in May, 2003. After
working as a defense contractor in Washington, D.C., she entered Graduate School at
Auburn University in January, 2005.
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THESIS ABSTRACT

EXPLORING APPAREL RELATIONSHIPS AND BODY IMAGE OF TWEEN GIRLS
AND THEIR MOTHERS THROUGH QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF
SEGMENTED FOCUS GROUPS

Mary Katherine Brock

Master of Science, May 10, 2007
(B.S., Clemson University, 2003)
(B.F.A., Clemson University, 2003)

237 Typed Pages

Directed by Lenda Jo Connell and Pamela Ulrich

Tweens are individuals who are no longer a children, but are not quite teenagers.
This study defines tweens as girls between the ages of 9 and 14 years. The U.S. female
tween population is estimated to be 10.4 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2006), and total
tween spending power is said to be more than $221 billion annually (de Mesa, 2005).
During their tween years, most girls go through puberty and their bodies change at a rapid
pace. Like adults, increasing numbers of this group are now characterized as overweight
or obese (Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1999). Thus, given this period of rapid
change, compounded by problems with obesity, it was theorized that there are many
subgroups, particularly related to age and size, that affect these consumers’ apparel
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relationships and body image.
Though tweens are identified by researchers as a consumer demographic, their
intrinsic nature and individual apparel needs have only been studied in a few, limited
academic contexts. As the trend towards obesity trickles into the youth generations
(CDC, 1999; Torgan, 2002), there are many far-reaching implications for the plus size
tween. General problems observed in the apparel marketplace are lack of selection in
clothing choices for plus size shoppers and lack of age appropriate garments in the
market for larger, but younger plus size consumers.
The purpose of this research was to characterize subgroups based on age and size
of female tween consumers. This was done within the context of niche markets in the
apparel industry. Mothers were included in this study in order to understand how
mother/daughter relationships affect the tweens’ apparel relationships and body image.
This exploratory study of tween girls and their mothers used content analysis of
segmented focus groups to understand the apparel relationships and body image of tween
girls. It is through this qualitative approach that the researcher was able to probe the
nuances that exist between subgroups based on the age (younger and older) and size
(normal and plus size) of tween girls. The results found through an emergent theme
methodology, showed that tween girls have complex apparel relationships and are
sensitive about the size of their bodies. Subjects in all groups indicated that they were
unable to find clothing that was stylish, age appropriate, and fit their bodies. These
identified gaps show the potential for niche markets within the tween consumer group
and established a conceptual framework for further research.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to sincerely thank Dr. Lenda Jo Connell and Dr. Pamela
Ulrich for assistance, guidance, and unbounded patience during this research project.
Appreciation is also expressed to committee members Dr. Daniel Gropper, Dr. Wi-suk
Kwon, and Dr. Karla Simmons for their support and contribution to this thesis. The
author would also like to express her sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Head of the
Department, Dr. Carol Warfield, for her consistent encouragement and guidance. Many
thanks are also due to the author’s family and friends who continue to support her and
love her no matter what. She would also like to specially thank her parents Dr. Don and
Mary Brock whose love gives her wings to fly and offers a gentle safety net for when she
falls.
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Style manual or journal used: Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (5th ed.)
Computer software used: Microsoft Word®, Microsoft PowerPoint®

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................xviii
LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................................xix
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................1
Background and Setting...........................................................................................1
Current Situation......................................................................................................2
Implications of the Obesity Epidemic on Youth and Apparel.................................4
Gaps in Current Research........................................................................................5
Statement of Problem...............................................................................................6
Purpose of Study......................................................................................................7
Research Questions..................................................................................................8
Significance..............................................................................................................9
Definition of Terms................................................................................................10
CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE....................................................................13
Tweens...................................................................................................................13
Tween Market Share..................................................................................15
Tween Subgroups.......................................................................................16
Gender............................................................................................16
Age.................................................................................................17
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Ethnicity.........................................................................................17
Body Size.......................................................................................18
Adolescent Research..............................................................................................19
Body Image and Body Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction...................................20
Influences of Weight Status...........................................................24
Familial Influences.........................................................................25
Media and Socio-cultural Influences.............................................26
Influences of Physical Activity......................................................27
Self-Esteem................................................................................................28
Role of Apparel in Tween Culture.........................................................................30
Influences of Family and Peers..................................................................31
Role of Apparel in Social Development....................................................32
Obesity and Apparel..............................................................................................33
Apparel Availability for the Plus Size Market...........................................34
Qualitative Research..............................................................................................34
Content Analysis........................................................................................35
Discourse Analysis.........................................................................39
Emergent Theme Analysis.............................................................39
Venn Diagrams to Represent Relationships and Relative Importance of the
Themes.......................................................................................................40
Summary................................................................................................................42
CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY...................................................................................43
Sampling................................................................................................................44
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