TTLA: Current clothing consumption behavior of urban youth in Hanoi

1. Full name of doctoral candidate: Dao Thuy Hang 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: June 19, 1992 4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Decision No. 3216/2014/QD-XHNV-SDH of the Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, dated December 31, 2014, recognizing the doctoral student.

6. Changes in the training process:

Adjustment of the doctoral dissertation title, Decision No. 1011/QD-XHNV, dated March 29, 2016

Adjustment of the doctoral dissertation title, Decision No. 236/QD-XHNV, dated January 9, 2019

7. Thesis Title: Current Clothing Consumption Behavior of Urban Youth in Hanoi

8. Major: Sociology 9. Code: 62.31.03.01

10. Scientific guidance documents: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha

11. Summarize thenew resultsof the thesis:

- Urban youth are quite concerned about their appearance, as evidenced by their spending on clothing, which is one of the three main monthly expenses for urban youth in the survey sample.

- There are differences in aspects of consumer behavior, specifically: access to, selection, purchase, use, and disposal of clothing products between men and women, and between individuals with different income levels, age ranges, occupations, educational levels, etc.

- Regarding the core values ​​of clothing products, the thesis shows that the lifestyle value orientation of urban youth in Hanoi today is still pragmatic and practical, rather than hedonistic, although many indicators suggest that hedonistic values ​​are gradually emerging in a segment of young people. Perceptions of the symbolic values ​​of clothing products and the function of consumer behavior also differ between men and women, across age groups, income levels, and residence locations, as well as length of residence in Hanoi.

- Regarding the functions of consumer behavior, it fulfills many needs: personal and social needs. Regarding personal needs, it is noteworthy that young people largely agree with the view that consumer behavior has an entertainment function. Furthermore, urban youth also demonstrate that consumer behavior fulfills their social functions. On the one hand, consuming clothing products strengthens their bonds with their close-knit groups; on the other hand, these products serve as tools for shaping and defining their individual status, style, and identity. From the perspective of young people, consumer behavior has both social bonding and social differentiation functions. However, the social bonding function remains the more obvious and prominent one.

12. Practical applications, if any: The research results serve as a reference for other studies on the same topic in the future. Furthermore, the research has the potential to predict consumer trends based on the description of individual behavior and behavioral-oriented values ​​– which can help managers, manufacturers, and distributors of garment products access and easily understand their target market.

13. Future research directions: Studies on the consumption of other product categories such as electronics, household appliances, and cultural and artistic products; or diversifying research subjects to include students, adolescents, middle-aged and elderly individuals, or subjects with specific characteristics such as office workers, self-employed workers, etc.; studies on specific consumption patterns such as luxury consumption, green consumption, brand-based consumption, online consumption, etc.

14. Published works related to the dissertation:

1. Dao Thuy Hang (2018), “Concept of goods in consumer society: A sociological perspective”,Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, volume 4, number 3, pages 393–402.
2. Dao Thuy Hang (2016), “Consumer Sociology: Basic Research Terms from the Approach of Classical Sociologists”,Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, volume 2, number 1b, pp. 130-142.

INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name: Dao Thuy Hang 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: June 19^th, 1992 4. Place of birth: Hanoi

5. Admission decision number: : 3216/2014/QD –XHNV-SĐH, followed by Rector decision, dated 31^stDecember 2014

6. Changes in academic process:

Adjust the title of the doctoral thesis, No. 1011 /QD-XHNV, March 29, 2016

Adjust the title of the dissertation thesis, No. 236 /QD-XHNV, January 9, 2019

7. Official thesis title: Urban youth's clothing products consumption behavior in Hanoi today

8. Major: Sociology 9. Code: 62.31.03.01

10. Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha

11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

- Urban youth are increasingly interested in their appearance which shows through the consumption of garments is one of three major expenditures

- There are differences in each stage of consumer behavior, namely: access, selection, purchase, use and handling of clothes between men and women, among different income, age, occupation, academic level, etc.

- In terms of the core value of garments, the results show that the orientation of Hanoian youth's lifestyle values ​​are still pragmatism, utilitarianism but not hedonism, although there are many evidences showing that it is gradually forming in some segments of youth. Awareness of the symbolic values ​​of clothing products and the function of consumer behavior are also dissimilar between men and women, among age groups, group of income, living place and time living in Hanoi.

- Besides, consumer behavior meets many people needs: personal needs and social needs. On personal needs, entertainment is notable function of consumer behavior. In addition, consumer behavior meets their social functions. On the one hand, consumption of garments makes them attach to their group member; On the other hand, it is the tool that shapes and defines the social position, lifestyle and identifies of each individual. From a youth perspective, consumer behavior is both linking and distinctive function; however, linking is dominant function.

12. Practical applicability, if any: Research results are references to other later studies. In addition, the study also has the ability to predict consumer trends based on individual behavioral descriptions, behavioral values ​​- which can help garment managers, manufacturers and distributors access and capture their target market audiences, easily.

13. Future research direction, if any: studies on consumption of other products, such as electronics, household appliances, cultural products; or other research objects, such as: students, adolescents, middle-aged, elderly people; or customers with specific occupations, such as: office workers, free-zone workers; or specific consumption, such as: conspicuous consumption, green consumption or brand-based consumption, online consumption, etc.

14. Thesis-related publications:

1. Dao Thuy Hang (2018), “Concept of Commodity in Consumer Society: A Sociological Perspective”,Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol 4 (3), pp. 393-402.

2. Dao Thuy Hang (2016). “Sociology of consumption: basic research terminologies from classical rebel' perspectives” ,Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vol 2 (1b), pp. 130-142.