Insider Trading? Exploring Familial Intra-generational Borrowing and Sharing

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore the concepts of borrowing and sharing and their relevance for our understanding of consumer socialisation. Whilst previous research has tended to focus on the parent-child dyad, this study considers the role of siblings in relation to learning. Specifically this research focused on pairs of adolescent sisters and the way in which they managed the ‘exchange processes’ within their family home. The findings suggest that borrowing and sharing are different concepts with sharing being imposed and relatively simple whilst borrowing is voluntary yet complex. Strategies learnt and employed by the sisters including covert borrowing and conflict avoidance are described. Implications for consumer behaviour, marketers and policy makers are discussed.