Where Does Religion End and Culture Begin? Exploring Religious Selectivity in Personal Appearance and Body Modifications among Pakistani Consumers
Abstract/Description
Purpose – While much has been written about religious influence on consumer behavior, fewer studies have explored how individuals in Muslim-majority contexts selectively interpret religious teachings around personal appearance. This study explores how Pakistani consumers navigate the blurred lines between religion and culture in choices related to body modification and self-presentation.
Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts an interpretive phenomenological approach and uses in-depth interviews to explore how participants experience, interpret, and make sense of religious and cultural expectations in their everyday lives.
Findings – The findings reveal that religious adherence is often selective and convenience-based, shaped by cultural norms, personal comfort, and gendered expectations. Participants used both quiet and vocal strategies to navigate judgment and restriction. The line between religion and culture is unclear and is often strategically shifted to justify control, especially over women.
Originality/value – This study contributes to literature on religion and consumer behavior in Pakistan by focusing on the nuanced, everyday negotiations individuals make between cultural norms and religious expectations. It also highlights how religious selectivity, cultural misogyny, and moral inconsistency shape consumption and identity.
Keywords
Religion and consumer behavior, Cultural influence, Misogyny in consumption norms, Pakistani consumers, Religious selectivity
Track
Marketing
Session Number/Theme
Marketing - Session II
Start Date/Time
13-6-2025 2:15 PM
End Date/Time
13-6-2025 3:55 PM
Location
MCC – 15 AMAN CED Building
Recommended Citation
Mushtaq, A. (2025). Where Does Religion End and Culture Begin? Exploring Religious Selectivity in Personal Appearance and Body Modifications among Pakistani Consumers. IBA SBS 4th International Conference 2025. Retrieved from https://ir.iba.edu.pk/sbsic/2025/program/21
COinS
Where Does Religion End and Culture Begin? Exploring Religious Selectivity in Personal Appearance and Body Modifications among Pakistani Consumers
MCC – 15 AMAN CED Building
Purpose – While much has been written about religious influence on consumer behavior, fewer studies have explored how individuals in Muslim-majority contexts selectively interpret religious teachings around personal appearance. This study explores how Pakistani consumers navigate the blurred lines between religion and culture in choices related to body modification and self-presentation.
Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts an interpretive phenomenological approach and uses in-depth interviews to explore how participants experience, interpret, and make sense of religious and cultural expectations in their everyday lives.
Findings – The findings reveal that religious adherence is often selective and convenience-based, shaped by cultural norms, personal comfort, and gendered expectations. Participants used both quiet and vocal strategies to navigate judgment and restriction. The line between religion and culture is unclear and is often strategically shifted to justify control, especially over women.
Originality/value – This study contributes to literature on religion and consumer behavior in Pakistan by focusing on the nuanced, everyday negotiations individuals make between cultural norms and religious expectations. It also highlights how religious selectivity, cultural misogyny, and moral inconsistency shape consumption and identity.
