From Stigma to Scarcity: On Interpersonal and Cognitive Sources of Vulnerability for Consumers in Poverty

Poverty is a powerful context that affects billions of consumers around the world. An appreciation of this context and the ways it shapes thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is essential to understanding the vulnerabilities of low-SES consumers. We synthesize research on consumption in poverty by reviewing some of the social vulnerabilities and frequent neglect, discrimination, and stigmatization encountered by low-SES consumers, as well as the cognitive challenges emerging from the experience of financial scarcity. These social, cognitive, and societal vulnerabilities highlight the importance of behaviorally informed programs and policies to address consumer vulnerability in contexts of poverty.