| Today, hip-hop has become a cultural and commercial phenomenon; however, it has drawn much criticism for providing poor role models and encouraging a culture of consumption. This study used Social Learning Theory as a foundation to explore hip-hop's influence on the materialism and fashion consciousness levels of youths and young adults. Two hundred and thirty-one participants, aged 15 to 24, were surveyed to examine the influence that socialization agents, such as preferred genre of music, role models, videos, and radio, had on the outcomes of materialism and fashion consciousness.; The findings presented statistically significant relationships between preferred genre and materialism, preferred genre and fashion consciousness, hip-hop role models and fashion consciousness, time spent watching hip-hop videos and fashion consciousness, and time spent listening to radio stations that broadcast hip-hop music and fashion consciousness. In the cases where there were significant relationships, materialism and fashion consciousness levels were greatest for youths and young adults who associated themselves with hip-hop. |
