Consumption narratives of extended possessions and the extended self (original) (raw)

The Consumption : Review of its Psychological and Social Attributions

Journal of business management, 2020

Consumption, this humdrum act of acquisition and use of tangible and intangible objects has attracted a lot of researchers in diverse disciples as sociology, psychology as well as marketing. Substantial body of research has focused on the investigation and the understanding the consumption’s drivers and reasons. As a consequence, many approaches have appeared starting from the rational analysis to the sociological approach as well as the psychological one. In this article, we will review the main roles of consumption in our lives.

Food-based Activities versus Material Possessions: Alternatives to Consumption

2015

We examine how food-related experiential activities offer different types of intrinsic pleasures, create an alternative path to consumerism, and subsequently affect happiness and well-being. Participant's perspectives on these activities are compared to those of their favourite material possessions to explore the differences in meaning and motivations. Phenomenological interviews centred on food activities and material possessions revealed that experiential food-related hobbies are valued highly and a source of great life satisfaction because of meeting a variety of psychological needs. These activities offer an alternative conception of what it is to flourish and to enjoy a 'high' standard of living as they were found to be mostly intrinsically motivated. Many material possessions also suggested intrinsic aspirations while others showed a mix of both intrinsic and extrinsic aspects. The data reveal that the need for adopting extrinsic life aspirations is not strongly expressed when food-related experiential activities, such as food growing and preparation, are a part of regular life. These food-based activities and certain types of material possessions with intrinsic values encourage a more ecologically sustainable use of resources and reduce social and environmental exploitation associated with consumerism. This research contributes to new modes of thinking about happiness and well-being by supporting the 'alternative hedonism' concept as remedy to consumerism.

Consumption Epiphany: From Abstract to Material

Italian Sociological Review, 2016

This paper aims to offer a reflection on the latest developments concerning the study of consumption in the field of sociology in order to outline a conceptual, albeit not comprehensive, map. Specifically, the intention of this paper is to map a precise point of departure for the approaches which are currently better able to interpret the processes of consumption that characterise modern societies. The literature review has clearly shown a convergence of interests on consumption practices that focuses on material and tangible issues. Approaches that refer to the theories of practice, material culture and studies on science and technology (STS) inspired by the actor network theory (ANT) share an interest in this aspect by offering viewpoints which, although specific, are definitely complementary. The sociology of consumption, through an approach that is both multifaceted and focused, has a major opportunity to provide interpretative frameworks which are increasingly articulate and p...

Consumption as an Emotional Social Control Device

Theory & Psychology Volume 19 Issue 6, 2009

This article discusses signs that, at least in the West, the consumption metaphor is turning into the constitutive metaphor of our relations with objects, with ourselves, and with others. This would probably be anecdotal were it not that consumption has also taken on the character commonly attributed to emotions: natural, inevitable, inexpressible, irrational, and spontaneous. This apparent lack of social features lends consumption enormous strength and puts it in the position of a human need that requires no justification. At the same time, the lack of social factors defining consumption justifies deploying multiple mechanisms to control and manage subjectivity. Key Words: consumption • emotion • subjectivity

Couples' narratives of shared-self, possessions and consumption experiences

Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 2016

How consumers use possessions and consumption to enact their shared-self has been underexplored in earlier consumer research. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the emergence of couple-level (or partnered) shared-self. A narrative research method was used in Hong Kong, which allowed for an inter-temporal narrative about the informants' important possessions. Our findings revealed key characteristics regarding the way in which informants' interpretations of shared selves developed over time. This included sharing and negotiating resources (e.g. a house or money) with their partners, integrating similar perspectives (e.g. interests and lifestyle) to their partners', and including their partners as part of the self. This study provides the basis for future research to see how these findings hold up at other stages of partnered relationships. This research provides a conceptualizationa temporal model of couples' shared-selfthat could contribute to and enhance the existing literature on the interrelationship between possessions and the extended self.

Beyond the Extended Self: Loved Objects and Consumers’ Identity Narratives

Journal of Consumer Research, 2005

This article investigates the possessions and activities that consumers love and their role in the construction of a coherent identity narrative. In the face of social forces pushing toward identity fragmentation, interviews reveal three different strategies, labeled "demarcating," "compromising," and "synthesizing" solutions, for creating a coherent self-narrative. Findings are compared to Belk's "Possessions and the Extended Self." Most claims from Belk are supported, but the notion of a core versus extended self is critiqued as a potentially confusing metaphor. The roles of loved objects and activities in structuring social relationships and in consumer well-being are also explored.

Elusive Consumption in retrospect report from the conference Edited by

Liza Peñaloza 9:4 Report from workshop by Margareth Hogg 9:5 Reflection on workshops 9:1 and 9:3 What is a culture? by Adam Arvidsson Chapter 10 Dinner speach: "My car" 85 By Sten Jönsson Chapter 11 Similar or different? Dinner speach: Alternity/identity interplay in organizational image construction 92 By Barbara Czarniawska Chapter 12 Glimpses from ongoing projects at the Center for Consumer Science (CFK) 96 12:1 Hello Kitty in Singapore: Bridging the human-artifact opposition by Helene Brembeck 12:2 Collections consumed, by Karin M.