Consumption

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Consumption Identity FormationCulture
Consumption, 25-9-07

• Consumption a matter of identity
• Interpretive consumer research
• Understanding identity
• I- we-identity in theory practise
• Ways of using products for identity formation
• experience, integration, classification, play
• a model of consumption in practice
• Case work -guidelines

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Interpretive Consumer Research the first
contribution
selling symbols
do I like it
Levy (1959)
Buying products for their meaning
emotional audience
Use products for identification purposes
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Interpretive Consumer Research(Levy, Belk,
Kleine, Thompson, Holt, McCracken)

• Identity formation through consumption
• Focus Emotional symbolic aspects
• Individual forces social forces
• free agents vs. social prescription
• the real me vs. social affiliation/differentiati
  on
• Continual process of re/deconstruction of
  identity

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Understanding identity

• From identity as
• A static core
• One entity formed at adolescence

• To identity as
• On-going process, constantly negotiated
• Multiple entitities dependent on context

but still a popular perception of having one
unique inner core true self
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I- We-identity in theory
Other They
Other They
Subject I
Subject Subject We
Object
Object
Individual Identity through Consumption
Couple Identity through Consumption
(Therkelsen Gram 2007)
(de la Ville et al. 2006)
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I- We-identity in practise
Families with children Together, apart
Mature couples The two of us, alone
(Therkelsen Gram 2007)
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Defining consumptionHolt (1995)

• Consuming is a mode of action in which people
  make use of consumption objects in a variety of
  ways (p.14)
• Consuming is never just an experience, a
  disinterested end in itself consumer actions
  are also means that we use to draw ourselves
  closer to valued objects and resources that we
  use to engage others to impress, to befriend,
  or simply to play (p.15).

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Metaphors for consumingHolt (1995 p.3)
Autotelic actions
Instrumental actions
Object actions
Interpersonal actions
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Consumption practices(Holt, 1995 p.4 modified
version)
Consumption object
Experiencing Integrating
Experiencing Integrating
Playing Classifying
Consumer A
Consumer BN
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Further readings

• Belk, R. (1988) Possessions and the Extended
  Self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15
  (September), 139-168.
• Kleine S.S., R. E. Kleine III and C.T. Allen
  (1995) How Is a Possession Me or Not Me?
  Characterizing Types and an Antecedent of
  Material Possession Attachment. Journal of
  Consumer Research 22, pp.327-343
• La Ville (de), V. I., V. Tartas and B. Tufte
  (2007) Children as Economic Actors. An
  examination of three psychological perspectives.
  New Review of Social Psychology.
• Thompson C.J. and D.L. Haytko (1997) Speaking
  of Fashion Consumers Uses of Fashion Discourses
  and the Appropriation of Countervailing Cultural
  Meanings. Journal of Consumer Research. 24.
  pp.15-42.

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Case for final session

• Choose a consumer culture that you wish to study
  (national, gender, age etc.)
• Study your chosen consumer cultures consumption
  of a type of product / specific brand
• Decide on a method of study observations,
  interviews, on-line chat-rooms, secondary data
  etc.

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Case Questions

• What characterises your chosen consumer cultures
  consumption of your chosen type of product /
  brand?
• at least two of the following features should be
  considered motivation, usage, meaning, identity
  formation
• Are these characteristics culture specific or
  common to several consumer groups?
• What are the marketing implications of these
  consumption patterns for producers of this type
  of product / brand?