Consumption Studies Overview

The idea that consuming goods can be a way to show off wealth and social status.

The ability to understand and appreciate cultural products, like art, music, or literature.

The way consumers modify and give new meanings to products they buy.

The study of human behavior and culture through observation and interaction in natural settings.

Consumption motivated by love, care, and social connections, often involving gift-giving.

The everyday activities people engage in to maintain their lives, including eating, dressing, living, socializing, and so on. It encompasses the processes involved in sustaining oneself and one's family.

A social system characterized by the dominance of market exchange and the emphasis on individual choice in purchasing goods and services.

A critical perspective that views consumption as a force that undermines authentic human experience and values. It suggests that market forces manipulate and control individuals through the creation of artificial needs and wants.

The role of advertising in generating demand for products by appealing to desires and creating a sense of need.

A perspective that emphasizes the active role of consumers in shaping the meaning and use of products and services. It views consumers as agents who make choices based on their own desires, needs, and interpretations.

The convergence of economic and cultural forces, where consumption becomes a site where culture and economy intersect and influence each other.

The idea that consumer choices are influenced by an overwhelming abundance of signs, meanings, and products in a postmodern society. This view suggests that consumers are often overwhelmed and powerless in the face of such complexity.

The process by which cultural values and practices get absorbed and reinterpreted by economic forces, specifically through consumption. For example, traditional dress becoming fashionable and influencing consumer trends.