How can consumption help constitute identity?
- Gire Calderon
- Feb 11, 2019
- 3 min read
Alexander, Philips and Shaw address the expectations placed on women to be considered a ‘good housewife’. And their conceptions at the time to shop for groceries. Households members expect that the women would provide the food and tidy up the house. So in a way, the type of food the women provides shows their love for her family. Nowadays, there is a social stigma related to consumption and Identity of who should perform these tasks. Thus adding that what you choose defines you and that society will judge you for your choices.
It a tough task to choose what to buy today in modern times where these choices reflect on your personality. Where you have so many options to decide from the type of food to feed your family whether you are either be vegan, vegetarian, either for your personal reason or religious views.
From personal experience, My mother felt deeply disappointed when she fails to provide the best quality for her family. For her, to buy fresh food was imperative; Food she chooses herself in the supermarket, not self-service. So in a way, her identity is deeply related to providing her family quality healthy choices to eat.
For some women, there is a certain amount of pride in choosing food to their family and with modern times and online shopping. How this affects their pride?
According to Alexander, Philips and Shaw, some people embrace self-service will others don’t. Mostly elders enjoy that human connection when shopping. They enjoy placing their confidence in other people to help them choose their food, while others rely on their own knowledge to pick their food. According to Alexander, Philips and Shaw, one in ten housewives used a self-service store, figure that with the years have increased. I believe when it comes to self-service in supermarkets, some comprises where made and they kept regular stands for specific food such as meat and fruits, at the same time providing a self-service product.
There is a relationship between what you buy and what you are. We make judgments based on the products people consume, not only it comes to food but for everything. We have a tendency to personalise everything.
According to Hugh Mackay, Consumption is the articulation of a sense of identity. He argues that our identity is made up by our consumption of goods and the display constitute our expression of taste. He also suggests that people’s identity and consumption is entailed by their work roles.
He questions ideas that we as a society are a pastiche, and we are malleable. In other words, Consumption showcase your identity. But your identity is not malleable, and as stated by Mackay, it cannot be easily changed just by purchasing goods, and although goods have a communicational or symbolic value, they also have a materialistic value.
In my opinion, both authors remarks are valid and accurate, But also I firmly believe many factors come into play when choosing products. When selecting food or other material products. Factors such as religion, personal beliefs, culture or personality play a role. Some people find retail shopping therapeutic which says about their personality.
In conclusion, I do believe consumption helps build identity and in today’s materialistic society what you buy represents what you are.
Annotated Biography
Andrew Alexander, Simon Phillips and Gareth Shaw. Retail Innovation and Shopping Practices: Consumers’ Reaction to Self- Service Retailing. Environment and Planning A, Vol. 40, Number 9, 2204-2221 (2008).
An essay that explores shopping practices and food shopper behaviours. It also shows the social stigma embedded to women, society and consumption. It examines the changes over the years in retail change and shopping practices
Hugh Mackay. Consumption and Everyday life. Sage Publications, The Open University. pp. 4-30 (1997).
This book addresses the complexities of consumption and everyday life. How consumption is related to Identity and how consumption is deeply embedded in society.
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