Consumption as Identity

The idea that consumption is identity was presented in the lecture and is also found in one of the readings for this week: "(Un)sustainable Consumption" by Burgess et al. This idea makes sense to me and I see it all around. An important part of identity creation is symbol use, and consumption can be a way of displaying symbols. Our shoes, the way we style our hair, our car (but also our bicycle or bus pass) are symbols that all send messages. We consume as a way to identify ourselves.

It gets interesting when we leave what is called our 'home' culture (where we are most comfortable and, usually, the place we identify with) and enter a new culture. The symbols are different, and what we present about ourselves doesn't always translate - or it does translate, but means something completely different. Also, in a new culture, it is hard to read people - to get a feeling for who they are and what they are saying about themselves - since we don't understand the symbols they are using.

The trouble comes when we want consumption to slow down. How do we change the symbolic value of those consumables that are ‘inappropriate’, as Burgess et al. call it? Is it possible to change the social value of certain symbols? I suppose it is possible, but it would take quite a lot for the car to lose the symbolic value that it has.

Imagine if the following had no social value at all? What would the world be like if they had negative social value?