Professionalized consumption and identity transformations in the field of eSports

Professionalized pursuits have been theorized to offer durable benefits to consumers, such as a sense of self-actualization and identity development. In a situated investigation of an organized and competitive approach to playing computer games, labeled as “electronic sports” or “eSports,” we explore the social world and self-concept dynamics underlying this form of consumer behavior. The findings highlight that professionalized pursuits can be conceived as distinct fields of cultural production, characterized by the unique ethos that juxtaposes this form of consumption against both casual leisure and work. Furthermore, the consumer transformations within these fields occur by embarking on a serious leisure career, through which the consumer journeys away from the mainstream culture toward becoming a skilled adherent of the professionalized consumption field and then toward reconciling these pursuits with other important aspects of his or her life. The paper contributes to the marketing literature by deepening our understanding of the self-concept and social dynamics resulting from participation in professionalized pursuits in the context of contemporary consumer culture. Directions for future research are also discussed.