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Symbolic Consumption and the Social Construction of Product Characteristics

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  • Ulrich Witt

Abstract

As recognized since long, consumption serving to signal social status, group membership, or self-esteem is a socially contingent activity. The corresponding expenditures are motivated mainly by the symbolic value they have for transmitting the signal. However, this presupposes some form of social coordination on what are valid, approved symbols. Unlike consumption not serving signaling purposes, the technological characteristics of the goods and services consumed may be secondary – what counts is their socially agreed capacity to function as a symbol. The paper discusses in detail the cognitive underpinnings of social agreement on consumption symbols and a model of their spontaneous emergence.

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  • Ulrich Witt, 2008. "Symbolic Consumption and the Social Construction of Product Characteristics," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2008-15, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
  • Handle: RePEc:esi:evopap:2008-15
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    Cited by:

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    3. Schulz, Jan & Mayerhoffer, Daniel M., 2021. "A network approach to consumption," BERG Working Paper Series 173, Bamberg University, Bamberg Economic Research Group.
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    7. Claudius Graebner & Stephan Puehringer, 2021. "Competition universalism: Its historical origins and timely alternatives," ICAE Working Papers 125, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    8. Liselot Hudders & Mario Pandelaere, 2012. "The Silver Lining of Materialism: The Impact of Luxury Consumption on Subjective Well-Being," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 411-437, June.
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    10. Kenza El Qaoumi & Pascal Le Masson & Benoit Weil & Aytunç Ün, 2017. "Testing Evolutionary Theory of Household Consumption Behavior in the case of Novelty – Product characteristics approach," Post-Print hal-01619967, HAL.
    11. Claudius Gräbner, 2017. "The Complementary Relationship Between Institutional and Complexity Economics: The Example of Deep Mechanismic Explanations," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(2), pages 392-400, April.
    12. Carina Altreiter & Claudius Graebner & Stephan Puehringer & Ana Rogojanu & Georg Wolfmayr, 2020. "Theorizing competition: an interdisciplinary framework," ICAE Working Papers 120, Johannes Kepler University, Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy.
    13. Wolfhard Kaus, 2012. "Beyond Engel s Law - Pursuing an Engelian Approach to Welfare A Cross Country Analysis," Jena Economics Research Papers 2012-028, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    14. Benoît Desmarchelier & Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2017. "Economic growth, business cycles and products variety: exploring the role of demand satiety," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 503-529, July.
    15. Kenza Qaoumi & Pascal Masson & Benoit Weil & Aytunç Ün, 2018. "Testing evolutionary theory of household consumption behavior in the case of novelty - a product characteristics approach," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 437-460, April.
    16. Magdalena Bekk & Matthias Spörrle & Franziska Völckner & Erika Spieß & Ralph Woschée, 2017. "What is not beautiful should match: how attractiveness similarity affects consumer responses to advertising," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 509-522, December.
    17. Gräbner, Claudius, 2016. "From realism to instrumentalism - and back? Methodological implications of changes in the epistemology of economics," MPRA Paper 71933, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Choi, Dayeon & Seo, Yuri & Septianto, Felix & Ko, Eunju, 2022. "Luxury customization and self-authenticity: Implications for consumer wellbeing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 243-252.
    19. Vasil Stoyanov, 2018. "Empirical Testing of the Non-Satiation Axiom in the Consumer Choice Theory," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 1, pages 3-38.
    20. Witt, Ulrich, 2021. "Does sustainability-promoting policy making reduce our welfare?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    21. Peng Jing & Gang Xu & Yuexia Chen & Yuji Shi & Fengping Zhan, 2020. "The Determinants behind the Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-26, February.
    22. Andrea Borsato & Andre Lorentz, 2023. "Open Science vs. Mission-oriented Policies and the Long-run Dynamics of Integrated Economies: An Agent-based Model with a Kaldorian Flavour," Working Papers of BETA 2023-17, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    23. Steven D. Silver, 2016. "A QUAIDS Model of Need-Based Structure in U.S. Personal Consumption 2006–2012," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 44(3), pages 303-323, September.

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