What Does “Not Possessing” Mean?
This paper aims to assist with better conceptualisation of the meanings of not-possessing by reviewing literature on materialism and anti-consumption in relation to the symbolic meaning of possessions. Literature on anti-consumption is classified as ‘anti-consumption by preference’ and ‘anti-consumption by rejection’. Whilst ‘anti-consumption by preference’ paradoxically requires some level of consumption, ‘anti-consumption by rejection’ implies moving away from possessions as sources of meaning. It is proposed that the understudied research context of eco-communities, where inhabitants commit to sharing, would help theorise meanings of not-possessing as well as utopian spaces of escape from consumerism.
Citation:
Itir Binay (2011) ,"What Does “Not Possessing” Mean?", in E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9, eds. Alan Bradshaw, Chris Hackley, and Pauline Maclaran, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 1.
Authors
Itir Binay, Monash University, Australia
Volume
E - European Advances in Consumer Research Volume 9 | 2011
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