Compensatory Consumption and Narrative Identity Theory

ABSTRACT - The theory of narrative identity (Ricoeur, 1984, 1992) suggests that in order to make time human and socially shared, we require a narrative identity for yourself; that is, we make sense of ourselves and our lives by stories we can (or cannot) tell. This paper explores compensatory consumption through the experiences of two adult women and the stories they construct which help them situate themselves in time and place. The function of these stories is examined in relation to the materialisation and maintenance of identity within the context of the women’s lived experience of shopping and compensatory consumption behaviour.

Citation:

Helen Woodruffe-Burton and Richard Elliott (2005) ,"Compensatory Consumption and Narrative Identity Theory", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 32, eds. Geeta Menon and Akshay R. Rao, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 461-465.