The fool, the hero, and the sage: narratives of non-consumption as role distance from an urban consumer-self

Nixon, Elizabeth

Abstract

One fruitful perspective with which to think differently about the consuming subject in affluent capitalist societies can be found in the field of non-consumption. Whilst ‘choices’ not to buy, own and use are often tacit in analyses of social class dynamics, identity expression, and consumer resistance, here we adopt the dramaturgical perspective of Erving Goffman to argue that forms of non-consumption may occur within expressions of role distance. Our interpretive analysis of interview narratives identifies three imagoes - the fool, the hero and the sage - that our informants reproduced to disaffiliate from a virtual self generated by participation in the shopping situations dominating many urban centres. We conclude that buying and consuming less in ‘everyday’ contexts may require the performance of alternative, culturally-available personas, and that role distance can signify alienation from a consumer role or, conversely, constitute a defence against actual attachment to it.

Citation

Nixon, E. (2020). The fool, the hero, and the sage: narratives of non-consumption as role distance from an urban consumer-self. Consumption, Markets and Culture, 20(1), 44-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2018.1467317

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 10, 2018
• Online Publication Date: May 30, 2018
• Publication Date: 2020
• Deposit Date: Apr 11, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 1, 2019
• Journal: Consumption Markets & Culture
• Print ISSN: 1025-3866
• Electronic ISSN: 1477-223X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 20
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 44-60
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2018.1467317
• Keywords: Goffman, imago, narrative, non-consumption, role distance, shopping
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/934699
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10253866.2018.1467317
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Consumption, Markets and Culture on 30 May 2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10253866.2018.1467317
• Contract Date: Apr 11, 2018