Consumption in Local/Global Contexts - Locating a Social Phenomenon

Consuming usually is being treated as a component of economic performance. This article proposes a broader understanding of consumption, allowing the consideration of additional dimensions. An analysis of social science publications (mostly in the fields of social and cultural anthropology), contextualizing consumption as an economic, social and political behaviour, represents the centrepiece of the paper. Examples from different cultural contexts are used for discussing the significance of needs and preferences concerning consumer behaviour as well as how consumption can establish social status and create identity. Also the authenticity and originality of consumed goods is being thematized. Furthermore, local consumption patterns in global contexts of society are revealed. A multidimensional view of consumption should provide an understanding that is not reduced to the economy, but allows for social significance, political relevance, and individual variability.