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Bringing Children (and Parents) into the Sociology of Consumption: Towards a Theoretical and Empirical Agenda

Martens, L.; Southerton, D.; Scott, S.

Authors

L. Martens

D. Southerton

S. Scott



Abstract

The sociology of consumption pays relatively little detailed and systematic theoretical attention to children, while the sociology of childhood tends to view children’s consumption through what can be called the ‘production of consumption’ approach. This is surprising given the range of empirical and theoretical debate in the sociology of consumption, where ‘mode of consumption’,‘consumption as aesthetics’ and ‘material culture’ represent a further three approaches. By bringing together the sociologies of childhood and consumption, a framework for empirical research is advanced. Four inter-related themes are suggested: learning to consume; lifestyle and identity formation; children’s engagements with material culture; and the parent-child relationship. It is argued that such a framework offers scope to further understandings of how cultures of consumption impact on children, children and parents, and construct notions of childhood. A focus on children’s consumption also represents an opportunity to clarify key processes of influential theories of social change

Citation

Martens, L., Southerton, D., & Scott, S. (2004). Bringing Children (and Parents) into the Sociology of Consumption: Towards a Theoretical and Empirical Agenda. Journal of Consumer Culture, 4(2), 155-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540504043680

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date 2004-07
Deposit Date Aug 8, 2008
Journal Journal of Consumer Culture
Print ISSN 1469-5405
Electronic ISSN 1741-2900
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 4
Issue 2
Pages 155-182
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540504043680
Keywords Adulthood, Agency, Anxieties, Childhood, Identity, Lifestyle, Material culture, Structure.