How Do Consumers Express Their Identity through the Choice of Products That They Buy?

This working paper is produced for discussion purposes only. The papers are expected to be published in due course, in revised form and should not be quoted without the author's permission. Management's optimal financial contracts, the degree of alignment with investors, and the 'carrot and stick' role of debt. Are you still here?: Reconciling patient access and GP effectiveness in the management of a large medical practice: a case study using QPID Managing the careers of IT professionals: A competing identity perspective 2003.17 Catherine Phillips How do consumers express their identity through the choice of products that they buy? 5 ABSTRACT It has been argued that what we consume defines who we are. This paper begins by describing traditional theories of consumption, which propose that consumption is based upon utility. These theories are compared with the alternative idea that people consciously or unconsciously base their consumption activities upon identity construction. The idea that possessions are important because of the role that they play as extended consumption items is then discussed with reference both to how people traditionally display their possessions and how the loss of possessions affects the self. Belk's (1988) work on the 'extended self' is presented to highlight the important link between identity and consumption, particularly in terms of how people incorporate items into their personal identity. This leads to a discussion on multiple selves and the potential for an identity to be changed via consumption, along with the relationship between group membership and consumption. Finally, in order to illustrate and explain the relationship between consumption and identity, the role of food in identity formation through consumption is presented in detail.