Brave New World

Modern academic interest in shopping and consumption in developed societies came from a number of disciplines and included a diverse range of writers such as Bowlby (1985, 2000), Campbell (1987) and Williams (1982). Often there was an attempt to explore and understand the cultural impact of fundamental social, political and economic change. Importantly, modern consumption, and its most visible expression as shopping, was frequently seen as the defining manifestation of a new mode of living. Shopping and consumption were viewed as no less than the primary expression of a modern capitalist system.

Writers such as Bowlby and Campbell tend to focus on the emergence of the ‘modern’ era – a time when economic progress facilitated mass manufacture. With mass manufacture, they said, came the possibility of mass consumption. With the possibility (and reality) of mass consumption came the need for a new form of retailing that could cater for the newly unleashed demand. Modern retailing was born and in its wake followed a new, highly visible practice: shopping.

Given this connection between macro forces and micro-behaviours, the argument goes, through shopping we can begin to understand the social and cultural factors that help shape individuals, families and societies. Shopping and consumption offer us a window into our social and cultural worlds and this is of use and interest to us as professional watchers of people. However, it also works in reverse: a big picture perspective on cultural and social worlds offers us a window into the worlds of shopping and consumption.

The value of work such as this to commercial researchers is that it challenges us to examine things we take for granted – like the heritage of the places and spaces we now see all around us; the supermarkets, shopping malls, high streets and boot sales of modern life. In particular, we could ask what ‘ethic’ or ‘code’ drives contemporary shopping spaces in developed societies?

We could also ask what ‘ethic’ drives the activity of contemporary shopping itself. There are many possible answers, from the need for expressive consumption (I am what I wear) to the anxious compulsion to care and provide for others (see DeVault, 1991). Combining these theories and conceptualisations with our own pragmatic experience as researchers is a potentially powerful recipe.
 

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