Contemporary Consumption Rituals : A Research Anthology

by Otnes, Cele C.; Lowrey, Tina M.

• ISBN13: 9781410610720
• ISBN10: 1410610721
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2004-07-22
• Publisher: LAWRENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES, INC.

Summary

Bringing together scholars in consumer behavior, history, anthropology, religious studies, sociology, and communication, this is the first interdisciplinary anthology spanning the topic of ritual studies. It offers a multifaceted exploration of new rituals, such as Celebrating Kwanzaa, and of the ways entrenched rituals, such as Mardi Gras, gift giving, and weddings have changed. Moreover, it examines the influence of both cultures and subcultures, and will enhance our understanding of why and how consumers imbue goods and services with meaning during rituals. In this volume, the first in the Marketing and Consumer Psychologyseries: a religious studies scholar talks about the media representation of ritual; communication scholars discuss the transformational aspects of rituals surrounding alcohol consumption; a marketing scholar demonstrates the relevance of organizational behavior theory to understanding gift-giving rituals in the workplace; and a historian describes how the marketing of Kwanzaa was so integral to its successful adoption.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword

Contributor Biographies

Preface

Consumer Rituals and the Media

Drinking Rituals Among the Heaviest Drinkers: College Student Binge Drinkers and Alcoholics

Consuming Ritual: A&E's Sacred Rites and Rituals

Holidays and Consumption

Ceremonial Disrobement and Moral Choice: Consumption Rituals at Mardi Gras

Kwanzaa: The Making of a Black Nationalist Tradition, 1966-1990

The Evolution, Transformation, and Demise of a Ritual: The Case of May Day

Consumer Fairy Tales of the Perfect Christmas: Villains and Other Dramatis Personae

Wedding Rituals Across Cultures

Love Without Borders: An Examination of Cross-Cultural Wedding Rituals

Dowry: A Cherished Possession or an Old-Fashioned Tradition in a Modernizing Society?

Gift Exchange

Gift Exchange Rituals in the Workplace: A Social Roles Interpretation

In the Spotlight: The Drama of Gift Reception

Ritual Desire and Ritual Development: An Examination of Family Heirlooms in Contemporary North American Households

Pushing the Boundary of Ritual

Moving on to Something Else: The Social Relations of Women During Separation

Sacred Iconography in Secular Space: Altars, Alters, and Alterity at the Burning Man Project

Afterword

Interesting Stuff: A Commentary on Contemporary Consumption Rituals

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