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This study explores how heirlooms, usually regarded as objects of family identity and stability, can also become objects of evolving personal identities and change. Our approach is based on the role of materiality (as well as meanings) and multi-temporality in heirloom consumption. The data generated through interviews, visual sources, and media do...
Citations
... Specifically, materials have been found salient in the contexts of object transformation. This is evident in the study of heirloom rejuvenation, for instance, where consumers engage in 'material' and 'compositional' transformations of heirlooms to create new objects or put objects into a different context, respectively (Türe and Ger 2016). In both cases, materials are essential because they enable and constrain the scope of heirloom rejuvenation. ...
... This underscores the importance of going beyond transformation to understand how consumers actualize matter. It shall extend the existing findings that most frequently associate the salience of matter with object transformations (Godfrey et al. 2022;Gregson et al. 2009;Martin and Schouten 2014;Scaraboto et al. 2016;Seregina and Weijo 2017;Türe and Ger 2016). Here, we ask our second research question: "How do consumers actualize object affordances shaped by materials?" ...
... Adaptation. While certain elements of the environment can be removed or transformed (see Godfrey et al. 2022;Martin and Schouten 2014;Türe and Ger 2016), affordance theory recognizes that most elements of the environment cannot (Gibson 1986). Arguably, the latter applies to most materials, which are permanently attached to a given object throughout its consumption. ...
Glasses and stones, metals and textiles, leathers and plastics…The materials of objects can shape consumption in a variety of ways. Drawing on affordance theory, the authors conceptualize materials as prominent drivers of object affordances, that is, action (im)possibilities with and around objects. First, the authors explain when, how, and what materials drive object affordances. Second, they explain how consumers actualize (or put to use) materials-driven object affordances. This research makes three contributions. First, we propose post-hylomorphism as a novel principle of understanding materiality that recognizes matter as a prominent driver of object affordances. Second, we explicate how the matter-ness of objects increases object agency and reduces consumer agency. Third, we introduce object affordance management as a novel way to understand how consumers manage object affordances by increasing action possibilities while reducing action impossibilities via a range of processes and micro-practices.
... Many preowned objects, like vintage items and antiques, are also associated with more individuality and authenticity because of their unique and unusual character (Guiot & Roux, 2010). Items may additionally carry signs and thus part of the identity of their previous owner like in the case of heirlooms that embody a family's identity (Türe & Ger, 2016). However, by materially altering or repurposing these inherited objects, their meanings are rejuvenated, symbolizing the personal identity of the heir (ibid). ...
... Anti-consumption practices involve reusing, repairing, and creating one's objects or products, i.e., in the case of second-hand consumption (Türe & Ger, 2016) or custodian behavior (Cherrier, 2010). By employing objects in new uses and repairing them, individuals shape their form and meaning (Gregson et al., 2009). ...
... Rather, anti-consumption is characterized by the increased incorporation of possessions into the extended self through individuals' participation in their creation. Anti-consumers extend the life of products by repairing, refurbishing, or upcycling them (Cherrier, 2010;Türe & Ger, 2016). Investing time, creativity and physical Fig. 2 Possessions including de-extension, re-extension and self-extension in increasing degrees of centrality to the extended self of sustainability-concerned anti-consumers (own illustration) labor into the creation or alteration of these material objects incorporates them into the extended self. ...
Belk’s ( Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168, 1988, Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 477–500, 2013) seminal work on possessions and the extended self explains how possessions form and symbolize an individual’s extended self. According to the framework, material possessions play a significant role for the extended self. In recent decades, individuals in consumer societies of the Global North have started to question their consumption patterns and their impact on the natural environment in light of the climate crisis. These individuals engage in anti-consumption practices which aim at reducing environmental impact through reducing and rejecting consumption including the acquisition of material possessions. This paper assesses if Belk’s ( Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139–168, 1988, Journal of Consumer Research, 40(1), 477–500 2013) framework is still applicable in the case of sustainability-concerned anti-consumers and which modifications need to be made to account for a change in consumption patterns. We propose that the self-expressive aspect of the extended self framework remains salient, as the intentional non-consumption by anti-consumers helps them distance themselves from possible undesired selves. Through a de-extension of the self, consumers rely on experiences, people and places which are central to the self rather than on material possessions. The material objects that remain parts of the extended self and that have a symbolic meaning represent their owner’s ethical and pro-environmental values and are often created through upcycling, refurbishing or acquired in second-hand or sharing markets. Since consumers increasingly consider the effects their acquisitions and actions have on the state of the Earth, they re-extend their selves to include experiences and the natural environment as a psychological possession.
... Alternatively, family rituals may include possessions that are transmitted apart from national or cultural events and more aligned with family milestones. Consider intergenerational transmissions of possessions (c.f., Bradford, 2009;Price et al., 2000;Türe and Ger, 2016) where the macro factors may be of lesser consequence. Still, sketching out where and how those factors may be present will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon and influences upon it. ...
... Heirlooms are items that are transferred from one generation to another, typically within a family (Price et al., 2000;Türe & Ger, 2016). ...
... Prior research in this domain has focused on the process through which an object becomes an heirloom and the rituals shaped around passing on heirlooms to future generations (Curasi et al., 2004;Kessous et al., 2017;Price et al., 2000;Türe & Ger, 2016). A common process is when an older generation possessor passes an item to its next owner in the form of a gift (Kessous et al., 2017). ...
... Qualitative: Interviews Intergenerationally gifted assets (i.e., heirlooms) hold memories, allowing it to possess inalienable wealth. Türe and Ger (2016) Investigate how heirlooms can shift into objects representing personal identity evolvement and change. ...
Choosing the right gift is a common challenge. Despite recent research suggesting that sentimental gifts are most appreciated, it remains unclear of the underlying value of such gifts. The current research examines sentimental gifts in the context of heirlooms and demonstrates that the value of such sentimental gifts comes from their memory value (being a reminder of loved ones) and essence value (being a receptacle of their spiritual presence). These findings emphasize the importance of prior physical contact with an item on the appreciation of heirloom gifts and demonstrates how ordinary store‐bought gifts can benefit from increased appreciation when framed as future heirlooms (being gifted with the intention to be 1 day gifted to future generations). Three experiments find support for these predictions. This research contributes to the understanding of gifting by exploring the mechanisms underlying heirloom gift appreciation and offers guidance to those looking to give gifts that will be well received.
... Consumer research has examined nostalgic consumption, involving collecting and consuming products, artifacts, and paraphernalia associated with the past (Holbrook, 1993). Examples include vinyl records, cars, books, pens, perfume, television programs, food, clothes, watches, jewelry, furniture, toys, memorabilia, photographs, and family heirlooms (Beverland et al., 2021;Brown et al., 2003;Brunk et al., 2018;Curasi et al., 2004;Grayson & Shulman, 2000;Huang & Fishbach, 2021;Loveland et al., 2010;Marcoux, 2017;Price et al., 2000;Sarial-Abi et al., 2017;Sturken, 2007;Türe & Ger, 2016). Certain events may increase consumers' nostalgic feelings. ...
This paper conceptualizes the phenomenon of historizing the present , defined as emphasizing the historical significance of present events and treating the present from the perspective of history. The authors identify four modes of historizing the present (emphasizing that: (1) the present will shape history; (2) the present is a unique moment in history; (3) the present will be remembered in history; (4) the present echoes history) and demonstrate how historizing can be employed by marketers of for‐profit and nonprofit organizations in a variety of contexts. The paper examines the psychological implications of appreciating the historical significance of the present and outlines a research agenda for studying the downstream behavioral consequences of historizing the present across diverse substantive consumer domains. It concludes with an examination of the broader societal implications of historizing the present as well as its implications for consumer well‐being.
... I mean it's only going to look good for 10-12 years if you take care of it and moisturise your skin'. Given the fragility of memory (Steadman et al., 2018), such moisturising regimes exemplify a 'memory protection strategy' to preserve biographical memories (Phillips, 2016), akin to when family heirlooms are refreshed (Türe & Ger, 2016). ...
... For instance, Polly observed how the Egyptian ankh tattoo (Fig. 1) originally acquired to foster embodied memories of an exciting trip to Egypt, now also reminds her of her parents' divorce and a challenging home life at the time of the holiday. Accordingly, tattoos can facilitate the 'restorying' of the self (Patterson, 2018) enabling participants to keep their options open and echoing how new narratives can be layered onto family heirlooms over time (Türe & Ger, 2016). Similarly, Bilbo has several tattoos representing her growing interest in spirituality, including the Buddhist symbol of 'Om' (Fig. 2). ...
This paper builds on growing research in marketing around liquid consumption. Drawing on 31 biographical-style interviews with 18 tattoo consumers, we reveal how individuals' interplays between 'solidity' and 'liquidity' experienced in life-from homelessness to heartbreak-can be navigated and represented through tattoo consumption practices. Given much liquid consumption research is conceptual, a key contribution lies in providing detailed empirical insights into how consumers negotiate perceived solidity and liquidity at the scale of their wider lived experiences through consumption practices. In doing so, the paper moves beyond understandings of a linear shift from solidity to more liquid experiences-or vice versa-by revealing consumers' dynamic negotiations between the two. Our findings also unsettle the typical conceptualisation of tattoos as a solid marketplace offering by demonstrating how tattoos can also encompass more liquid features. Finally, implications for businesses and marketers operating within liquid consumer society are provided.
... In consumer research, tracing is evident in acts of discovery during consumer attempts to trace object provenance (Arsel and Bean 2013) and various burgeoning industries such as DNA testing for genetic ancestry (Hirschman and Panther-Yates 2008). Research has also explored familial traces through inheritance of keepsakes, heirlooms, and gifted assets (Bradford 2009;Curasi, Price, and Arnould 2004;Price, Arnould, and Curasi 2000;Türe and Ger 2016). In these cases, beneficiaries become caretakers or guardians of possessions to maintain inalienable wealth. ...
... Unlike previous work where custodians rejuvenate the past by merging past and present in a relatively neat fusion of family identity (Türe and Ger 2016), urban explorers rejuvenate a past to which they have no familial connection. This results in less coherent temporal layers because new layers of meaning added by urban explorers may prompt forgetting more than remembering. ...
Consumer research has focused on market-mediated efforts to memorialize the past, but this overshadows the issues that arise when consumers, as non-professionals, make the past consumable. Consumer-driven memorialization is defined as consumer engagement with traces of the past in memoryscapes of low market-mediation that creates a complex interplay of remembering and forgetting. Based on an ethnographic study of urban exploration, we theorize that consumer-driven memorialization comprises two practices of tracing and trace-making. Tracing involves consumer attempts to recover traces of the past, while trace-making involves consumer attempts to create traces for the future. Consumers enact multiple roles during consumer-driven memorialization: explorers experience the past, archaeologists materialize the past, artists aestheticize the past, and historians narrate the past. The theorization of consumer-driven memorialization offers three contributions. First, the dimensions of consumer-driven memorialization broaden understanding of what constitutes a consumable past in contexts of low market-mediation. Second, we explain how the ideological and material challenges that emerge in consumer-driven memorialization generate a complex interplay between remembering and forgetting. Third, we shed light on how consumer-driven memorialization is inscribed in space.
... Early conceptions of time as a commodified resource (Graham, 1981) have expanded to studies of sociological notions of time: how it is navigated by consumers (Cotte et al., 2004;Thompson, 1996), variations in experiences of temporal rhythms (Husemann & Eckhardt, 2019;Woermann & Rokka, 2015), and understandings of intertemporal experiences (Robinson et al., 2022;Sherry, 2021;Türe & Ger, 2016;Weinberger et al., 2017). While that research explores temporality in the context of consumer behaviors, there is a need to examine how marketers may explore temporal dimensions in support of consumer rituals. ...
... The university also seeks novel opportunities throughout game day to reinforce its heritage and introduces new ones that increase reveler's ritual commitment. Blackthorn's effort to link the past and future is paralleled in participants' intergenerationally transmitted rituals (Bradford, 2009;Curasi et al., 2004;Diamond et al., 2009;Türe & Ger, 2016). ...
... Blackthorn's perpetuation of traditions parallels participants' intergenerationally transmitted rituals and beliefs, whose context generates a link between past and future (Bradford, 2009;Curasi et al., 2004;Diamond et al., 2009;Türe & Ger, 2016). For this family, the register is at once a chronicle (a chronos dimension) and a commentary, the latter of which inspires both recollection and reflection (a kairos moment). ...
Marketers recognize the contributions that consumer rituals make to their organizations. They endeavor to have such contributions persist as they support consumers in enacting those rituals. This ethnographic study examines the temporal aspects of ritual, termed 'ritual vitality.' We explain how marketers can influence ritual vitality through engagement in the chronos and kairos temporal dimensions of ritual; theorize the relationship between those dimensions; identify the ways in which marketers and consumers interact through a ritual's chronos and kairos temporal dimensions; and theorize how marketers and consumers co-create these experiences as each party guides, aligns with, or detours from one another. This co-creation is central to ritual vitality. Finally, we contribute an understanding of how chronos and kairos temporal dimensions shape, structure, and perpetuate ritual performance, and identify opportunities for marketers and consumers to participate in the synchronization of chronos and kairos temporality and the support of ritual performances that together may result in ritual vitality.
... Subsequently, persons have historically looked outside of their impermanent bodies to the enduring cultural realm to attain a "symbolic legacy" (Cave 2012); extending "post-mortem biographies" (Turley and O'Donohoe 2012) or "post-mortem identities" (Bonsu and Belk 2003) through time. There is, therefore, extensive research recognising how marketplace objects can extend individual and group identities (Belk 1988)potentially beyond the gravesuch as scrapbooks (Phillips 2016); music cassettes (Kuruoğlu and Ger 2015); household objects (Epp and Price 2010;Richardson 2014); souvenirs (Marcoux 2017); and family heirlooms (Curasi, Price, and Arnould 2004;Price, Arnould, and Curasi 2000;Türe and Ger 2016). ...
... Thus, against the uncertainty of the future and fragility of memory (Steadman, Banister, and Medway 2019), memorial tattoos ensured Ufobaby kept memories of family close to him. Because of their importance in preserving memories of the dead, participants were keen to ensure the permanence of their tattoosand the bonds they representby engaging in moisturising routines, akin to the refreshing of family heirlooms to preserve family legacies (Türe and Ger 2016). Natedog, for instance, " … moisturise[s] twice a day … to obviously keep the tattoos in good nick" (Natedog). ...
... However, for participants the body was considered more controllable than other marketplace objects for memorialising the deceased. Although family heirlooms (Türe and Ger 2016) and other household objects (Epp and Price 2010) can attain new and layered narratives, such stories are usually co-created by multiple family members over time. Tattoos, however, are highly customisable from the outset, and their acquisition often entails more involved and prolonged planning processes around design and placement due to tattoo permanence. ...
The body is central to contemporary consumer culture. However, whilst material objects such as family heirlooms can be used by the living to create a sense of immortality for the deceased, little is known about why persons might turn to their own impermanent bodies to create a symbolic legacy for lost loved ones. Drawing on multiple in-depth interviews with eight memorial tattoo consumers, photographs, and a tattoo consumption diary, this paper teases out three unique qualities of the tattooed body in the lives of those left behind: body as intimate, body as entwined, and body as controllable. In foregrounding what makes the body so special, our study holds implications for better understanding the intersecting role of both bodies and marketplace objects in consumers’ memorialisation practices, whilst also addressing the underexplored practice of memorial tattoo consumption.
... Early conceptions of time as a commodified resource (Graham, 1981) have expanded to studies of sociological notions of time: how it is navigated by consumers (Cotte et al., 2004;Thompson, 1996), variations in experiences of temporal rhythms (Husemann & Eckhardt, 2019;Woermann & Rokka, 2015), and understandings of intertemporal experiences (Robinson et al., 2022;Sherry, 2021;Türe & Ger, 2016;Weinberger et al., 2017). While that research explores temporality in the context of consumer behaviors, there is a need to examine how marketers may explore temporal dimensions in support of consumer rituals. ...
... The university also seeks novel opportunities throughout game day to reinforce its heritage and introduces new ones that increase reveler's ritual commitment. Blackthorn's effort to link the past and future is paralleled in participants' intergenerationally transmitted rituals (Bradford, 2009;Curasi et al., 2004;Diamond et al., 2009;Türe & Ger, 2016). ...
... Blackthorn's perpetuation of traditions parallels participants' intergenerationally transmitted rituals and beliefs, whose context generates a link between past and future (Bradford, 2009;Curasi et al., 2004;Diamond et al., 2009;Türe & Ger, 2016). For this family, the register is at once a chronicle (a chronos dimension) and a commentary, the latter of which inspires both recollection and reflection (a kairos moment). ...
Ritual, which connects participants within brand communities, is a vehicle for creating and understanding time. Consumer and marketplace rituals have been theorised with respect to staging, enactment, outcomes, and place-making, but little consideration has been devoted to the timescapes that shape them. The study of time in marketing research is broadening beyond the chronos of chronology to the kairos of apperception or momentous liminality. We analyse distinct and interwoven chronos and kairos temporal strands experienced through the course of the vestaval ritual embedded within a brand community, in a plaiting process that ensures that contrasting temporalities co-exist, leaving the participant unmoored in time and resonant with deep personal significance of the moment. We theorise a temporal plaiting process and interpret its significance for ritual efficacy. We conclude with a discussion of research and managerial implications.