Abstract : Possessions are found to carry meaning throughout life. We examine the roles for possessions when consumers are living with the threat of death. More specifically, we examine the role of possessions for the severely disadvantaged urban consumers who are deprived of most consumer options as they navigate life-threatening diagnoses. Our research questions are twofold: What are the valued possessions of these consumers? How do they use them as a lifeline? Based on in-depth interviews with three socioeconomically challenged HIV positive consumers, we expand our prior understanding of Belk’s (1988) extended self. We identify four approaches individuals employ through vital possessions: inter-personal, intra-personal, compensatory, and sublimating extension of the self. These vital possessions function as a means of coping particularly when individuals are devoid of intimate relationships and empathetic social support.
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Pour citer : Minowa, Y. (2023). Navigating the Shadow of Death: Vital Possessions of Marginalized Consumers. Carnets de la Consommation. https://doi.org/10.48748/0N2D-9350
