Contemporary Consumption Rituals: A Research Anthology

Cele C. Otnes, Tina M. Lowrey

Taylor & Francis, May 20, 2004 - Business & Economics - 360 pages

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 Psychology series:

• 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.

Contents

• Holidays and Consumption: 37
• Wedding Rituals Across Cultures: 123
• Gift Exchange: 179
• Pushing the Boundary of Ritual: 267
• Afterword: 313
• Author Index: 321
• Subject Index: 329

Bibliographic information

• Title: Contemporary Consumption Rituals: A Research Anthology; Marketing and Consumer Psychology Series
• Editors: Cele C. Otnes, Tina M. Lowrey
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis, 2004
• ISBN: 1135635625, 9781135635626
• Length: 360 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Consumer Behavior; Business & Economics / Marketing / General; Psychology / General; Psychology / Industrial & Organizational Psychology; Psychology / Social Psychology; Social Science / Customs & Traditions; Social Science / Sociology / General