I shop, therefore who am I? Purchasing, consuming, transmitting and receiving traditions --Tokyo 2020

Abstract

In this study I will consider consumption of goods as an everyday cultural practice in order to analyze its symbolic dimension, along with its contribution to the formation of an individual's social and national identity. The participant observation performed during my work experience (2018-2020) in a wagashi-ya (Japanese confectionery store) will be subjected to analysis. During the two years I have spent working in a wagashi-ya, I had the chance to observe and analyze consumers' expectations and attitudes towards wagashi (Japanese sweets), which are targeted as luxury goods and are associated with high symbolic and cultural value. Moreover, during my work, I was trained in the specific and correct knowledge about Japanese traditions that I had to communicate to the customers. Such participant observation made me question the potential impact that the consumption of cultural goods can have in the transmission of values, in the context of contemporary Japan. The commodification of culture and traditions as a consequence of the phenomenon of national branding (brand-building process which involves symbols and images of a nation) has an inevitable impact on consumers' perception (Dinnie, 2008). On the other hand, the continuous desire for goods reflects both the individuals' need to position themselves in society and the commodification of individuals' identity (Bauman, 2007). Consumption of goods can therefore be considered as a symbolic exchange of values, and I plan to verify, through this case study, to what extent values are transmitted and perceived throughout the act of consumption. I will hereby follow a holistic approach to consumerism, interdisciplinarily adopting concepts from economic anthropology (Douglas 1979, Miller 1998, Campbell 2003), emotional marketing (Boero, 2009), and social semiotics (Bauman, Baudrillard, Featherstone), with the aim of clarifying its role in individuals' identity formation, and suggesting a tentative theoretical framework to explore the potentials of marketing, production and consumption, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).