Escape from Burdens of Ownership to Freedom of Access: A Conceptual Framework for Liquid Consumption

Year 2019, Issue: 59, 257 - 276, 03.07.2019

Tuğba Özbölük

https://doi.org/10.26650/JECS433409

Abstract

This paper examines the changes in consumption in the context of liquid consumption in liquid modern times. In the paper, the notion of consumption is analyzed in two dimensions as solid and liquid. Liquid consumption, characterized with values such as flexibility, adaptability and fluidity, represents a more ephemeral and access-based consumption pattern. In the liquid modern world, where relations with consumption objects are more ephemeral and situational, consumers give more emphasis on the use value of objects. Thus, the main argument of the paper shapes around the idea that it becomes more important for consumers to have a temporary use that allows them to have access to the products without owning them. As consumers prefer accessing rather than owning the objects, access gradually becomes more important than ownership. In this respect, liquid consumption is considered to change most of the cornerstones of consumer behavior such as the importance of ownership and the nature of attachment to the objects. In addition, liquid consumption has also implications for conceptualization of consumer identity under liquid conditions. Thus, the paper revisits identity and consumption relation in liquid modernity. The paper suggests that consumers develop liquid identities such as instrumental self or networked-self with liquid consumption.

Keywords

Liquid consumption, liquid modernity, access, ownership

Sahipliğin Sıkıcılığından Erişimin Özgürlüğüne Kaçış: Akışkan Tüketime İlişkin Kavramsal Bir Çerçeve

Abstract

Bu makale akışkan modern zamanlarda tüketimde meydana gelen değişimi akışkan tüketim kavramı bağlamında incelemektedir. Makalede tüketim kavramı katı ve akışkan olmak üzere iki boyutta analiz edilmiştir. Esneklik, uyumluluk ve akıcılık gibi değerlerle karakterize edilen akışkan tüketim, daha geçici ve erişime dayalı bir tüketim biçimini yansıtmaktadır. Tüketim nesneleriyle kurulan ilişkilerin daha geçici ve durumsal olduğu akışkan modern dünyada tüketicilerin önem atfettiği şeyler de daha çok nesnelerin kullanım değeri olmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, bu makalenin temel tezi tüketiciler için ürünlere sahip olmaktan ziyade onlara diledikleri zaman erişebilmelerini sağlayan geçici bir kullanım hakkı edinmenin daha önemli olduğu fikri etrafında oluşmaktadır. Tüketicilerin mal ve hizmetleri sahiplenmekten ziyade, ihtiyaç duydukları an onlara erişmeyi istemeleri, erişimin giderek mülkiyetten daha önemli hale geldiğini göstermektedir. Bu açıdan akışkan tüketimin tüketici davranışında mülkiyetin önemi ve nesnelere yönelik bağlılığın doğası gibi temel taşların çoğunu değiştireceği düşünülmektedir. Ayrıca akışkan tüketim, akışkan modern koşullarda tüketici kimliğinin kavramsallaştırılması açısından da bazı çıkarımlara sahiptir. Bu nedenle bu çalışma akışkan modernitede tüketim ve kimlik ilişkisini de yeniden değerlendirmektedir. Çalışmada tüketicilerin akışkan tüketimle birlikte araçsal benlik ya da ağ tabanlı benlik gibi daha akışkan kimlikler geliştirdikleri ileri sürülmektedir.

Keywords

Akışkan tüketim, akışkan modernite, erişim, mülkiyet, kullanım değeri, kimlik

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