New Normalcy? Consumption and identity between reproduction of social inequalities and social transformation in Brazil

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has been transforming economic, political and social realities into a so-called “new normalcy”. Learning to cope with this contingency requires (re)construction of people’s identity. In this study, we critically analyze the narratives of change and the consumption practices of Brazilians interviewed during the period of social distancing. We follow a critical social-psychological approach based on the works of Fromm, Rosa and Kühn. Our results show that the pandemic encourages people to reflect responsibly on their consumption, but also highlight how consumption contributes to the reproduction of social inequality, leading to polarizations within society.

Linking environmental psychology and critical social psychology: Theoretical considerations toward a comprehensive research agenda

“…During the project, qualitative interviews were conducted in Germany, Austria, and Brazil. The example we will provide in section "Changing meanings of consumption as identity work during the COVID-19 pandemic" refers to the Brazilian sub-study, for which more than 50 problem-centered interviews were conducted between April and May 2020 with Brazilians from different social groups (Kühn et al, 2020). Kühn et al (2020) examined the significance of consumption for one's own identity work in times of social distancing.…”

“…The example we will provide in section "Changing meanings of consumption as identity work during the COVID-19 pandemic" refers to the Brazilian sub-study, for which more than 50 problem-centered interviews were conducted between April and May 2020 with Brazilians from different social groups (Kühn et al, 2020). Kühn et al (2020) examined the significance of consumption for one's own identity work in times of social distancing. In this article, we will emphasize the results that show how the experience of the pandemic can contribute to a changed understanding of oneself and of consumption.…”

“…From a life course perspective, the construction of identity has to be understood as an ongoing development process linked to one's own biography, which takes place as identity work in confrontation with the social world (e.g., Rosa, 1998;Keupp et al, 2002;Ehnis et al, 2015;Kühn, 2015Kühn, , 2020aKühn et al, 2020). In line with this understanding, we can understand identity always as a specific subjective positioning that connects the experience of the present with interpretations of the biographical past and imagined future.…”

“…Especially in linking with approaches of the German sociologist Rosa (1998) and the social psychology group of Keupp et al (2002), Kühn (2020a) proposed to differentiate identity work on three levels, summarized in the normative ABC model of identity (Kühn et al, 2020):…”

“…The identity perspective has been used as theoretical ground to analyze and explore the symbolic meanings that individuals give to consumption and to understand how these meanings have changed during the course of the COVID pandemic. Kühn et al (2020) The concept of biographical planning (adapted from Kühn, 2004).…”