Toward an Economic Sociology of Household Consumption

• In Event: 571 - Section on Economic Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 13. Theories of Economic Action and Comprehension

Abstract

This article proposes an economic sociology of household consumption. Previous sociological research has considered consumption primarily as a cultural phenomenon, focusing on it use by individuals as a symbolic marker of social distinction. As a result, the more practical aspects of consumption—the use of limited resources to acquire everyday necessities like food, heating, electricity, or transportation—have been relatively ignored. In this article, I rely on work by anthropologist Mary Douglas to propose a broader household-level approach to consumption that incorporates both symbolic and practical concerns. Drawing on two specific elements of Douglas’ theory—a substantive model of household consumption and a theoretical categorization of goods and services—I propose a model for understanding household expenditures that covers the entire range of available goods and services, rather than cultural goods only. I test substantive predictions from this model using data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey and find strong support for this approach. My results also suggests that the primary determinants of cultural consumption (cultural capital and social status) have relatively little impact on household expenditures for more practical goods and services. Economic status is the primary determinant of household spending patterns in the United States.

Author

• Raphael Charron-Chenier, Duke University