ABSTRACT
In developed world economies, goods are ubiquitous. As Douglas and Isherwood observed, material consumption stands as the ‘arena in which culture is fought over and licked into shape’ (1979: 57). In this way, goods are constitutive of contemporary forms of sociality, not merely accompanying artefacts. They are ‘social relations made durable’ (Miller, 1998: 19). Yet the manner in which durable household goods are used has changed over time. Cooper (2010), for instance, contends that structural elements within the economy, as well as consumer expectations, have re-oriented themselves toward material goods having ever shorter life spans. The sustainability impacts of this shift are widespread, from more material resources used in their production, as well as more waste generated when they are (more quickly) disposed of. Similarly, Rifkin (2000) argues that regimes of economic activity are increasingly shifting away from long-term ownership of goods. However, he views this as a more fundamental shift toward ‘The Age of Access’, whereby consumers will come to own less durable goods than in the past. Instead, consumers will engage in short-term leases, rentals, memberships, and other service agreements to fulfil their material needs. In such an economy, objects are valued primarily for their contribution to enabling certain experiences and practices, rather than being valued in and of themselves. Whilst one could argue that this situation already exists, or even that it has for some time, Rifkin sees an acceleration of this trend at the expense of long term ownership of material objects. One example of this trend lies in the maturing concept of ‘collaborative consumption’. The advent of online communication (particularly mobile devices) and peer-to-peer channels for exchanging goods and services has facilitated new forms of commerce and sociality:
We are now able to match ‘haves’ with ‘wants’ online, reducing geographical boundaries. This has the potential to create an opportunity for efficient exchanges and generates the social glue to build trust between strangers, eliminating the need for middlemen and bureaucratic barriers.
