ABSTRACT
The term 'collective consumption' was coined by Castells (1977) to indicate an increasing tendency, throughout most of the twentieth century, for governments in advanced capitalist societies to intervene in the provision of goods and services.1 Collective consumption refers to all collectively organised and managed services consumed via non-market mechanisms and at least partly paid for from the public purse (see Figure 17.1 and Box 17.1). Individuals and households with limited personal resources (i.e. restricted access to private consumption goods and services) may well gauge their quality of life in terms
of the public goods and services available locally. Significantly, the availability and level of consumption of public services vary across space and between social groups in the city. The 'fairness' of the differential distribution of welfare services is a central issue in the concept of social justice.
