Hi

I was reading through your postings on ‘unconsumption’, not sure about the term un-consumption vs de-consumption or in the case that someone else finds it useful re-consumption. Material culture studies position it as divestment – personal strategies of ‘getting rid’ of ‘things’.

I am just finishing up a way overdue research thesis that looks socially organised divestment and re-use, in terms of sustainability and design. How can we get more use out of things and more users for things. The research investigates socially organized divestment conduits, the pathways of things. It identifies that people (like yourself) see that there is still an inherent value within ‘things’ but that they are no longer wanted / desired. This causes conflict with present day consumer culture and the high number of commodities in and through our lives. People respond by looking and creating alternative divestment strategies and paths, ways of passing things on, rather than throwing them out. I view it as product sharing, as it is socially orientated rather an a second-hand consumption market and is something were taught as children but become divorced from (but perhaps rediscovering) as adults. In the thesis I look specifically at different models of clothes swapping from designer clothes swapped with virtual strangers to clothes passed between best friends.

I’d be happy to discuss more if anyone is interested.

Dianne

I’m interested in hearing more about the research, yes. Feel free to contact me at murketing AT robwalker DOT net.

Thanks for the feedback.