Contemporary Consumption Rituals

This book is a compilation of essays discussing different rituals and how they have been used by consumers. The book covers topics such as Kwanzaa, Mardi Gras, and gift-giving rituals. Each essay discusses different aspects of the ritual and how it affects the consumer.

Bringing together scholars in consumer behavior, history, anthropology, religious studies, sociology, and communication, this is the first interdisciplinary anthology spanning the topic of ritual studies. It offers a multifaceted exploration of new rituals, such as Celebrating Kwanzaa, and of the ways entrenched rituals, such as Mardi Gras, gift giving, and weddings have changed. Moreover, it examines the influence of both cultures and subcultures, and will enhance our understanding of why and how consumers imbue goods and services with meaning during rituals. In this volume, the first in the Marketing and Consumer Psychology series: a religious studies scholar talks about the media representation of ritual; communication scholars discuss the transformational aspects of rituals surrounding alcohol consumption; a marketing scholar demonstrates the relevance of organizational behavior theory to understanding gift-giving rituals in the workplace; and a historian describes how the marketing of Kwanzaa was so integral to its successful adoption.