The social psychology of material possessions cover

The social psychology of material possessions

by Helga Dittmar

Individual ownership of material possessions is deeply rooted in Western culture, yet psychology has tended either to overlook its role entirely or to be concerned only with the functions it fulfils intra-individually and interpersonally. This book addresses the sorely neglected subject of the social psychological meanings and functions of possessions and property. Their significance is examined in reviews of relevant research and discussion of theoretical perspectives. Instinctual and functional explanations of the relationship between people and their 'things' are considered, and a social constructionist approach is introduced which argues that the symbolic nature of material objects plays an important role for the owner's social and personal identity. The author draws upon sources from diverse fields, including consumer research, sociology, anthropology and psychology, to explore the link between identity and possessions. These materials are supplemented by her own original research. The emerging 'identity through possessions' model is related to the contemporary Western notion of identity as wealth-unrelated individuality, and implications of the proposition that material symbols constitute a pervasive context of social psychological processes are discussed. The Social Psychology of Material Possessions will serve both as a supplementary textbook for undergraduate psychology students and as an intriguing essay for social psychologists.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?