A Spatial Voyage into Consumer Culture Theory

Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) has offered considerable insight into the places and spaces in which we consume, and into the places and spaces that are themselves consumed. The paper demonstrates that CCT researchers have not... [ view full abstract ]

Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) has offered considerable insight into the places and spaces in which we consume, and into the places and spaces that are themselves consumed. The paper demonstrates that CCT researchers have not really engaged with the theoretical distinctions between place and space, and, as a result, have tended to conflate the two concepts. Therefore we turn to the broader social sciences to provide clarity on place and space denoting how CCT has engaged with either concept. This is a worthwhile endeavour not only to conceptually distinguish between these concepts but also because spatial analytical frameworks we argue may be of use in re-balancing the epistemological bias towards agency over structure in CCT. One framework which is worth consideration is Henri Lefebvre's triadic of social space.