Identification incubators: reflexivity in consumer book clubs

ABSTRACT

We examine how consumers engage in reflexivity related to their ongoing process of identification within book clubs. The ongoing nature of identification processes, coupled with the conditions associated with liquid modernity, results in a cycle of self-reflexive doubt where consumers grapple with existential questions as they reflect on their lives. Through an examination of book clubs, we show that consumers engage in reflexive practices within the day-to-day setting of a book club. To do this, consumers engineer their clubs into identification incubators – controlled environments in which consumers engage in reflexivity related to their identification processes. We show that by turning book clubs into incubators, consumers are able to capitalize on two reflexive resources – books and other club members – to thoughtfully reflect on their lives. We note, however, that maintaining the incubator is often stressful for consumers and can lead to tensions between club members.

KEYWORDS:

• Identification
• self-reflexive doubt
• identification incubators
• reflexivity

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Stacey Baker, Fleura Bardhi, Robin Canniford, Yannik St. James, and the CCT students and faculty at Smith School of Business for their extremely useful comments on previous versions of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Tandy Chalmers Thomas is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, Canada.

Jay M. Handelman is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Faculty at Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, Canada.

Martin A. Pyle is Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University.