Consumption: conceptualization of notion in foreign classical sociology

Abstract

Bases for the concept of “consumption” in foreign classical sociology have been considered. The author’s theoretical scheme of consumption analysis is developed. Approaches to consumption within the framework of structural functionalism at the level of macrosocial analysis are presented – these are class and institutional approaches, based on the principle of social organization and subordination. Social functions of the consumption are the stratification and establishment of control by interested system players. On the level of microsocial analysis, there is a socio-cultural approach based on the principle of identification, and in this case, social functions of consumption are the rationality of subjects in the process of self-realization and establishment of social communications in the context of the value-normative system of culture. As a result of the review of the scientific literature, it has been revealed that, at the moment, there is no consensus among researchers on the adoption of a broad definition of the concept of “consumption” in sociology, since it is usually defined by the context of the study. Based on the analysis of the sociological approaches to the consumption, its definition is formulated as social activity to satisfy material and spiritual needs through acquiring, using, destroying and alienating goods, as a result of which social differences and relations, social structure, institutional influence, value-normative system of culture, social identity, life styles, social connections and communications are determined, established and maintained.