Towards a sociology of consumption in Malta

Abstract

Most Maltese, upon being asked to identify a key characteristic
\nfeature of the social formation they inhabit, would probably
\nmention the relatively recent emphasis on the consumption of
\ndurable and non-durable goods. Of course, persons must
\nconsume in order to satisfy 'basic needs'. What is of sociological
\ninterest is first of all the way such 'needs' have been defined
\nhistorically and cross-culturally, for there is very little which is
\nnatural or essential about the way in which modern persons
\nconsume goods and services which many consider they cannot
\ndo without. As Bocock (1992, p. 122) correctly argues, 'basic
\nneeds are not easy to specify in detail, and, in any case, they
\nnever arise outside a social, cultural, historical context'. Secondly, sociological inquiry focuses on the way the
\noverproduction of goods in modern society generates a culture of
\nconsumerism. Thirdly, this shift in culture is interrogated in
\norder to explore the meaning that consumption has for the
\nconsumer and for groups of consumers.
\nAll three aspects are of interest and relevance to the study of
\nMaltese society, and each is addressed systematically in the
\nfollowing sections.