“I got the power!”: An exploration of contemporary fetishism

Ziyed Guelmami ()
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Ziyed Guelmami: ICD International Business School Paris

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Abstract: Purpose - This paper aims to discuss the concept of fetishism as an important but understudied kind of magical relationship to objects. Fetishism in the context of contemporary consumption is conceptualized as a multilayered construct underlining the attribution of an aura and magical power to a product to achieve personal goals. Design/methodology/approach - In total, 15 in-depth interviews were conducted to highlight contextual factors influencing the emergence of fetishism in contemporary consumption, to underline the instrumental and aspirational dimensions of fetishism and to provide a definition of contemporary product fetishism. Findings - The results show that fetishism appears as fragmented and unstable magical beliefs toward products related to a need to cope with uncertain and important aspirational situations. Originality/value - The paper provides a multidisciplinary approach of fetishism to provide insights regarding this phenomenon and its manifestations in the context of contemporary consumption.

Keywords: Fetishism; Meaning; Value; Magical thinking; Transformation expectations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-11-11
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Published in Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 2019, 22 (5), pp.781-795. ⟨10.1108/QMR-12-2016-0124⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03549301

DOI: 10.1108/QMR-12-2016-0124

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