The Self, Consumption, and Consumer Well-Being

This chapter discusses human flourishing (eudaimonia) to enrich the specific concepts of the self and consumer well-being. A broad multidisciplinary literature review provides a coherent, comprehensive understanding of the self and the role of self-concept in consumption. Within the marketing discipline our contemporary understandings of hedonic consumption, brand community, and consumption of transcendent experiences demonstrate how relevant consumer well-being is to human flourishing as defined in the world of positive psychology. Discussions about the tension between the individual self and the self in society, and how personal and societal well-being connect, weave a thread throughout. What is abundantly clear is the role of consumer goods and services in being a resource conferring a positive sense of self, something that increases as consumer culture spreads. Empirical data underpin the claim made by studies reviewed in this chapter that behavior change is possible at the individual and societal levels. This potential for transformation underpins claims for the relevance and moral legitimacy of seeking to improve consumer well-being. Consumer well-being fits in as part of building resilient, flourishing people. Overall, this chapter demonstrates how understanding the whole human person feeds into the good life that contributes to both consumer well-being and societal well-being.