Cultural Repertoires of Consumption in Youth Veg-Community (a St. Petersburg Case)

Cultural Repertoires of Consumption in Youth Veg-Community (a St. Petersburg Case)


Arif E.M.

Research Fellow, Center for Youth Studies, National Research University «High School of Economics» in St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Russia elvira.arif@yandex.ru

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This article is based on the materials of the project «Fields of positive interethnic interactions and youth cultural scenes in the Russian cities» supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 15-18-00078.


For citation:

Arif E.M. Cultural Repertoires of Consumption in Youth Veg-Community (a St. Petersburg Case). Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2019. No 10. P. 119-126




Abstract

Neo-tribe is a fluid community in modern societies exemplified by consumer groups. The article analyses the veg-community in Saint-Petersburg and discusses the boundaries of this urban fluid community. The case study was held in Saint-Petersburg. The «cultural food repertoire» notion was used to describe the veg-community. Based on the analysis of veg-repertoires, the boundaries of the community were demarcated through the definition of «close ones», «others» and «aliens». The article presents four types of veg-nutrition cultural repertoire: animal care, healthy lifestyle, religious development and self-development. Omnivores included in the practice of ethical consumption are defined as «others» by members of the veg-community. And omnivorous, hedonistic-oriented consumption is seen as «alien». The analysis suggests that communities formed among young people have a critical consumption basis.


Keywords
youth; critical consumption; veg-community; vegans; vegetarians; raw; nutrition discourses; neo-tribes
Content No 10, 2019