Nostalgic Consumption: Sociological Analysis

Abstract

The presented paper focuses on the phenomena of «commercialization of nostalgia» which is defined as the use of Soviet attributes, symbols and artefacts in promotion and branding of contemporary market goods. What can be evident for any observer and what was highlighted by Russian scholars is that Soviet stylistics gain popularity within contemporary gastronomy. Authors make an attempt to answer, why do consumers tend to return to the Soviet heritage and how does “nostalgia proneness” emerges. Process of consumption is socially constructed and could not be reduced to individual acts of purchase, since individual choice depends on institutional context. Evolved as a result of combination of institutional factors, consumer habits turn into «behavioral lock-in». Producers have to adapt consumers needs – it is especially significant for new participants in the established market niche. Interdisciplinarity of social sciences makes it possible to operationalize contradictory concepts of memory, past and nostalgia. Gastronomy transfer basic cultural attitudes. Within post-Soviet Russian context it becomes commemorable. By mapping the previous research in the scope of nostalgic consumption as well as conceptualizing the ideas of memory and nostalgia, authors state that the phenomenon should not be reduced to a simple study of the "meanings" and "practices", since these local phenomena are symptoms of broader social and political processes.

Keywords

• nostalgia
• nostalgic consumption
• memory
• commercialization
• Soviet Union
• memorial policy
• sociology of consumption