Symbolism: Beyond The Extended Self

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Introduction
In the following essay I will be reviewing and analysing a number of articles in relation to the self in terms of symbolism, the extended self and the beyond the extended self. I will also be further exploring these areas with other articles. “The self originates in the mind of persons and is that which characterizes an individual’s consciousness of his or her own being or identity” (Burke & Stets, 2009, p. 11). The self-concept is made up of three diverse dimensions which are self-esteem, the ideal self and lastly the real self.
Symbolism and the self
Wattanasuwan (2005) describes society today as a consumer culture where we surrond our every day life with consumption. Consumption is thus central to the meaningful practice of …show more content…

“Most consumer researchers were more comfortable with positivistic approaches than interpretive research.” (Ladik, Carrillat, & Tadajewski, 2015, p. 185)
Belk (1988) claims that “knowingly or unknowingly, intentionally or unintentionally, we regard our possessions as parts of ourselves”. (Belk, 1988, p.133) The extended self, according to Belk (1988), consists of our “body, internal processes, ideas, and experiences, and those persons, places, and things to which one feels attached. “ Belk (2013) notes that products/possessions serve as “not only as cues for others to form impressions about us also as markers for individual and collective memory”. (Belk, 2013, p. 478) In essence we are connected to our possessions through emotions. These possessions would be considered part of the extended self if there was linkage to a past experience (i.e. Nostalgia), if we spent a long time obtaining them or if we personalized them. These objects become a part of us. (Relate back to original

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