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A clash of modernities : Developing a new value-based framework to understand the mismatch between production and consumption

Wikström, Solveig ; Jönsson, Håkan LU orcid and Decosta, Patrick L Espoir (2016) In Journal of Consumer Culture 16(3). p.824-851
Abstract

This study addresses the enduring problem of the mismatch between firms' offerings and consumers' desires. It combines the general framework of modernity theory with the concept of regimes and uses the food area as the empirical context. Our cultural analytical study of consumers' and firms' articulation of values of food and meal demonstrates that firms are largely entrenched in the modern era, characterized by rationality, resource efficiency, and progress as means to improve human lives by providing more and better products. The consumers, on the other hand, have shifted to the late modern era, identified by risk aversion, local production, naturalism, hedonism, and a focus on identity and everyday life. The study concludes that the... (More)

This study addresses the enduring problem of the mismatch between firms' offerings and consumers' desires. It combines the general framework of modernity theory with the concept of regimes and uses the food area as the empirical context. Our cultural analytical study of consumers' and firms' articulation of values of food and meal demonstrates that firms are largely entrenched in the modern era, characterized by rationality, resource efficiency, and progress as means to improve human lives by providing more and better products. The consumers, on the other hand, have shifted to the late modern era, identified by risk aversion, local production, naturalism, hedonism, and a focus on identity and everyday life. The study concludes that the dichotomy in values and the structural constraints inherent within the contemporary food system explain much of the mismatch between firms and consumers in the Swedish food market. Another reason is that firms have difficulties to respond to new consumer demands. Our results are summarized in a conceptual model of differences in values between firms and consumers. They provide guidelines on how firms can rethink the present structure and better understand consumers.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
food consumption, food production, late modernity, mismatch, modernity, regimes, values
in
Journal of Consumer Culture
volume
16
issue
3
pages
28 pages
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:84994102182
  • wos:000386928300009
ISSN
1469-5405
DOI
10.1177/1469540514528197
project
Cultures of Consumption
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bc7766e9-52a3-4e49-a153-aec1fd637e80
date added to LUP
2016-11-21 09:39:44
date last changed
2024-06-28 19:24:01
@article{bc7766e9-52a3-4e49-a153-aec1fd637e80,
  abstract     = {{<p>This study addresses the enduring problem of the mismatch between firms' offerings and consumers' desires. It combines the general framework of modernity theory with the concept of regimes and uses the food area as the empirical context. Our cultural analytical study of consumers' and firms' articulation of values of food and meal demonstrates that firms are largely entrenched in the modern era, characterized by rationality, resource efficiency, and progress as means to improve human lives by providing more and better products. The consumers, on the other hand, have shifted to the late modern era, identified by risk aversion, local production, naturalism, hedonism, and a focus on identity and everyday life. The study concludes that the dichotomy in values and the structural constraints inherent within the contemporary food system explain much of the mismatch between firms and consumers in the Swedish food market. Another reason is that firms have difficulties to respond to new consumer demands. Our results are summarized in a conceptual model of differences in values between firms and consumers. They provide guidelines on how firms can rethink the present structure and better understand consumers.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wikström, Solveig and Jönsson, Håkan and Decosta, Patrick L Espoir}},
  issn         = {{1469-5405}},
  keywords     = {{food consumption; food production; late modernity; mismatch; modernity; regimes; values}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{824--851}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Journal of Consumer Culture}},
  title        = {{A clash of modernities : Developing a new value-based framework to understand the mismatch between production and consumption}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1469540514528197}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1469540514528197}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}