Choose a product, an object or a consumption activity that is important to you and about which you feel a special fondness.

(a) Write a brief description of that product or object or consumption activity.

(b) Compose a short story explaining why or how you came to feel special affection for the product or object or consumption activity.

(c) Provide a brief self-description in terms of your age, gender, ethnic group, family form, socio-economic status (as you perceive yourself or family), country of origin, and any other information that you consider relevant to your liking for the product or object or activity of interest.

(d) In small groups, share your personal stories. Try and identify the key themes that occurred in your statements.

(e) From your comparison of everyone’s stories, develop a set of themes (with evidence) that your group thinks characterise the phenomenon of self-relevant consumption.

(f) Share your analysis of the themes from your story with the whole class, in order to try and generate a collective view on self-relevant consumption.