IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/jconsa/v55y2021i3p911-938.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Toward a “human being to commodity model” as an explanation for men's violent, sexual consumption of women

Author

Listed:
  • Marie A. Yeh
  • Meike Eilert
  • Aphrodite Vlahos
  • Stacey Menzel Baker
  • Tony Stovall

Abstract

This research proposes a consumer behavior model that highlights how women may be valuated across a continuum of living human being to commodity. We use the social epidemic of men's sexual violence against women to build a model that reframes sexual violence as men's violent consumption of women. Our model describes the process through which men can think about women as a commodity. We propose different paths through which commoditization occurs—men perceiving women as instrumental, interchangeable, and violable, as well as denying their subjectivity and autonomy—which can lead to violent consumption (the commitment of sexual violence). While sexual violence is a complex problem that defies easy solutions, we believe our nuanced and concrete model is more informative to actions to stop sexual violence than existing theories. We also discuss the role of other factors, including the marketplace, in enabling, attenuating, and reversing this process.

Suggested Citation

  • Marie A. Yeh & Meike Eilert & Aphrodite Vlahos & Stacey Menzel Baker & Tony Stovall, 2021. "Toward a “human being to commodity model” as an explanation for men's violent, sexual consumption of women," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 911-938, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jconsa:v:55:y:2021:i:3:p:911-938
    DOI: 10.1111/joca.12383
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12383
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/joca.12383?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Thiemo Fetzer & Stephan Kyburz, 2024. "Cohesive Institutions and Political Violence," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(1), pages 133-150, January.
    2. Fleura Bardhi & Giana M. Eckhardt & Eric J. Arnould, 2012. "Liquid Relationship to Possessions," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 39(3), pages 510-529.
    3. Belk, Russell W, 1988. "Possessions and the Extended Self," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 15(2), pages 139-168, September.
    4. Melissa Farley, 2018. "Risks of Prostitution: When the Person Is the Product," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(1), pages 97-108.
    5. Steinfield, Laurel & Sanghvi, Minita & Zayer, Linda Tuncay & Coleman, Catherine A. & Ourahmoune, Nacima & Harrison, Robert L. & Hein, Wendy & Brace-Govan, Jan, 2019. "Transformative intersectionality: Moving business towards a critical praxis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 366-375.
    6. Bouffard, Leana Allen, 2010. "Exploring the utility of entitlement in understanding sexual aggression," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 38(5), pages 870-879, September.
    7. Nicholas Epley, 2018. "A Mind like Mine: The Exceptionally Ordinary Underpinnings of Anthropomorphism," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 3(4), pages 591-598.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Karin Brondino-Pompeo, 2021. "Mapping spheres of exchange: a multidimensional approach to commoditization and singularization," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 11(1), pages 81-95, June.
    2. Masset, Julie & Decrop, Alain, 2016. "“God, I have so many ashtrays!” Dependences and dependencies in consumer–possession relationships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 94-109.
    3. Mikkel Nøjgaard & Cristiano Smaniotto & Søren Askegaard & Ciprian Cimpan & Dmitry Zhilyaev & Henrik Wenzel, 2020. "How the Dead Storage of Consumer Electronics Creates Consumer Value," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Donald R. Lehmann & Jeffrey R. Parker, 2017. "Disadoption," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 7(1), pages 36-51, June.
    5. Myriam Ertz & Fabien Durif & Manon Arcand, 2019. "A conceptual perspective on collaborative consumption," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 9(1), pages 27-41, June.
    6. Alabed, Amani & Javornik, Ana & Gregory-Smith, Diana, 2022. "AI anthropomorphism and its effect on users' self-congruence and self–AI integration: A theoretical framework and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    7. Sabrina V. Helm & Victoria Ligon & Tony Stovall & Silvia Riper, 2018. "Consumer interpretations of digital ownership in the book market," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 28(2), pages 177-189, May.
    8. Kumar, Jitender, 2024. "Psychological mechanisms behind access-based luxury brand consumption: Empirical investigation from the lens of new ownership paradigm," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    9. Mike Molesworth & Rebecca Watkins & Janice Denegri-Knott, 2016. "Possession Work on Hosted Digital Consumption Objects as Consumer Ensnarement," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(2), pages 246-261.
    10. Khalek, Sk Abu & Chakraborty, Anirban, 2023. "Access or collaboration? A typology of sharing economy," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 186(PA).
    11. Cait Lamberton & Kelly Goldsmith, 2020. "Ownership: A Perennial Prize or a Fading Goal? A Curation, Framework, and Agenda for Future Research [“Sharing-Dominant Logic? Quantifying the Association between Consumer Intelligence and Choice o," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 47(2), pages 301-309.
    12. Loussaïef, Leïla & Ulrich, Isabelle & Damay, Coralie, 2019. "How does access to luxury fashion challenge self-identity? Exploring women's practices of joint and non-ownership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 263-272.
    13. Giovanna Magnani & Beatrice Re, 2020. "Lived experiences about car sharing in young adults: Emerging paradoxes," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2020(2), pages 207-229, September.
    14. Giovanna Magnani & Tommaso Bertolotti & Antonella Zucchella, 2018. "Cognitive aspects of car sharing in Millennials. Active sharers and reluctant users," MERCATI & COMPETITIVIT?, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(1), pages 39-62.
    15. Bernd Schmitt, 2019. "From Atoms to Bits and Back: A Research Curation on Digital Technology and Agenda for Future Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 46(4), pages 825-832.
    16. Giovanna Magnani & Beatrice Re, 0. "Lived experiences about car sharing in young adults: Emerging paradoxes," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-23.
    17. Kim, Juran & Kang, Seungmook & Bae, Joonheui, 2022. "Human likeness and attachment effect on the perceived interactivity of AI speakers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 797-804.
    18. Shiri Melumad & Michel Tuan Pham & Darren W Dahl & Amna Kirmani & Peter R Darke, 2020. "The Smartphone as a Pacifying Technology [Diagnostic Instruments for Behavioural Addiction: An Overview]," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 47(2), pages 237-255.
    19. Leah Warfield Smith & Randall Lee Rose & Alex R. Zablah & Heath McCullough & Mohammad “Mike” Saljoughian, 2023. "Examining post-purchase consumer responses to product automation," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(3), pages 530-550, May.
    20. Rosenbaum, Mark S. & Ramirez, Germán Contreras & Campbell, Jeffrey & Klaus, Philipp, 2021. "The product is me: Hyper-personalized consumer goods as unconventional luxury," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 446-454.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:jconsa:v:55:y:2021:i:3:p:911-938. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0022-0078 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.