Glossary
Extended Self
A theory proposing that people may experience selected possessions, places, relationships, and other attachments as connected to their sense of self.
Definition
The extended-self perspective examines how some possessions and associations can help people express, maintain, remember, or develop identity. The concept does not imply that identity is reducible to consumption or that all possessions are equally important.
Origin
Consumer researcher Russell W. Belk articulated the influential extended-self framework in 1988 and later reconsidered it in digital contexts.
Usage in luxury
A personally significant object may represent expertise, heritage, aspiration, community, achievement, or memory. Its identity role depends on the owner's relationship with it, not simply its price or brand.
Examples
- - A craftsperson's tools expressing a practiced identity
- - A family object carrying a story across generations
Related terms
Related reading
Sources and further reading
- Possessions and the Extended Self - Journal of Consumer Research (1988)