IBSS Scholar Explores "Materialities of Care" in Daily Items

Recently, a research paper by Dr Daniel Hampson from International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) titled “Fragile (hi)stories: Materialities of care in everyday life” has been published in the prestigious academic journal Sociology. The study explores the pivotal role of everyday objects in emotional expression and value transmission, providing a fresh theoretical perspective for marketing and consumer behavior research.

Dr Hampson’s research focuses on inherited and purchased everyday objects, investigating how they serve as conduits for expressing care, values, and identity. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in UK second-hand markets, the study reveals that consumers engage in curatorial practices—acquiring, displaying, and preserving items—to convey care for family, community, and social causes. These practices endow objects with symbolic and emotional value, thereby shaping patterns of consumption, gifting, and resale.

The research identifies three mechanisms of value creation through objects: inherited items sustain kinship bonds and caring narratives; collective curatorial practices preserve social historical memories; and “surrogate objects” enable individuals to construct ethical or aspirational identities. This finding indicates that contemporary consumption is shifting from pursuing novelty and social status to emphasizing meaning-making, storytelling, and emotional continuity.

For marketing professionals, the study offers significant practical guidance. Brands can position products as vessels for emotional connection, enhancing consumer loyalty through heritage branding, storytelling, or designs that foster long-term emotional attachment. Additionally, the growing market for vintage, circular, and sustainable goods reflects consumers’ desire to express care through material choices. Brands must prioritize authenticity, continuity, and value resonance to build more enduring consumer relationships.

This research redefines the significance of objects in daily life, framing them as living symbolic symbols within moral economies of care. Its findings not only deepen the understanding of the emotional logic behind consumer behavior but also provide theoretical support for brands to align with consumers’ deep-seated needs and implement sustainable marketing strategies.

Daniel Hampson earned his PhD from the University of Manchester in 2014, where he served as a Lecturer in Marketing until 2018. He later joined the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, where he worked until 2021 before taking up his current position as Associate Professor at IBSS. Daniel’s research lies at the intersection of macroeconomics, consumer psychology, and marketing. His work has been published in leading journals, including Sociology, Journal of Business Ethics, Psychology & Marketing, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, and Journal of Business Research, among others. In his teaching, he focuses on Corporate Reputation, Communication, and Strategy.

Founded in 1967, the Sociology journal is the official publication of the British Sociological Association and one of the top academic journals in the field of sociology in the UK. It has been rated as an ABS 4 journal in the 2024 Academic Journal Guide (AJG 2024) released by the Association of Business Schools (ABS), and this rating remains consistent with that in the 2021 edition of the guide. Since 2002, the journal has been published by SAGE Publications. It is a bimonthly publication with a peer-review system, and is renowned internationally for publishing high-quality original theoretical and empirical research papers. Its content also includes short research notes, commentaries, and book reviews, covering various topics related to sociology.

In addition, the journal is indexed in databases such as Scopus and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). As one of the three core sociology journals in the UK, it serves as a vital academic exchange platform for sociological researchers around the world.

By Daniel Hampso

Edit by Linlin Xie, Yifei Wu