The cultural creation of affect amongst vegan consumers: An ethnographic analysis of online consumption communities

Abstract: This thesis addresses a critical research gap in understanding vegan consumer culture and problematizes dominant theory on consumer culture by establishing the cultural importance of affect towards consumption. These goals are researched in tandem by exploring affective expressions and creations of affective orientations amongst vegans in online consumption communities. An ethnographic study was undertaken using a methodological approach influenced by netnography, focused ethnography, and autoethnography. Affective interactions as data were triangulated between three vegan social media communities based in Sweden, South Korea, and the United States. The empirical research and analysis built upon a conceptual framework synthesizing theory on social affect, collective feelings, affective orientations, and digital prosumption. Theory was generated on types of affective expression amongst vegan consumers and the cultural formation of affective orientations towards consumption. Cultural context and a model of affective value creation were used in understanding how these affective orientations are created. The theoretical contributions include forming an affective understanding of consumer culture, a model for understanding vegan consumer culture, and a linkage between affect theory, consumer culture, and service management.