Publication details
Consumerism in Slovak Catholic Homes
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | In order to examine how Roman Catholic villagers in Northern Slovakia relate to consumerism, I juxtapose their opinions on consumerism with their own consumption and spirituality. My informants were afraid that focus on relationships with things will alienate them from relationships with people. However, their opinion on consumerism contradicts their practice focusing on material well-being of families. My informants applied most efforts to household provisioning, building and beautifying of material homes, not considering their consumption as materialistic at all. The reason for this is the relation between homes and Christianity. The centrality of the families for the religion was mostly expressed through the care for their material well-being, and through the focus on home. Since the material home works as the objectification of Catholic families, and care for its materiality is explained as a Christian practice, consumerism itself is tamed, and does not represent the danger of alienation. |