Consumption as an economic and sociological category: an empirical analysis based on household budget statistics

The paper implements an economic and sociological approach to the interpretation of the social phenomenon of consumption. This refers to providing for the needs of the individual and realizing his or her desire to construct a certain way of life. Through consumer practices-symbols that become habitual and routine-the individual is incorporated into the established system of social or group norms, rules and values. The household budget surveys conducted by Rosstat reveal that consumption of priority or compulsory products and services (foodstuffs and housing and public utility services), which have a long shelf life or have become widely used in recent years by all households regardless of income levels (computers, smartphones, communication services), is poorly differentiated in modern society. In low-income households, obsolete categories of goods are being replaced by their modern counterparts; this process can be considered as a desire to “be in the trend”, as a symbolic consumption. It comes at the expense of lower costs for non-original goods and savings to the family budget by avoiding goods and services of low symbolic status that are “unnecessary” to sustain the household.