we are what we buy (paper)

8/12/2019 We Are What We Buy (Paper)

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Maria Laura Gudio

Collaborative consumption

We Are What We Buy?

Nowadays we live in a world where everything can be bought !very goods we want and

need can be consumed due to their availability and diversity "owever# there is a cost $or this

$reedom% there is an unprecedented amount o$ waste What is more# the planet is running out

o$ resources and they cannot be replaced As a response to these $acts and as a way o$ ta&ing

conscience o$ our consumerist tendencies# a new trend has arisen% collaborative consumption

'achel Bostman and 'oo 'ogers in their boo& Whats Mine is Yours()*+*, de$ine

collaborative consumption as the -traditional sharing# bartering# lending# trading# renting#

gi$ting# and swapping# rede$ined through technology and peer communities.(p +/, 0hat is to

say# people may have started using communication technologies# especially social networ&s

over the 1nternet# to e2change# sell# or share goods and services that a person can spare 0his

new trend is not so new# because3 who has not worn some inherited clothing $rom an older

sibling or cousin? 0he novelty lies in the use o$ social networ&s and other web based pages in

order to do this

But# considering the huge amount o$ advertisements that is being bombarded to us through

the media3 is it possible to stop producing and buying new products? 4ome may argue that

consumerism is necessary to preserve 5ob sources 0he truth is that in current industrial and

technological companies# the processes o$ production are automated so there are not that

many operators wor&ing in the $actories What is more# sometimes repairing a bro&en

appliance can produce more 5ob sources than building a new one

Another ob5ection may also be that appliances today have an e2piration date# so it is

necessary to buy new ob5ects in order not to be le$t out o$ the system 46 7ictor and 4uresh

8umar in their paper -6lanned 9bsolescence : 'oadway to 1ncreasing !;waste in 1ndian

Government 4ector.()*+), state that the automotive sector was the $irst to be accused o$

practicing planned obsolescence in its products -


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Maria Laura Gudio


automa&ers intentionally designed and built models that would rust or su$$er critical

mechanical brea&downs a$ter $ive or si2 years# thus ensuring another sale within a $ew

years.(p //=, 6lanned obsolescence o$ the products is used by companies in order to &eep

the levels o$ production in the $actories and# according to 7ictor and 8umar -the constant

upgrades o$ computer programs have helped bolster the revenue o$ so$tware companies. (p

//=,

A third complaint about this new trend may be the $ear o$ ta&ing the ris& to sell or barter

things with some strange over the computer Bostman and 'ogers ()*+*, state that -most

$orms o$ Collaborative Consumption re>uire us to trust someone we dont &now to di$$erent

degrees. (p +@, A distinctive characteristic o$ these new web based communities is that

they raise a sense o$ trust with each other 6ersonal relationships are bac& at the center o$ the

scene# what ma&es it easier to re;create this value that has been lost $or a very long time

Nowadays more and more online communities are born in order to 5oin together people

that have concrete needs with those that can $ul$ill them 1n Argentina# there are several

e2amples o$ this &ind o$ communities%Mercado Libre, Freecycle Argentina, Alguien tiene?...

Yo tengo,among others 0his trend is growing in Argentina# and one o$ the newest

communities is called Gratiferias ($ree $airs, 0he aim o$ this paper is to &now and

understand the $unctioning o$ a Grati$eria# to loo& $or ways o$ improving it# and to prove how

it is possible to start a switch $rom an economy based on money to an economy based on

resources

What is a Gratiferia?

Grati$erias are an e2ample o$ what Botsman and 'ogers ()*+*, calls -redistribution

mar&ets. 'edistribution mar&ets are the repositioning o$ used or pre;owned goods that are

not needed anymore to another place or person that can ma&e use o$ those goods 0hey state

that -moving unwanted goods $rom nonuse to reuse is now practical# convenient# and

)


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Maria Laura Gudio


worthwhile.(p +), 0he grati$erias are a re$lection o$ this system% it is a $air where

everything is $ree A group o$ people meet in a be$orehand de$ined place# usually a s>uare#

with things they do not use anymore Dnli&e bartering# in which goods are e2change $or other

goods# grati$erias are not based on reciprocity# but on gratuity 6eople place their things in a

sort o$ improvised stand# or in a blan&et on the $loor# while others go and get whatever they

need $rom those things 0he main aim o$ these $airs is to give away ob5ects that are without

use and tend to be accumulated 0he motto o$ the grati$eria is% "Tra lo !ue !uieras o nada#

y lle$ate lo !ue !uieras o nada#"(Bring whatever you want Eor nothingF and ta&e whatever

you want Eor nothingF,

Although clothes are the most $ound ob5ects in grati$erias# they are not the only ob5ects

people give away# but also they can ta&e $ood such as vegetables and $ruit produced in their

own gardens# &itchen cutlery# tools# toys# or technological products such as cell phones#

modems# routers# among other ob5ects 0he only rule regarding the ob5ects to give away is

that they be in good shape% i$ they need to be repaired or washed# the owner should ta&e care

o$ them be$ore ta&ing them to the $air

0hese $airs are a good meeting point $or people o$ di$$erent social classes# and many

consider them as a nice way o$ spending an a$ternoon with their $amilies 4ome people may

o$$er services# such as hairdressing# tango or salsa lessons# recycling lessons# &nitting#

etcetera A survey was conducted by Gudio ()*+), in order to study the patterns o$

acceptance o$ this new system# and some participants stated that they en5oy the camaraderie

shared with others and the solidarity among people 9thers highlight the importance o$ the

circulation and redistribution o$ goods# in a way that nothing is e2pected in return

4ocial networ&s are a great tool to match supply and demand% people who need things and

people who own them 0he main way in what people &now when and where a Grati$eria is

organied is via Haceboo& 1n Argentina there are di$$erent groups based on the social

@


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networ& that call $or meetings in di$$erent cities% CIrdoba# 4anta He# 4alta# Buenos Aires# are

some o$ the places where these $airs can be $ound 1n $act# in the same survey about this new

system# J)/K o$ the people consulted about how they &new about the e2istence o$

Grati$erias# say that they got the in$ormation $rom Haceboo&3 while )/K &new about it

through a $riend and =K heard about the movement in television or other media About

=)K o$ the people have participated o$ more than / $airs# what shows that they actually en5oy

the e2perience And when being as&ed about whether they en5oy it or not# =/K say they

have a good time and another =/K state that they love participating in the $airs

!ven though the grati$erias are an en5oyable e2perience# still there are a lot o$ aspects that

can be improved 4ince this is a new concept# many people still do not understand the rules

and comply with them 0here have been cases o$ melees# and they sometimes discourage the

participants 4ome people believe it is because o$ lac& o$ education and in$ormation about the

$unctioning and philosophy o$ grati$erias Nowadays there are some pro5ects o$ seminars in

order to help people understand which behaviors are acceptable and which are not acceptable

during the $air Also# some helpers collaborate with the participants that bring things to place

them and to &eep the rest o$ the people >uiet while they $inish 9ther people thin& that it is

important to spread the word about the meetings in order to have more people visiting and

helping

But what about money?

4o is it possible to switch $rom a money based economy to a resource based economy?

According to Brian Walsh in its article Today%s &'art (hoice) *on%t +n. &hare ()*++,# -the

ownership society (is, rotting $rom the inside out. 6eople understand that it is not necessary

to own an ob5ect that will be used only a $ew times# so they decide to borrow it 0he increase

in groups and companies as the ones described be$ore is due to the new conscience o$

community and trust Walsh adds at the end o$ his article%

=


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9ne researcher has $ound that people get a spi&e o$ the pleasant neurotransmitter

o2ytocin when theyre entrusted with anothers goods 0hats the beauty o$ a sharing

society and perhaps the reason it might prove more lasting than one built on

ownership (para ,

4o ta&ing part in this new trend may even help to improve peoples health and well being

Conclusion

0he world is changing Nowadays it does not seme as important to get the latest car# or to

wear the last and more e2pensive pair o$ shoes as it was a $ew years ago 6eople are trying to

turn bac& to their roots# and to learn new ways o$ obtaining what could only be obtained with

money be$ore 1n order to $ind these new ways# the 1nternet has become a very power$ul tool%

1t helps to create communities that share these aims o$ helping and receiving help# o$ trusting

and being trusted upon Among many e2amples in Argentina# the Grati$erias stand out by

showing how help$ul and generous people can be 0hey prove that it is possible to give new

use to those ob5ects that are accumulating dust at home And at the end they may also prove

that it is possible to build a new society where money is not the most necessary means to

ac>uire what people need

/


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Maria Laura Gudio


'e$erence list

Bostman ' and 'ogers ' ()*+*, Whats Mine is Yours the -ise of (ollaborati$e

(onsu'tion"arperCollins e;boo&s# New Oor& )*+*

Walsh B (March )*++, 0odays 4mart Choice%

we are what we buy (paper)

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