New Views of Celebration and Gifting Practices in Consumer Society: Baby Shower KUTLAMA VE HEDİYELEŞME PRATİKLERİNİN TÜKETİM TOPLUMUNDAKİ YENİ GÖRÜNÜMLERİ: BABY SHOWER (HOŞ GELDİN BEBEK) PARTİLERİ
Milli Folklor, cilt.18, sa.142, ss.15-26, 2024 (AHCI, Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 18 Sayı: 142
- Basım Tarihi: 2024
- Doi Numarası: 10.58242/millifolklor.984216
- Dergi Adı: Milli Folklor
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.15-26
- Anahtar Kelimeler: baby shower, consumer society, gift, Potlac, value of child
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır
Özet
The findings of anthropologists who have studied the practice of gifting in the process from potlaç to the present day show that gift giving is a common and functional social behaviour in all societies. Giving gifts and having gifts in return are considered by sociologists as the most effective way to interact decisively between individuals. There is a consensus among disciplines that strong bonds are formed between individuals through the act of gift giving. Therefore, gifting is a characteristic feature of human relations in all cultures. Although it varies by culture, people give gifts on birthdays, births, new years, weddings, wedding anniversaries, promotions, retirements, and to welcome or bid farewell to a neighbour moving into or out of a neighbourhood or apartment building. In addition to these universal gift-giving behaviors, in our culture, it is quite common to bring food during feasts, to those going to the military, to those going on pilgrimage to Mecca or Umrah, to children undergoing circumcision, during teething ceremonies, and to households in mourning. In addition, various gifts are given on special occasions (such as Mother’s Day, Father's Day and Valentine's Day, Teachers' Day). In these gifting practices, gifts and celebration activities given to the newborn before and after birth, taking into account their needs, occupy an important place. In our culture, the behaviour of giving postpartum gifts continues from the past to the present as a traditional practice. Gift giving to the newborn, which occupies an important place in Turkish culture, has taken on a pretentious appearance, taking on completely different meanings at the point when the consumer society came. In consumption societies, this ostentatious consumption is manifested by “baby shower”, which has begun to become widespread, especially in recent years. Contrary to the proverb “don’t count your chickens before they hatch”, imported celebration and gift acts such as “baby shower” have become a fact with the imposition of consumer culture. The posts and liked presentations shared by media influencers through social media networks are increasingly being adopted by the public, and 'Baby Shower' parties are showing a tendency to increase. Hence, social media phenomena (Blogger, vlogger, youtuber, influencer, Instagrammer, etc.) there is a linear relationship between consumption patterns and consumption habits of individuals. In this study, it is discussed the point where gift giving and celebration activities that start before the baby is born and continue after birth come in the consumer society. In the study, the meaning of gifting in Turkish society with its general features, the value of the child, the practice of giving gifts and celebrating are discussed. The study concludes that some gifts and celebration practices change due to the influence of consumption culture, while some practices are imported from Western societies. Traditionally, 'Baby Shower' parties meant the socialization of the expectant mother, equipping her with the knowledge she would need while raising her baby. However, nowadays, they have completely fallen under the influence of consumer culture. Therefore, gift-giving and celebrations have turned into a means of power display and authority establishment, rather than contributing to the needs of the other party.