Consumption and Well-Being: Collecting Experiences Rather Than Material Possessions

Abstract

Consumerism can be regarded as a system of beliefs and values in which emerge the idea that happiness is best achieved through possessions. In literature, several terms related to this topic are employed, such as: consumerism, consumption, anti-consumption and consumption communities and subjective well-being. Therefore, the purposes of this chapter are to (i) present an overview of the research concepts, models and main theories of this topic and (ii) discuss and inter-relate consumption and subjective well-being. The chapter provides a proposed framework with the state-of-art on consumption, anti-consumption and subjective well-being and a study into rural tourism context. Finally, the chapter also presents suggestions for further research and managerial implications. In this vein, this chapter contributes to the existing literature giving insights for a better understanding the problematic of consumers, anti-consumers and subjective well-being as a whole and rural tourism consumption experience industry in particularly.