Making Sense of Multiplicity: Examining Young Consumers’ Emic Constructions of the Self

While there has been enduring interest in the topic of multiple selves in consumer research, the literature has paid little attention to multiple selves in a youth context. This study seeks to address this gap by examining multiplicity in young consumers’ selves. findings from a multi-method study conducted with British youths aged between 16 and 18 reveal six different ways in which young consumers make sense of multiplicity in the self. while the first three approaches (connecting, combining and integrating selves) encourage centralizing movements within the self, the latter three approaches (normalizing, demarcating and disconnecting selves) encourage decentralizing movements. This study contributes to the existing literature on multiple selves by offering detailed insights into the structure of multiple selves in youth.