Duration:
2014 – 2016
Client:
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Human consumption is primarily studied through communication with consumers. However, this approach has limitations, as it does not directly address the material essence of consumption. The study of waste offers a critical source of information, complementing research on human actions and narratives about those actions.
This research focuses on municipal waste and the actors who produce it in three distinct parts of the Plzeň region: an urban housing estate, a rural village, and a migrant housing facility. The research questions center on taste (in the sense of Bourdieu), wastefulness, and the spatial aspect of consumption.
The research design consists of two parts, carried out by a five-member research team. The first part examines household waste itself, while the second involves ethnographic study. The proposed research will illuminate consumption patterns across three different social settings, contributing to a deeper understanding of the relationship between people and things.