A thirst for the authentic craft drinks producers and the narration of authenticity.pdf (411.85 kB)
A thirst for the authentic: craft drinks producers and the narration of authenticity
journal contribution
posted on 2019-01-28, 11:55 authored by Thomas Thurnell-ReadThomas Thurnell-ReadThere is a long academic tradition which positions the desire for authenticity as emerging as a symptom of dissatisfactions with modernity. Most recently, this has involved consumption of products that are valued for being authentic in contrast to mass produced commodities which are seen as being homogeneous, standardized and therefore inauthentic. A recent resurgence in interest in the idea of craft and craftwork has brought to the fore concerns about re‐establishing connections between products, consumers and producers beyond rational market exchange. This research draws on interviews with 40 craft brewery and distillery workers to explore the ways in which authenticity is narrated as part of an ongoing effort to add value to their products and the contexts of their production. The article identifies six modes of authenticity which are drawn on in combination by participants to establish a narrative of authenticity. This is understood to be a clear illustration of the ‘enrichment process’ by which post‐industrial economies manufacture value. A central element of craft drink producers’ work is the marshalling of cultural value and engaging in communicative and performative acts that ascribe that value to products and the people involved in making them.
History
School
- Social Sciences
Department
- Communication, Media, Social and Policy Studies
Published in
The British Journal of SociologyVolume
70Issue
4Pages
1448 - 1468Citation
THURNELL-READ, T.P., 2019. A thirst for the authentic: craft drinks producers and the narration of authenticity. The British Journal of Sociology, 70 (4), pp.1448-1468.Publisher
John Wiley & Sons Ltd © London School of Economics and Political ScienceVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publisher statement
This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: THURNELL-READ, T.P., 2019. A thirst for the authentic: craft drinks producers and the narration of authenticity. The British Journal of Sociology, 70 (4), pp.1448-1468, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12634. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Acceptance date
2018-12-04Publication date
2019-01-17Copyright date
2019ISSN
0007-1315eISSN
1468-4446Publisher version
Language
- en