‘Another Day, Another Demand’: How Parents and Children Negotiate Consumption Matters

This paper discusses the various kinds of pressure placed on children to consumeand how their parents view and deal with this. It focuses on the consumption ofclothing, the marketing of ‘fashion’ to youngsters and the commercialopportunities presented to children to construct a particular image ofthemselves through their choice of attire. Related to these issues are the rangeof constraints placed upon children's consumption as they desire to seekindependence from their parents yet remain embroiled in their social networkswhere they seek belonging, conformity and inclusion. Leading on from this, thepaper goes on to explore whether and to what extent children's increasingengagement with consumer culture affects the parent-child relationship.