For an understanding of the material world: a biography of the brand ‘Apple’

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reflect on how objects ¹ can be characterized as predicates of culture, considering that objects are fundamental nonhuman actors in the experiences of everyday life, connecting humans through their functions and symbolism. This discussion, still incipient in the Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), deserves attention from researchers since following the life of these objects means to understand their effects on individual and collective subjectivity. The theoretical assumption that supports the reflection presented in this article is the influence that the material world exerts on human life, as objects are determinant in daily life. Objects - tangible or intangible, such as material goods, brands, animals - have the capacity to act socially, are endowed with the power of induction and action, a property that does not belong only to humans (LAW, 2001). They also have a social life that can be built from their various uses and contexts, thus accumulating a cultural biography. This study adopts a qualitative-interpretative approach, and the methodology consistes of writing the biography of the brand ‘Apple’ and pointing out its agency. The discussion is based on the discursive analysis of the brand’s advertising pieces, through the theoretical approach of the Semiolinguistic Theory (ST) by French linguist Patrick Charaudeau.

Keywords:
Material culture; Consumption; Materiality; Objects; Biography of things.