Consumers at play: negotiations of identity in a Japanese preschool

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this article is to explore how young children (five year olds) collectively construct pretend identities with peers in play while using and negotiating consumer knowledge and experiences. Particular attention is given to children’s collaborative transformation of objects, ideas, places and persons, as they occur in the context of pretend play. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from ethnographic fieldwork in a local preschool in Japan. Two classes of five-year-old children (both boys and girls) were observed over four months. The theoretical framework highlights the dynamic and fluid interactional sphere and conversational exchanges through which pretend identities are created, negotiated and expanded. Findings In the findings, children’s construction of pretend identities is identified in terms of three characteristic forms of interaction in play: children’s reciprocal immediacy; maintaining and challenging participation; and willingness and collaboration to expand a play theme. Children’s collective construction of pretend identities indicates that playing roles means playing rules. Originality/value Through participant observation focusing of children’s perspectives and practices, this study contributes both to childhood studies and consumption studies. It also contributes to insight into how young children in the Japanese preschool experience consumer culture in a specific socio-cultural environment and how they construct peer relationships.