From Aesthetic to Epistemic Consumption: Analyzing Knowledge Pathways in Consumption Collectives

This paper explores the collective pursuit of quasi-scientific knowledge practices as a consumption activity. By empirically analyzing the highly-specialized collective practice of game-breaking we grant insights into consumption collectives constituting knowledge systems. We show that the collective explorative endeavor of epistemic consumption relegates the aesthetic dimension of collective consumption to the backstage. By uncovering knowledge pathways, this study sheds light on the structuring forces of knowledge in consumption collectives in contemporary consumer culture.