Luxury & Catastrophe: Snapshots of the Intersection Between Health, Wellness, & Competitive Consumption

Abstract

Based on analysis of social media, readings in anthropological and social theory, and ethnographic research in Los Angeles before and after the devastating fires of January 2025: this thesis takes the case study of Erewhon Market to analyze shifting conceptions of luxury and consumption in the United States amid times of disaster. Erewhon Market, a Los Angeles based grocery store, provides anecdotal evidence of how competitive consumption manifests itself in food. In-person ethnographic research conducted before the fires combined with journal and news articles and social media content showcase the broad category of consumers who prioritize natural and organic foods that can be purchased at specialized grocery stores. As our conception of luxury has shifted over time, food has come to the forefront of affluent consumption. The ideas of ethical consumption have been commonly studied as the pressures to consume have amplified under the current disparate wealth environment. As status symbols shift to more everyday luxuries, brands must adjust to this new conception of affluence in an era of intensely competitive consumption. The proliferation of content on social media highlighting abundant food consumption encourages people to purchase the items to adhere to the trend or risk falling behind and out of favor. Increasingly targeted algorithms also contribute to this feeling of struggling to keep up; as you engage further with content related to food and wellness, you run the risk of falling down a variety of rabbit holes. This ethnography challenges our preconceived notions of luxury, which are necessarily predicated on the world order we observe; when disaster strikes, how does our perception of essential change?