Hen Dos and Don’ts: lifting the veil on tensions in consumer rituals

Abstract

Consumer research has established a rich understanding of dominant consumption rituals, yet the tensions that emerge during celebratory rituals remain under-researched. Through the context of hen party rituals, we examine the emergent tensions in consumption rituals. Our insights are developed from in-depth interviews with hen party participants and netnography of Reddit forums on hen party planning and experiences. Our prioritisation of emergent tensions of rituals contributes to richer understandings of consumer ritual performance. We find consumers deploy self-policing as a form of boundary-work to reduce emergent tensions during ritual performance. We identify two forms of self-policing: shielding and remedying. In doing so, we contend that the evolution of hen party rituals can be both a celebration and a burden, steeped in feelings of anticipation and obligation.