Paper short abstract:

Based on an ethnographic work conducted across different households in Chile, this paper suggests that while in upper class the aesthetic value prevails over sustainability’s concerns, in other groups, domestic practices of environmental care (repair, reuse, repurpose, etc.) have a prominent place.

Paper long abstract:

Due to the increased consumption and reduction of home sizes, storage and clutter have become one of the key concerns of contemporary domestic spaces. The anxiety caused by accumulation and disorder is commonly seen as directly related to the cumulative entry of goods into homes, while on the other hand minimalistic and thrifty homes are increasingly praised for their sustainability.

Based on an ethnographic work conducted across homes of three socioeconomic strata in Chile, this paper aims to understand the relationship between different discourses about order and their connection with domestic practices of environmental care (maintenance, repair, reuse, repurpose, recycle, etc.).

Preliminary results suggest that there is an inversely proportional relationship between willingness to accumulate objects -in order to expand their lives- and the importance a household gives to aesthetics. This relationship is directly linked to social class, and suggests that while in upper class households the aesthetic value prevails over sustainability’s concerns, in middle and lower class accumulation is promoted, and the lifespan of objects is understood in a more broad and loose way. These results come to contribute to the discussions on consumption, accumulation and climate crisis, while challenging the trend of minimal and austere homes.