Identities and identifications in the memories of Brazilian collectors

Abstract

The aim of this article is to understand what it means to be a collector and how identities and identifications with this activity are constructed based on the memories of Brazilian collectors. Our theoretical framework deals with the alignment between identity, identification, and memories as constituents of being a collector, as well as the collector's practice. We conducted a qualitative study based on the narratives of 29 Brazilian collectors. The data, derived from semi-structured interviews, were triangulated with field notes, non-participant observation, and analyzed through Narrative Analysis. The data demonstrate that the construction of the category "collector" is fundamentally relational and based on the triad of "collector subject," "collected object," and "the other who sees them." We therefore consider that the self-identity perception is never an individual and isolated production in time/space, but interacts with different collective constructions about who the subject collecting is. Finally, we contribute to Organizational Studies by proposing perspectives on lifestyles not evidenced in mainstream Management, as well as the possibility of resignifying being a collector and the dynamic nature of memory, identities, and identifications.