Identity in old clothes

The socio-cultural dynamics of second-hand clothing in Irbid, Jordan

Bibliographic Data

ID2968366
AuthorsM M Na''Amneh, M M Na'Amneh, Mahmoud Na’amneh (Yarmouk University, corresponding author), A K Al Husban, Al Husban (Yarmouk University)
Year2012
Volume18
Issue5
Pages609-621
Publication date2012-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Identities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1350-4630 • E-ISSN: 1363-0296
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13504630.2012.692897
OpenAlexW2037733182
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited23

This paper investigates the socio-cultural dynamics underlying the consumption of second-hand clothing (al-Balih) in Irbid city, northern Jordan. It primarily examines the various images and meanings that consumers attach to used clothes imported primarily from the West. Al-Balih is conceived of as a social space where multiple imaginations and images meet and interact. Put another way, it tends to blur the conventional socio-economic distinctions that mark Jordanian society. In light of the recent economic hardship that Jordanians have faced due to the late alarming rise in most commodity prices, more people are turning to shopping at second-hand stores. The growth of the second-hand clothing trade can be seen as a testament to the strong demand by consumers for varied and inexpensive products. The paper adopts an anthropological framework in terms of its methodology and analysis. Ethnographic data were collected primarily through conducting in-depth interviews with consumers and shops owners

Aesthetics · Art · Business · Clothing · Commodity · Ethnography · Political science · Social science · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Fashion and Cultural Textiles · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Law

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