Topography of Risky Consumption in the Commercial Space of a Frontline City

Abstract

This article continues the exploration of transformations in consumer practices as a component of lifestyle stylization dynamics within military societies. It presents findings from a research phase focused on analyzing risky consumption practices in a frontline city, interpreted through a sociological lens of urban space. The study centers on the social environment of a large shopping mall in Kharkiv, a city located near the front line. To conduct an initial test of a previously formulated hypothesis – namely, that risky consumption in wartime largely serves a compensatory function – the authors employed a combined methodology: Michel de Certeau‘s «city walk» approach, adapted to the shopping center context, alongside a series of rapid interviews with mall visitors. While full verification of the compensatory and adaptive nature of risky consumption under wartime conditions was beyond the scope of this phase, the results provide partial empirical support. The data revealed a set of consumer practices aimed at reconstructing a sense of pre–war «normality». Analysis allowed the authors to identify three key vectors of risky consumption: habitualness (symbolic representation), comfort (reconnection with pre – war routines), and anxiety (manifestations of risk experienced by vulnerable groups). The third vector points to the need to refine the original hypothesis, potentially by introducing the individualism – collectivism dichotomy. The authors also suggest that conceptualizing military risk through the lens of social entropy holds promise. Future research will aim to expand both the empirical base and methodological scope of the study, with plans to scale the adapted methodology to the broader urban context. We assume that the foundation obtained at the end of all stages of the study will allow us to move on to a new research cycle using quantitative methodology.