Kleidung, Kontrolle, Konsum - Eine ethnografische Untersuchung zur Gabe als soziale Praxis in der Kleiderkammer

The master’s thesis “Clothing, Control, Consumption—An Ethnographic Study of Giving as a Social Practice in a Clothing Bank” examines the social and cultural dynamics within a clothing bank. It focuses on the question of how clothing functions as a medium of social recognition and social status. The thesis highlights how the donation, sorting, and distribution of clothing are not only material but also symbolic processes that reveal social order and inequality.
The thesis adopts a media-ethnographic approach to analyze the clothing bank as a place where the consequences of textile excess and consumption become visible. It demonstrates that clothing in the clothing bank is not treated neutrally, but rather acquires social meanings through everyday practices such as sorting, evaluating, and pricing.
The study demonstrates that the clothing bank is a complex social space in which aid, control, and consumption are intertwined. It offers insights into the everyday practices of volunteers who make decisions about accepting and distributing clothing, as well as into the experiences of clients and donors. In the process, notions of need, dignity, and social belonging are negotiated.