The extension of the Self in the practice of Collaborative Consumption of bicycles: An analysis of the Bike PE Project

The countless possibilities for extending and constructing the Self (identity/self-concept) through other forms of consumption that do not involve ownership are a reality brought about by the Digital and Access Ages. Among these, Collaborative Consumption stands out, described as a practice in which customers access a good and share it with the help of technology in exchange for a small fee. This book focuses on understanding the extension/construction of the Self in Collaborative Consumption, represented by the Bike PE project, Brazil's first intermunicipal bicycle sharing system. The aspects that motivated the choice of this theme are directly related to the lack of studies on the extension of identity in new consumption configurations, in addition to the growing use of collaborative practices as ways for consumers to access products or services. To understand the extension and construction of user identity based on BIKE PE, issues of the Self, the practice of bicycle sharing itself, and the values and beliefs that influence participants' adherence to and continuity in this type of Collaborative Consumption are addressed.