Local heroes: Co-producing history, “community” and the self.

This paper explores the role of consumers as co-producers of community banks in Australia. Through narrative analysis of the “histories” on the community bank websites, the paper highlights the interconnectedness of consumption and production processes. The paper shows how as co-managers in the production and delivery of the banking service, the consumers create value for the bank as well as for their local communities. Further, the paper shows how as co-creators of the bank “histories,” they produce an “ethical surplus” (Arvidsson 2005) that has value beyond simple use or exchange value; it has “staging value” (Bohme 2003). Through the “histories” the consumers stage themselves as civic-minded individuals helping to bring continuity to their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]