23E28000 Consumer Culture (6 credits) SYLLABUS Instructor s contact information Course information Instructor: Sammy Toyoki Course Assistant: Petri Cozma Office Hours: Mondays 14:00 (Arkadia E- 2.35) The course covers key concepts from cultural consumer research. These draw from fields including sociology, social psychology, and cultural anthropology. 2. LEARNING OUTCOMES In completing this course, students will learn about the key concepts, theories, and frameworks of consumer culture theory and interpretive consumer research. Students will learn how to apply these concepts, theories, and frameworks in critically examining and analyzing consumers, consumerism and consumer society. 3. PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS We expect students to attend all lectures, to participate actively in class discussions, to complete all assigned readings prior to the corresponding class period and to complete all written assignments on time. 4. ASSESSMENT AND GRADING We will assess student performance according to the following: Dates: Period II Tue & Thur 14:15-15:45 Location: Arkadia E-107 Language of Instruction: English Course Website: https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/view.php?id=16261 1. Attendance (more than 1 absence will result in a grade reduction, can be made up by writing an additional reflection note or essay) 2. Pre-test during the first session of the course (4%) 3. Nine sets of ACQ (Argument-Connection-Question) notes due before class (10%) 4. Four individually written reflection notes or essays due Sunday (weeks 2-5) (36%) 5. Group presentation (15%) 6. Final group research project report (35%) 6. COURSE MATERIALS A list and PDF files of assigned readings will be posted to the course website.
7. COURSE SCHEDULE 31.10. Introduction & Central Concepts and Frameworks Agenda: - Course overview - Formation of groups (4 people) - Introduction to Consumer Culture Theory 7.11. Consumers Identity Projects Agenda: Discussion on Consumers Identity Projects articles 2.11. Central Concepts and Frameworks (cont.) & Doing Cultural Consumer Research Agenda: - Practices, concepts and frameworks - Background for group research project 9.11. Possessions in Consumer Culture Agenda: Discussion on Possessions in Consumer Culture articles 14.11. Community and Marketplace Cultures Agenda: Discussion on Community and Marketplace Cultures articles 21.11. Sociohistoric Patterning of Consumption Agenda: Discussion on The Sociohistoric Patterning of Consumption articles 28.11. Mass-Mediated Marketplace Ideologies Agenda: Discussion on Mass-Mediated Marketplace Ideologies and articles 5.11. Research Workshop Agenda: Group work analyzing and interpreting fieldwork findings 16.11. New Market Emergence Agenda: Discussion on New Market Emergence articles 23.11. Consumption, Taste and Social Class Agenda: Discussion on Consumption, Taste and Social Class articles 30.11. Consumers Interpretive Strategies Agenda: Discussion on Consumers Interpretive Strategies articles 7.12. Posters Agenda: Informal presentations of fieldwork findings. Fun! 8. ETHICAL RULES Aalto University Code of Academic Integrity and Handling Thereof> https://into.aalto.fi/pages/viewpage.action?pageid=3772443
9. INSTRUCTIONS FOR ACQ-NOTES Academic discussion on the assigned readings through class participation is a central learning tool for the course. In order to be appropriately prepared for the sessions, everyone is expected to have read both compulsory papers related to a specific session beforehand. Based on your reading, you are expected to write AQC-notes of each of the compulsory articles for sessions 2-10. Please write succinctly, preferably no more than 300 words per article. The maximum length of the readings assignment is thus ca. 5000 words (excluding references). ACQ analysis consists of the following steps: Argument: Summarize the main argument of the paper in your own words. No more than a paragraph. Connection: Describe how the focal article relates to other articles in the same session or the CCT stream of the week. No more than a few sentences. Question: Pose a question that you would like to discuss in the classroom. Submission: These notes are to be submitted before each session to MyCourses. Keep a second print for yourself for reference during discussions. The ACQ-notes comprise 10% of your final grade. 10. INSTRUCTIONS FOR REFLECTION NOTES & ESSAY Crystallize your learning over the week by writing either reflection notes on one of the compulsory articles or a formal essay that may either focus on one article or the theme of the week as a whole. REFLECTION NOTES Appreciate the fact that it will take you several hours to digest each assigned text It is expected that a submitted set of reflection notes should amount to at least 1000 words of astute and critical analysis Please note that reflection notes is not the same as reaction paper (i.e. a mere description or summary of the article). In-depth engagement with the text is expected! Submission: Sundays of weeks 2-5 by 23:55 to MyCourses. Each reflection essay comprises 9% of your final grade, all together 36% of your final grade. Submission of the reflection notes (or essay) is compulsory. Reflect on your preferred article over the week and write a paper around the following questions 1. What is this study about (what is the studied phenomenon)? A simple way to answer this question is by merely stating the object and context of study (found commonly in the title and abstract). However, this is not what we are really asking you. We want you to read the entire article first, and then answer this question on the basis of how you have understood the studied phenomenon to be (what is your interpretation?)
2. Why is this studied context/phenomenon important (e.g. socially/societally/for understanding consumption)? Again, once you have read the paper once, start thinking about the importance of its arguments in terms of how it might relate to or impact some issue that is socially/societally/commercially/managerially relevant and pressing. 3. Why is this studied context/phenomenon important theoretically: o What important gap in existing literature does it address? A research gap refers to the absence of empirically formulated theory on a given phenomenon and in a given established field. To resolve or fill such a gap is to add to existing knowledge in such a way that it results in an improved, alternative, or, more critical understanding of the phenomenon at hand. o What is the research problem, research aims or questions? To answer your research problem is to fill the gap and thus, formulate your research problem accordingly o Does the study foreground or background particular theoretical arguments? If so, how? What is the theoretical focus of the research and how might the chosen research context help in bringing this focus into relief? 4. What method does the study use and why is it suitable for this particular research? 5. What did I learn from this article substantially or consider as particularly interesting (i.e. regarding the phenomenon studied)? REFLECTION ESSAY The intent of a formal essay is to present a claim and build an argument in support of it. The argument should clearly demonstrate that you ve broken down the assigned texts with the required rigor and depth. It is expected that an essay should amount to at least 1000 words of astute and critical analysis Engaging with the articles through these essays is not just about reading or skimming through the text it is about pausing one s mind on their various elements and abstracting from these higher meanings, tensions and insights that can then be embedded into one s broader understandings of consumerism, society, and everyday life in general. If you are unsure of what the essay format entails, you can get a general sense from the first 5 minutes of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liyfkufcqno. Do not, however, spend space re-iterating the article focus on your own understanding of it. You should think about the reflection note questions above while reading the texts in preparation for building your argument. Example arguments Reading X should be understood in a particular way through reading Y The reading/concept X helps explain the success of company Y The reading/concept X complements what I ve learned elsewhere in my studies The reading/concept X helps explain Y that is currently happening in society
Submission: Sundays of weeks 2-5 by 23:55 to MyCourses. Each reflection essay comprises 9% of your final grade, all together 36% of your final grade. Submission of the reflection essays (or notes) is compulsory. 11. INSTRUCTIONS FOR ARTICLE PRESENTATIONS There are a variety of perspectives within cultural consumer research that can t be covered within the scope of one course through the compulsory readings. In order for us to get a sense of these perspectives, each group will pick a supplementary reading and present one of these perspectives to the rest of the class by reflecting it through the topic of the session. Requirements Very briefly present the main features of the topic of the session, as you understand them (no more than a minute or two) Then teach one of the supplementary readings for the session to the rest of the class What was the main argument of the reading? What was its research contribution? What, in your opinion, was the benefit of the article? How does it relate to the different streams in CCT? Use the topic of the session and the compulsory readings to contextualize your article Practical details & Submission Each group presents once during the course Max. 12 minute presentations Submit your FINAL slides to MyCourses by 23:55 the day before your presentation Grading: Max 15% of the course grade
12. INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL ASSIGNMENT (FINAL REPORT + POSTER SESSION) - The poster session will take place on Thursday 7.12 14.15-15:45 (E-107) - The submission deadline for the final report is one week after the course has ended: Monday 18.10 23:55 on MyCourses Final Report: Exploring Contemporary Consumer Culture The central idea of this assignment is for you to apply the knowledge and understanding accrued during the course by researching an empirical (i.e. actual) consumer culture phenomenon, and creating a convincing exposition of your findings (report + poster). This assignment will be done in groups, and will basically involve the following: (a) selecting a consumer culture phenomenon (b) doing some fieldwork, i.e. collecting suitable materials related to your chosen consumer culture phenomenon (c) analysing these materials (d) writing up a final report in your assigned group, and (e) creating a poster based on this report with your group and presenting this poster in the poster-session venue. Important note: This research report exercise serves as preliminary training for your coming completion of a research plan and MSc thesis work. A simple way to adapt what you have learned during this course is to think of the MSc thesis as an expanded research report. Ultimately, and when applied correctly, the research report template serves as a dynamic heuristic for thinking about and conducting the process of qualitative research Selecting a consumption phenomenon In your groups, select a consumer culture phenomenon to research. This phenomenon may be anything you regard as interesting and worthy of study. For example, this phenomenon may involve some kind of consumption practice or activity; consumption object/possession; consumption event or venue; consumption community or subculture, a consumption place/establishment; digital consumer culture etc. This is not an allinclusive list of phenomena to study, however. The choice of topic is ultimately down to you. In selecting a consumer culture phenomenon to study, please try to make use of the knowledge you have acquired during this course. You should consider among other things: what constitutes a viable topic of study in the field of consumer research; how to select a suitable context of study; what kinds of dimensions and potential dynamics this phenomenon might comprise of (e.g. the CCT streams of research) Empirical Fieldwork By fieldwork, we mean that you should try to find suitable and interesting materials to support your report analysis and poster presentation. These materials may include any kind of marketing materials (print ads, digital ads, TV commercials, digital media etc.) and other materials related to the phenomenon studied (documents, paraphernalia etc.). Additionally, you should also collect research material using ethnographic methods or interviews. Essentially, it is up to you how you conduct your fieldwork and what materials you select to support your work, and whether you will include an ethnographic
element. Your group s work will be graded on the basis of how your research design is put together overall and assuming that your aim is to create a convincing exposition of your chosen topic how your chosen fieldwork elements work together to enable such an exposition. Analysing the Findings Please consult the appropriate slides for instructions. Please also try to draw inspiration from the discussions and readings from this course. We encourage you to be critical in your analysis, and to organize your argumentations in a clear fashion. Research Report Structure: The report should be a minimum of 14 and maximum of 20 pages in length (1.5 line spacing /font 12), excluding used images and reference lists. Please include the following headings: Abstract (200-300 words) (Crystallising very succinctly all the main aspects of your work) 1. Introduction (1-2 page) The purpose of this research report section is to introduce the proposed study by providing a summary statement of the main points of the entire work (i.e. research idea and how this is positioned). Research Idea (what is this research about?) The statement what is this research about should crystallize succinctly the idea of the research. This involves identifying the phenomenon the researcher seeks to describe, understand or explain. It is important to note that this statement commonly derives its final form relatively late in the research process - usually once the data-analysis stage has been completed Nevertheless, this should not stop you from writing up a tentative statement to start with. Think of a phenomenon that is of interest to you, read scientific literature in this area, and then write-up a first attempt. Alternatively, if you do not have a specific phenomenon in mind, read around a preferred scientific discussion (usually found in journal articles) and work towards a research idea from there (i.e. start the process through a positioning of the research idea: see below) Positioning (gap; context; problem) A research gap refers to the absence of (important) knowledge in a given research domain. A research gap may be theoretical, contextual or methodological. To address and fill a research gap through systematic inquiry is to make a research contribution (a contribution may involve extending, re-embedding, revising or even supplanting existing knowledge)
While the research gap refers to a given understudied or wholly overlooked phenomenon the research context refers to the setting in which this chosen phenomenon can be studied in the most favourable terms (i.e. making the phenomenon visible and understandable) To be able to address the identified research gap coherently, you need to formulate a research problem. The research problem is to be viewed and presented as a question or riddle to be answered by the research (it is synonymous with the notion of primary research question, and may be followed by sub-questions). 2. Theoretical Background (3-5 pages) The purpose of this research report section is to give a succinct review of relevant existing theory regarding the chosen topic. There are two primary uses for existing theory: (a) it enables informed positioning of the research, and (b) it serves as a resource for creating your literature review, analysing your empirical data, and embedding your data-analysis into broader discussion (i.e. Discussion Section ). The developing of theoretical understanding and the use of theory in writing up the research is emergent and hermeneutic by nature: On the one hand, the construction of all stages of the research process (especially positioning ) is informed by the researcher s (pre)understanding of theory. On the other hand, emergent themes in the data will dictate what further existing theory is required to analyse and interpret these themes (this new theory then being added to the literature review). 3. Methodology (1-2 page) This purpose of this research report section is to justify briefly your methodological choices (research philosophy) and to describe your data-collection methods (actual tools used). Methodology refers to your chosen research approach and the philosophical tradition(s) that underpins it. Method refers to practices, theory, and concepts used in data-collection and dataanalysis. Method also refers to such practical issues as choice of research site and research sample (i.e. who to research and to what scope). Methodology and method will be dictated by the goals and conventions implied in your choice of research phenomenon, existing theory, and research problem. 5. Findings (approx. 3-5 pages) The purpose of this research report section is to present a succinct summary of the main themes found through data-analysis and interpretation. These themes are written up (i.e. given meaning) using relevant existing theory. Socalled abstraction level at this stage is moderate: o Give a theoretically minimal account of the data
o Rule of thumb: Do not abstract too highly. Your aim is to represent the data not to offer new theorization (this is done in the Discussion ). o In other words, the Findings section sets the scene for the Discussion section. 6. Discussion (3-5 pages) The purpose of this research report section is to briefly discuss the themes found through the data-analysis by embedding them in a broader context If the Findings section is where you give a minimal account of the (reorganized) data the Discussion section is where you interpret this account further in light of existing knowledge. Thus, it is in the discussion that you can develop your own insights and theory while also setting the scene for the potential contribution(s) of the research i.e. the relevance and importance of made arguments (the contributions may then be explicitly stated in the Conclusion ). There is no single, straightforward or systematic way to engage in the further interpretation and embedding of the data themes. It will largely rest on the applied style of writing and representational strategy : Further interpretation is about making a more detailed interpretation of your research findings, taking it to the next (i.e. higher or deeper ) level of abstraction. Embedding is about integrating this furthered interpretation into relevant broader discussion, i.e. existing theory and debates regarding the topic. Representational strategy involves an ensemble of philosophically and ethically based conventions and rules of writing (i.e. voice; authorship; reflexivity; power etc.). 7. Conclusion(s) (1-2 page) The purpose of this research report section is to summarize the main (anticipated) aspects of the study. These may include: Recapping the initial foundations ( gap ) and objectives of the study ( research problem ) Findings and discussion (how the research gap has been addressed) New insights and theorization (i.e. contributions) Limitations of the study Future research avenues Creating a poster and pitching it Your poster should be crystallize the key aspects of your research report. Though the poster may be of any size, please make sure it is big enough to enable sufficient exposition (standard flip chart size is recommended as minimum). Your poster may comprise of anything you consider as an interesting and effective means of communication (text, images, sketches, models, frameworks etc.). Additionally, if
your research project involves analysing video or TV materials, you may use laptops or anything other suitable technology. A very important aspect of communicating your poster to the audience is your personal presentation performance. You should see it as pitching your topic and analysis to potential clientele. Please be prepared to sell your project to our guests in the poster session venue.