MacInnis-DisciplinaryStatusConsumer-2010

The Disciplinary Status of Consumer Behavior

Introduction

  • Authors: Deborah J. MacInnis and Valerie S. Folkes.

  • Source: Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 36, No. 6, April 2010.

  • Key issues debated include:

    • Should consumer behavior be an independent discipline?

    • What defines consumer behavior?

    • Should consumer behavior be interdisciplinary?

Conclusion from Sociology of Science Perspective

  • Consumer behavior is not an independent discipline; it is a subdiscipline of marketing.

  • Distinction of consumer behavior lies in its focus on consumer roles, i.e., acquisition, consumption, and disposal of products/services.

  • The field is not interdisciplinary but multidisciplinary; fragmentation may enhance growth.

Growth and Development of Consumer Research

  • Over the past 50 years, academic research in consumer behavior has significantly expanded.

  • Topics explored include consumer choice, brand relationships, satisfaction judgments, and consumption meanings.

  • There are increasing numbers of papers and researchers in the field, indicating a thriving academic environment despite foundational debates.

Key Controversies in Consumer Behavior

  1. Independence of Discipline:

    • Historical context: Consumer behavior emerged from marketing disciplines in the late 1950s.

    • Desire to elevate the status of consumer research beyond vocational roots.

    • Evidence suggests consumer behavior has not yet achieved independent status.

  2. Definition of Consumer Behavior:

    • Essential focus on acquisition, consumption, and disposal within a marketplace context.

    • Concerns over the vagueness of boundaries leading to potential identity crisis.

    • Critics have prompted calls to specify what constitutes consumer behavior (e.g., unique relational aspects to purchasing).

  3. Interdisciplinarity of the Field:

    • The Journal of Consumer Research has promoted an interdisciplinary approach, but practical challenges remain.

    • The current status is characterized more as multidisciplinary, where different specialties engage but do not blend disciplines into a singular framework.

Implications for Researchers

  • Lack of clarity in core definitions can result in career setbacks for novice scholars.

  • Must navigate conflicts between established norms and innovations.

  • Recognition of the need for explicit boundaries to enhance legitimacy and focus the discourse within the field.

Conclusion

  • Consumer behavior research is vital for understanding societal and marketing implications.

  • The field must maintain a clear identity to thrive, focusing particularly on consumer roles.

  • Openness to adjacent disciplines can enhance knowledge and foster new insights, but boundaries should be maintained to provide coherence and direction.


The selected theories that align with the philosophies of science include cultural hegemony, emphasizing power and ideology, as well as critical race theory and feminist theories. Additionally, a focus on simulacra, hyperreality, and intertextuality will further enhance the understanding of their effects on consumers. Together, these theories will form a comprehensive framework that provides a holistic view of consumers' perspectives on changing dynamics.

Critical theory was chosen over critical media studies because my focus is on consumers' understanding of changes influenced by social structures, particularly how Disney’s media content shapes consumer identity. While critical theory explores how cultural narratives influence the formation of consumer identity and examines the potential for resistance and reinterpretation, critical media studies place a stronger emphasis on audience reception and the manner in which media is consumed.

Additionally, it provides the opportunity to discuss the potential impact that Disney, as a corporation, has on society and cultural hegemony.