Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research |  | Authors: Patricia L. Sunderland, Rita M. Denny
Publisher: Left Coast Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
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Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 252445
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Edition
Pages: 368
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.9
ISBN: 1598740911
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.834
EAN: 9781598740912
ASIN: 1598740911
Publication Date: November 30, 2007
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Product Description
Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research is an essential new guide to the theory and practice of conducting ethnographic research in consumer environments. Patricia Sunderland and Rita Denny argue that, while the recent explosion in the use of ethnography in the corporate world has provided unprecedented opportunities for anthropologists and other qualitative researchers, this popularization too often results in shallow understandings of culture, divorcing ethnography it from its foundations. In response, they reframe the field by re-attaching ethnography to theoretically robust and methodologically rigorous cultural analysis. The engrossing text draws on decades of the authors own eclectic researchfrom coffee in Bangkok and boredom in New Zealand to computing in the United Statesusing methodologies from focus groups and rapid appraisal to semiotics and visual ethnography. Five provocative forewords by leaders in consumer research further push the boundaries of the field and challenge the boundaries of academic and applied work. In addition to reorienting the field for academics and practitioners, this book is an ideal text for students, who are increasingly likely to both study and work in corporate environments.
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| Customer Reviews:
HOLY HELL February 24, 2008
Megan M. Stanton (Long Beach, CA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This was a grand excursion to say the least, coming from just enough background to THINK I knew anything about what anthropology could be in consumer research, this book made my brain twist and flatten and splinter and weave and jutter and spin itself into a tissy. Not only did I have my pre-conceptions blasted to pieces about exactly what anthropology was and how it related to product development, I left the book with a new view and appreciation for what anthropology actually is, and what enormously important implications it could bring to product development (b/c I dare say it isn't usually this). Inspiring and crucial for anyone one who wants to make relevant things for people.
Explore the interesting connections between consumer research and cultural anthropology February 7, 2008
Jeff B. Murray (Fayetteville, AR USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research by Patricia L. Sunderland and Rita M. Denny is a well-written book exploring the boundaries and connections between academic disciplines and interpretive communities. First, Sunderland and Denny examine the interesting similarities (and differences) between consumer research and cultural anthropology. They note that both of these disciplines rely on ethnography as an important method. The book broadly interprets ethnography to include semiotics, deep interviewing, visual and projective techniques, and participant observation. Sunderland and Denny explore their own consulting projects and academic interests with a reflective engaging style with many interesting examples to develop a convincing argument that consumer researchers need to study anthropology to enhance a cultural analysis and anthropologists should not ignore popular culture. Second, they examine the interface between theory and practice suggesting that academic communities often become encapsulated from real-life problems. After spending most of my life in academia I could not agree with them more. Sunderland and Denny's book helped me to reflect on my own projects in new ways, motivating me to step out of the office, take action, and get involved. This book is must reading for students of marketing, consumer behavior, cultural anthropology, and practitioners of marketing and consumer research.
A must read if you are serious about consumer research! February 6, 2008
E. Caccia (California)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
During the last 10 years, I've read many books on consumer research and better understanding the consumer's mind. From Freud to Jung, from MacLean to Levy to Zaltman and others, I've read them all. And even after all that, "Doing Anthropology" is the best book I've read on the topic of consumer research.
Authors Sunderland and Denny describe their vivid experiences in the so-called field of Ethnographic Research, a trend that has been gaining popularity in the USA where only "facts," "figures" and "statistical validation" have been the norm. While the mantra in the quantitative research world is "if something exists, it must be measurable" the world that Sunderland and Denny reflect in their book says "if something exists, it must have a meaning."
This book will be very useful for those serious about consumer research. It goes through what ethnography is to the invaluable (and most of the time unseen) world of cultural analysis.
If you are tired of getting the same outcome in your consumer research, "Doing Anthropology" will broaden your scope. The reader will discover a new way of perceiving reality, where the act of consumption is far more than an economic transaction but a symbolic one, where the meaning of things is more important than the things themselves.
"Doing Anthropology" is also a generous act where the authors give us their secrets and share their fears and hopes as they are lived in the exciting world of consumer research. For academically oriented readers, the book is full of notes and sources, making it a great compilation of useful information.
PeccataMinuta: I only wish that the many pictures of the book were in full color. After all, color is a meaning itself, an element that would make Sunderland and Denny's argument more vivid.
Thomas Clayre said: "Indeed, it is well said, in every action there is inexhaustible meaning," and this book will give you a pair of glasses to discover that your brand values less from what it is than from what it means.
Very readable mix of academic/personal aspects of doing commercial anthropology February 7, 2008
John Sturges (Chappaqua, NY United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found this book both academic and much like a diary of personal experiences. The authors' reflections on the problems of conducting studies in the commercial world made this book impossible to put down at times. They take you through multiple layers of personal interaction with subjects' and clients' preconceptions and solve what appear to be insurmountable issues. I never knew you could extract so much detailed information about peoples' likes, dislikes and communication patterns from what appears to be such a small sampling. I found the authors' work fascinating. It made me want to become an anthropologist.
To end our obsession with psychology May 9, 2008
Julien Cayla (Sydney, Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Psychology is ubiquitous in the world of marketing. It has been since marketers fell in love with Freud. This book is a timely reminder that people are first and foremost social beings. It reminds us to look at what we share (language, symbols) and how this might help companies develop better products, or tap into new market opportunities. The authors have first-hand experience into these questions. Most importantly, they provide a stimulating exposition of cultural analysis. This is an essential read for managers who want to go beyond faddish market research tools and explore how to be better understand the world of customers.
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