Doctoral course, 7,5 ECTS credits
Course start: September 7, 2023

Syllabus Consumer Culture Theory (262 Kb)

Course content

The aim of course is to introduce early-stage doctoral students in marketing and business studies to the field of Consumer Culture Theory (CCT). Over the last couple of decades CCT has established itself as one of the core areas within Consumer Research and Marketing. It is not limited to this area, however, as CCT scholars are not only publishing within marketing but also within organization studies, critical management studies, sociology, and political philosophy.

CCT is a heterogeneous research domain including alternative approaches, theories and methods in order to understand marketing and consumption phenomena, as well as the creation and emergence of markets. Furthermore, CCT gives fresh, theoretical perspectives on many of the large challenges societies are struggling with in the world - climate change, immigration, political polarization and global pandemics - challenges that future business leaders must understand.

CCT is inspired by theoretical perspectives from the social sciences and humanities more broadly, such as anthropology, sociology and cultural studies. Within CCT these perspectives are applied to critically assess issues such as the creation of businesses and markets, marketing communication, trend research and consumer-driven innovation, but also to gain mature reflections upon the role of businesses in the world and consumer society.

Course structure

The course is offered in hybrid form with some digital moments (via Zoom) and some physical moments (at Stockholm University) over a period of two months (September and October) in the autumn of 2023. The intensive week October 2- October 5, takes place at Campus Albano, Stockholm University.

The course consists of four different parts/modules:

1. Foundations (i.e. historical and contextual) dimension of the emergence of CCT as a research domain, (digital via Zoom)
2. Frontiers (i.e. contemporary development) of CCT as an expanding field of research ( physical at Stockholm University – intensive first part of the week)
3. Applications (i.e. usage and usefulness) of CCT as an “academic house”. research ( physical at Stockholm University- intensive second part of the week)
4. Solutions on writing in CCT and final seminar/workshop where the contents of the entire course is discussed in relation to the PhD students’ own work (digital via Zoom)

Schedule

Module 1) Foundations (digital)
7/9    10-12  Lecture 1: Genealogy (History) of CCT and its foundations
13/9  10-12   Lecture 2: Ideological debates and philosophical underpinnings of CCT

Start of Intensive week in Stockholm
2/10  12-15  Kick off intensive week-students get to engage in discussing the foundations of CCT ( foundation) and reflect on own project-  
 
Module 2) Frontiers
2/10  15-17  Lecture 3: CCT as theory, ontology and epistemology  
3/10  10-12  Lecture 4: CCT in contemporary marketing and adjacent disciplines 
3/10  13-16 Workshop on frontiers of CCT and how it has potential to further contribute to interdisciplinary in own  research endeavor
 
Module 3) Application
4/10   10-12  Lecture 5: CCT as critical and emancipatory research approach/agenda
4/10   13-15  Lecture 6: CCT and methodological reflexivity
5/10    9-12  Workshop on application of CCT and how it has potential to further contribute to interdisciplinary research endeavors
End of Intensive Week in Stockholm

Module 4) Solutions (digital)
10/10  10-12 Lecture 7: Terminal Marketing  
13/10   10-12 Lecture 8: Wring CCT as outcome of research endeavors
25/10    9-12   Final Workshop- students get to engage in discussing the main core issues presented during the course will have the opportunity to reflect received feedback on the final assignments

Application

To apply for the course, send an email to the coordinator of the doctoral programme at Stockholm Business School Helene Olofsson at helene.olofsson@sbs.su.se by August 28th, 2023.

The application should include a short description of your research/ thesis idea paper and why the course is relevant to your studies (max 100 words) outlining the main research topic/idea/context of the dissertation (or article). Year of enrollment in the PhD program should also be indicated. The course mainly targets first (and second) year doctoral students, but senior doctoral students are also welcome.

A maximum of 15 doctoral students will be accepted to take part in the course. If the number of applicants exceeds 15, doctoral students from NFF member institutions take priority check whether your institution is a NFF member here

Contact

Responsible faculty from Stockholm Business School
Andrea Lucarelli (andrea.lucarelli@sbs.su.se)
Jacob Östberg (jacob.ostberg@sbs.su.se )

Faculty members
Sofia Ulver, Lund University
Jack Tillotson, University of Vaasa
Frank Lindberg, Nord University
Szilvia Gyimothy Mørup-Petersen, Copenhagen Business School

Read more about Nordic Academy of Management, NFF