Consumer Research in the 2000s and 2010s: A Quantitative Assessment and Qualitative Review
(2020) SOCM04 20201Sociology
Department of Sociology
- Abstract
- This thesis presents and analyses the results of a bibliometric mapping study of the field of consumer research between 2000 and 2019, aiming to provide a simultaneously descriptive and analytical account of consumer research that identifies the overall structure of the field, as well as the major sub-specializations within it. By utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s social theory and sociology of science, I analyse the central tendencies exhibited by consumer researchers with regards to the conventions they follow, the literatures they draw from and the way they relate to each other’s texts. My empirical material is made up of bibliometric datasets relating to article publishing in a sample of academic journals specific to consumer research, which... (More)
- This thesis presents and analyses the results of a bibliometric mapping study of the field of consumer research between 2000 and 2019, aiming to provide a simultaneously descriptive and analytical account of consumer research that identifies the overall structure of the field, as well as the major sub-specializations within it. By utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s social theory and sociology of science, I analyse the central tendencies exhibited by consumer researchers with regards to the conventions they follow, the literatures they draw from and the way they relate to each other’s texts. My empirical material is made up of bibliometric datasets relating to article publishing in a sample of academic journals specific to consumer research, which I analyse by utilizing the visualization of similarities (VOS) mapping technique and its associated software VOSviewer. After providing sections on previous studies, my theoretical framework, and the methodology I utilize, I present and analyse my findings, wherein I identify several trends within consumer research for the 2000–2019 period. I find that the field is largely split into two main camps, where one focuses on identifying causalities in individual consumer behaviour and the other focuses on social and cultural aspects of consumption. The gap between these two camps increases when comparing the 2000s to the 2010s. I also identify several prominent authorships and articles within consumer research and highlight the strategies by which these achieved prestige within the field, as well as provide a stylized map of the field. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- In this text, I explore and analyse what social scientists active within consumer research, a field of study related to the marketing discipline, have written about so far during the 21st century. Since this is a master’s thesis in sociology, it views the production of scientific knowledge as a social process that is related to, for instance, the social backgrounds of individual scientists. Therefore, I try to understand the social organization of consumer research by examining how different scientists in the field relate to each other in different ways.
By looking at which books and articles consumer researchers tend to cite when they write articles for academic journals, I showcase that there are certain groups of scientists that tend... (More) - In this text, I explore and analyse what social scientists active within consumer research, a field of study related to the marketing discipline, have written about so far during the 21st century. Since this is a master’s thesis in sociology, it views the production of scientific knowledge as a social process that is related to, for instance, the social backgrounds of individual scientists. Therefore, I try to understand the social organization of consumer research by examining how different scientists in the field relate to each other in different ways.
By looking at which books and articles consumer researchers tend to cite when they write articles for academic journals, I showcase that there are certain groups of scientists that tend to cite the same sources. I also look at how consumer researchers cite each other’s articles, and find that the same groups are visible here. By then examining specific consumer research authors and articles, I try to understand why these groups tend to behave in this way.
Overall, I find that writing in consumer research during the 21st century is split into two main groups: those that study individual, psychological issues related to consumption, and those that take a broader, cultural view of it. The split between these two consumer research groups seems to have become larger in the 2010s. Lastly, I provide a simplified map of the field of consumer research that shows its main groupings. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9026077
- author
- Hagströmer, William LU
- supervisor
-
- Bo Isenberg LU
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20201
- year
- 2020
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- consumer research, consumer culture theory, bibliometric mapping, VOS, VOSviewer, scientific fields, Pierre Bourdieu
- language
- English
- id
- 9026077
- date added to LUP
- 2020-08-13 14:54:11
- date last changed
- 2020-08-13 14:54:11
@misc{9026077,
abstract = {{This thesis presents and analyses the results of a bibliometric mapping study of the field of consumer research between 2000 and 2019, aiming to provide a simultaneously descriptive and analytical account of consumer research that identifies the overall structure of the field, as well as the major sub-specializations within it. By utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s social theory and sociology of science, I analyse the central tendencies exhibited by consumer researchers with regards to the conventions they follow, the literatures they draw from and the way they relate to each other’s texts. My empirical material is made up of bibliometric datasets relating to article publishing in a sample of academic journals specific to consumer research, which I analyse by utilizing the visualization of similarities (VOS) mapping technique and its associated software VOSviewer. After providing sections on previous studies, my theoretical framework, and the methodology I utilize, I present and analyse my findings, wherein I identify several trends within consumer research for the 2000–2019 period. I find that the field is largely split into two main camps, where one focuses on identifying causalities in individual consumer behaviour and the other focuses on social and cultural aspects of consumption. The gap between these two camps increases when comparing the 2000s to the 2010s. I also identify several prominent authorships and articles within consumer research and highlight the strategies by which these achieved prestige within the field, as well as provide a stylized map of the field.}},
author = {{Hagströmer, William}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Consumer Research in the 2000s and 2010s: A Quantitative Assessment and Qualitative Review}},
year = {{2020}},
}