Contemporary Marketing and Consumer Behavior: An Anthropological Sourcebook

Book Description

"Scholarly and extensively footnoted, the book is meant to be used as a sourcebook for anthropological research. . . . The book's primary audience should be marketing and anthropology researchers, and graduate students, faculty, and researchers." --P. G. Kishel in Choice "As a business person responsible for the development of advertising strategies and advertising campaigns, I was impressed with the contributors' willingness and desire to apply anthropological principles to real world problems. John Sherry Jr.'s comment sums it up nicely, 'Anthropology is a practical discipline, anchoring the blue sky thinking it encourages firmly to the local ground it inhabits.' We need to encourage blue sky thinking so we don't repeatedly get the same answers to our inquiries. Anthropologists can help us with these issues. . . "This book gives me enormous hope that applied anthropology will help restore the tremendous value that can be gained through qualitative research techniques. Today in marketing and advertising, focus groups are grossly overused, misused, and underanalyzed. I was encouraged and excited about the authors' discussions of good ethnographies and focus groups that, for example, instead of simply asking respondents whether or not EMF causes cancer, a far more creative and insightful exercise was performed with consumers, and then was intensely analyzed by anthropologists. All too often today, qualitative research is carelessly and quickly administered and the analysis consists of a 30-minute debriefing at the end of the last focus group. . . "In the last few years, the need for cross-cultural consumer understanding has grown rapidly. This phenomenon makes it imperative that not only must we fully understand the meanings of brands and products to our domestic consumers, but we must know which meanings are 'transportable' to consumers in other cultures. John Sherry Jr.'s book suggests that anthropologists could and should have a major role in cross-cultural consumer understanding." --Patricia A. Cafferata, President and Chief Executive Officer, Young & Rubicam Chicago "John Sherry Jr. and his contributors bring 'marketplace anthropology' out of the shadows and into the dazzling piazza of contemporary social thought. Wide-ranging, lively, and often witty, the sourcebook raises many intriguing questions about the trajectory of anthropology and social science in general for the 21st century. Though readers might not always agree with the approaches used, these chapters are pointed reminders of vast fields of anthropological neglect on subjects of huge importance for today's world, yet inspirations for the work reach back to the foundations of modern anthropology, from Malinowski to W. Lloyd Warner. . . "This book makes a convincing case for the role of marketplace anthropology in basic research on humankind. While many anthropologists might approach this collection with some apprehensiveness, the editor does not shrink from the ethical issues of business anthropology. Applied anthropologists in many fields can benefit from the insights and ideas presented here. This book goes a long way toward replacing the pop-anthropology so rampant in corporate circles these days with substantive anthropological materials and sets of ideas on advertising, organizational behavior, buying and selling, profit-making, consumer relations, and much more." --J. Anthony Paredes, Florida State University "Anyone concerned with understanding the consumer will find John F. Sherry Jr.'s new book invaluable. In the past decade, the most important contributions to the meaning of products, brands, and advertising in consumers' lives have come from anthropology. Sherry and the contributors to this volume have been in the forefront of that movement. The chapters in this volume, whether on shampoo, electric utilities, or life histories of brand behavior, capture the excitement and illumination of looking at marketing and advertising through the lens of anthropology." --Myra Stark, Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising "This book is long overdue; anthropologists as consumer researchers have been a powerful underground force for the past 15 years of innovative marketing. Major companies, as well as government and private institutions, have looked to anthropologists to help when other research has failed. John Sherry Jr. has collected outstanding anthropological practitioners in this volume, and they have written cutting-edge chapters on product symbolism, consumer culture, advertising efficacy, and international marketing. The power of this collection lies in the fresh insights to each of these themes and the ability to reframe old problems to reperceive what it means to live the life of a consumer as we approach the next century." --Steve Barnett, Managing Director, Global Business Network Containing original articles and empirical substance, Contemporary Marketing and Consumer Behavior responds to a growing demand for scholarship more tuned to the empirical and practical realities of consumer culture. Written by leading anthropologists who specialize in marketing and consumer research, it is intended as a sourcebook for readers interested in consumption and its managerial consequences. The topics and their treatments run a gamut of concerns including elements of the marketing mix (such as goods and services), advertising and promotion, relationship management, managerial intervention and development, class-and-gender-linked consumer behaviors, and the production of consumption. Anthropological perspectives and methods employed by the authors range from materialistic to semiotic and both qualitative and quantitative methods are employed. Contributors range across time, space, and topics in pursuit of understanding. The result is a multifaceted perspective of marketing and consumer behavior. Also, the remarks of eminent senior Fellows of the Association for Consumer Research, who have drawn upon anthropology to make their own seminal contributions to a number of disciplines, punctuate this exceptional volume. A remarkable and extraordinary text, Contemporary Marketing and Consumer Behavior is ideal for scholars, students and professionals in marketing, cultural studies, gender studies, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and communication.

Customer Reviews:

Still a very useful and important book.......2006-04-24

Though it is almost ten years old now,this is still one of the most exciting books in consumer research and marketing. It brings together a wide variety of cultural analyses of goods and consumption, showcasing methods and theories which will be useful to anyone interested in why people buy the things they do.

Contemporary Marketing and Consumer Behavior An Anthropological Sourcebook

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Contemporary Marketing and Consumer Behavior An Anthropological Sourcebook
Jr. John F. Sherry
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7EKRO

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Understanding Africa, A Political Economy Perspective

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Understanding Africa, A Political Economy Perspective
Richard A. Fredland
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Policy & Current Events | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Policy & Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Economic Conditions | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Urban & Land Use Planning | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0830415637

Book Description

Africa is a fascinating, complex, and infuriating place. This valuable work covers a broad range of topics aiming to make Africa comprehensible to the general reader. Richard A. Fredland based this book on his extensive travels and research in many African countries. The author offers a systematic and integrated portrait of the continent and its peoples through detailed analysis of African history, political systems, social, cultural and economic development.

Book Description

Comprehensive guide to the culture, etiquette and communication of Germany.

Customer Reviews:

Really bad.......2001-05-09

That is one of the worst books I have ever read. The author, Roland Flamini, lived in Germany for four years but he has absolutely no idea what is behind the German business, etiquette and customs. There are many details wrong. If Passport Germany is your only guide to succeed in the German market or to make business with German companies, you can be sure that you will fail. There are many details about the German economy, companies and business missing. However, the main problem is that many topics a badly investigated. Here are some highlights: Answering the question `How German view themselves', he quoted Goethe and Moser; both lived in the 18th century - who cares. Furthermore, Mr. Flamini, nowadays, it is not forbidden to make any noise between 1:30 and 3:30p.m. throughout Germany. In addition, Germany also has non-smoking regulations and the period of time a German spend his or her entire working career with one company is also past - and not present. It was funny to read that the German lunch time is 12:20 to 1 p.m., how precise. However, Mr. Flamini, the carnival in Germany is in February/early March and not in October and the Oktoberfest is in September and not in October. As a result: This book is boring and useless! It will confuse you and you will just waste your time....

With this Passport, a lot of doors in Germany will open.......1997-12-07

Passport Germany is a bright star among those few books explaining common values and beliefs in Germany. Though the book is intended to serve as a first introduction to foreign businessmen, it actually is a treasure for everybody coming to Germany and trying to understand the German way of living and thinking. Why are Germans that concerned about Ordnung (order)? You will understand why after reading this little book, as well as learning about the right way to shake hands in Germany. Brilliantly did the author describe the step-by-step approach of getting to know each other; this piece of information can avoid too high expectations when it comes to socializing with Germans. The chapter on behaviour at the workplace and in business meetings is covered in an adequate manner; though there are some details which are outdated or not correct, the overall value of this book can not be questioned. But nevertheless some chapters need a thorough looking through, e.g. the opening hours of stores have changed; we have got 176 women in German Parliament instead of 26; carnival in the Rhineland is not in october, but in february; and the most northern winyards of Germany are not in the Rhineland, but in the area of Unstrut/Saale (former GDR). The author recommends that business men should have their German language paper material crosschecked by a German. Perhaps he should stick to his own recommendation and have his Passport Germany crosschecked by a German, too. It certainly would change my rating to the higher end. (reviewed by:Markus Brinker)

Product Description

Describe y analiza los medios de pago mayormente utilizados en los mercados interncionales, siendo de la mejor ayuda a los exportadores e importadores en sus operaciones cotidianas y cubre una gran deficiencia en la biblioteca comercial y economica mundial al no encontrarse trabajos academicos o no escritos en lenguaje sencillo de facil uso y acceso a todos.

Los Derechos De Propiedad Intelectual En Los Acuerdos De Libre Comercio Celebrados Por Paises De America Latina Con Paises Desarrollados (Comercio Internacional)

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Los Derechos De Propiedad Intelectual En Los Acuerdos De Libre Comercio Celebrados Por Paises De America Latina Con Paises Desarrollados (Comercio Internacional)

Manufacturer: United Nations Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Intellectual Property | Law | Subjects | Books

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América Latina: El Comercio Internacional de Productos Lácteos

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América Latina: El Comercio Internacional de Productos Lácteos
United Nations
Manufacturer: United Nations
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9213222165

Book Description

Este documento intenta dar una visión detallada del comercio de productos lácteos de la región, así como sugerir sus perspectivas en el futuro próximo, incluyendo las de exportación hacia los mercados de los países industrializados con alto grado de protección arancelaria y no arancelaria.

Calidad de la Inserción Internacional de América Latina y el Caribe en el Comercio Mundial, La

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Calidad de la Inserción Internacional de América Latina y el Caribe en el Comercio Mundial, La
United Nations
Manufacturer: United Nations
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 9213221681

Book Description

En este documento se analiza la concentración y diversificación de las exportaciones de los países latinoamericanos y caribeños, con especial énfasis en la participación en el comercio de productos de alta tecnología, contrastando su desempeño exportador con el de los países de Asia.

China's Trade Patterns and International Comparative Advantage (Studies on the Chinese Economy)

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China's Trade Patterns and International Comparative Advantage (Studies on the Chinese Economy)
Xiao-guang Zhang
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Econometrics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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International | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0312225717

Book Description

This book provides the first comprehensive and quantitative assessment of the impact of reform policies on the Chinese domestic economy at the detailed sectoral level. Beginning with a survey of China's economic reform progress, the author quantitatively measures China's trade performance and the comparative advantage for tradable-good-producing industries over the reform period.

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Comercio Internacional
Jose Luis Jerez Riesco
Manufacturer: Esic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Comercio Internacional Argentino y El Papel Moneda Convertible 1880-1900

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Comercio Internacional Argentino y El Papel Moneda Convertible 1880-1900
John Williams
Manufacturer: Eduntref
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Economic History | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Comercio Internacional En La Pequena Y Mediana Empresa (Empresa Y Gestion)

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Comercio Internacional En La Pequena Y Mediana Empresa (Empresa Y Gestion)
John Wilson
Manufacturer: Piramide Ediciones Sa
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Corporate Law | Business | Law | Subjects | Books

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Comercio Internacional II / International Commerce II: Incluye Tratado de Libre Comercio / Includes Treatise of Free Commerce

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Comercio Internacional II / International Commerce II: Incluye Tratado de Libre Comercio / Includes Treatise of Free Commerce
Salvador H. Mercado
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Exports & Imports | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Shopping & Commerce | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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