Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research

Doing Anthropology in Consumer Research is the essential 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 research—from coffee in Bangkok and boredom in New Zealand to computing in the United States—using 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.

“"Whatever type of anthropology you might pursue, you'll find an entree to the field in the following pages." -John Sherry, Northwestern University // "Patti Sunderland and Rita Denny (Practica Group, LLC) have done what many have only talked about. They have published a book on doing anthropology in industry and in commercial research. . . . offering a work like this to a client can go a long way to clarifying what we do, and facilitating dialogue over problem definition." -Inga E. Treitler, Anthropology News // "This is, in fact, a great book. Not just a good read, but one of those rare books that is sure to repay re-reading multiple times." -John McCreery, Anthropology Reviews Database // "The book is both an informative and entertaining overview of the importance of using anthropology and ethnography in research, as well as a guide to the perils and pitfalls that comprise its use-the archaic notions still used by many so-called marketing gurus....While authoritative, the writing style is by no means dense or difficult to read through....I certainly recommend the book to marketing researchers, students, and executives and employees at advertising firms." -Michael Barone, Journal of Consumer Marketing”

'This book is a gem, and one long awaited by academic applied anthropologists like me. I have taught courses in applied anthropology and ethnographic research methods for many years... Had I had access to such a text earlier, my students would have been far more aware of and far better prepared for the careers that awaited them.' From the foreword by Donald Stull 'This work succeeds brilliantly in blurring the increasingly unhelpful perception of a divide between 'applied' and 'academic' anthropology. Along several dimensions, it demonstrates how 'cutting edge' and indeed 'theoretical' post-1980s ethnographic research on consumers and marketing has been. Among the current literature in this field, this book has the comprehensiveness to serve as an ideal teaching tool.' George Marcus, University of California Irvine 'Whatever type of anthropology you might pursue, you'll find an entree to the field in the following pages.' From the Foreword by John F. Sherry, Jr. 'The varied engagements with research problems, the entanglements considered in the doing of research, and the reflexive requirements examined when the self is the instrument doing research make this book a valuable resource for qualitative researchers and students across the disciplines of the social sciences and the varied locales of applied practice associated with these disciplines.' HartMut Mokros Rutgers University 'The varied engagements with research problems, the entanglements considered in the doing of research, and the reflexive requirements examined when the self is the instrument doing research makes this book a valuable resource for qualitative researchers and students across the disciplines of the social sciences and the varied locales of applied practice associated with these disciplines.' Hartmut Mokros, Rutgers University 'Patti Sunderland and Rita Denny (Practica Group, LLC) have done what many have only talked about. They have published a book on doing anthropology in industry and in commercial research... offering a work like this to a client can go a long way to clarifying what we do, and facilitating dialogue over problem definition.' Inga E. Treitler, Anthropology News 'Whatever type of anthropology you might pursue, you'll find an entree to the field in the following pages.' John Sherry, Northwestern University

Rita M Denny, Patricia L Sunderland

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