Course 2020-2021 a.y.

Il corso si articola in tre parti.

1. Fondamenti teorici:
   • I significati attribuiti ai consumi.
   • Consumi e progetti identitari.
2. Metodi di ricerca: etnografia, videografia, intervista in profondità, tecniche proiettive, focus group.
3. Marketing issues:
   • Riti e rituali di consumo.
   • Kids' marketing.
   • Marketing di genere.
   • Consumo e desiderio.

• Comprendere le determinanti culturali alla base del comportamento di consumo degli individui.
• Identificare le teorie piu' adatte per interpretare tali comportamenti.

• Analizzare le pratiche di consumo attraverso i metodi di ricerca qualitativa (interviste, focus group, etnografia).
• Applicare le teorie della branca di Consumer Culture Theory per proporre modalita' di offerta di prodotti e servizi innovativi.

• Lezioni frontali
• Lezioni online
• Testimonianze (in aula o a distanza)
• Lavori/Assignment di gruppo
• Altre attivita' d'aula interattive (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)
• Partecipazione a competizioni esterne

Oltre alle lezioni frontali, sono svolte le seguenti attività:

• Testimonianze tenute da manager di diversi settori industriali sull’impatto della ricerca qualitativa ai fini delle decisioni di marketing strategico ed operativo.
• Simulazioni in aula delle tecniche da applicare durante i lavori di gruppo. In particolare, attraverso la formula del role playing vengono testate le interviste e il focus group.
• Un assignment di gruppo in collaborazione con aziende (oggetto da definire a inizio corso). Tale progetto è utile per applicare sia le metodologie sia le teorie apprese durante il corso.

• La prova scritta, basata su un mix di domande aperte sia brevi sia basate sull’analisi di casi più articolati, ha l’obiettivo di valutare la conoscenza delle teorie, delle determinanti culturali alla base del comportamento di consumo degli individui, e dei metodi di ricerca per studiarlo. Le prime hanno la finalità di esaminare la conoscenza di concetti teorici appresi nel corso. Le seconde hanno l’obiettivo di valutare la capacità di impostare e interpretare lo studio di un fenomeno di consumo o di un caso aziendale reali attraverso l’applicazione di teorie e di identificazione dei metodi di ricerca qualitativi più adatti.

• La valutazione di un progetto di gruppo, svolto sulla base di un assignment definito in collaborazione con una impresa, ha l’obiettivo di esaminare la capacità di lavorare in gruppo e di proporre soluzioni in termini di prodotti e servizi innovativi alle aziende come risultato di una ricerca qualitativa.

• Peer evaluation.

Per gli studenti non frequentanti sarà proposto un esame scritto, basato su un mix di domande chiuse e aperte che rileverà la preparazione degli studenti, sia in termini di nozioni teoriche sia di capacità di ragionamento critico e di applicazione dei concetti teorici a casi pratici. 

• Lucidi del corso, disponibili sul Learning Space.

·      Arnould Eric J., and Craig J. Thompson, (eds) (2018), Consumer Culture Theory, Sage

·      Understanding consumers Module 2, Selections of readings, McGraw-Hill, Create, 2021.

·      Arvidsson, A. 2003, “The new ethic of consumption I: the new housewife”, Marketing Modernity: Italian Advertising from Fascism to Postmodernity, Routledge, London 90-109

·      Arvidsson A. (2001), “From counterculture to consumer culture. Vespa and the Italian Youth market: 1958-1978”, Journal of Consumer Culture, (1), 47-71.

·      Treveri Gennari D., Sedgwick J., “Memories in context: the social and economic function of cinema in 1950s Rome”, Film History, July 2015

·    Arnould Eric J., and Craig J. Thompson, (eds) (2018), Consumer Culture Theory, Sage

·    Understanding consumers Module 2, Selections of readings, McGraw-Hill, Create, 2021.

·    Arvidsson, A. 2003, “The new ethic of consumption I: the new housewife”, Marketing Modernity: Italian Advertising from Fascism to Postmodernity, Routledge, London 90-109

·    Arvidsson A. (2001), “From counterculture to consumer culture. Vespa and the Italian Youth market: 1958-1978”, Journal of Consumer Culture, (1), 47-71.

·    Treveri Gennari D., Sedgwick J., “Memories in context: the social and economic function of cinema in 1950s Rome”, Film History, July 2015

The Course articulates in three parts:

1. Theoretical pillars:
   • Theoretical foundation of interpretive consumer research.
   • Interpreting consumption through culture(s).
   • Interpreting consumption through consumer’s identity projects.
2. Methods:
   • Research methods: ethnography, videography, in depth interview, projective techniques, focus group.
3. Marketing issues:
   • Rituals.
   • The role of culture in consumption.
   • Gendered consumption.

• Youth and consumption.

• Understand the cultural motives at the origin of individuals' patterns of consumption.
• Identify the most suitable theories apt to interpret them.

• Analyze consumption practices by the means of the methods of qualitative research (in-depth interviews, focus groups, ethnography).
• Apply the theoretics of Consumer Culture Theory in order to develop new products and services.

• Face-to-face lectures
• Online lectures
• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Group assignments
• Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)
• Participation in external competitions

In addition to face-to-face lectures, the following activities are completed:

• Guest speakers in class by managers from different industrial sectors on the impact of qualitative research on both strategic and operational marketing decisions.
• In class simulations of techniques to be applied in field projects. In particular, through role playing students train themselves on doing interviews and conducting a focus group.
• A group assignment in cooperation with a company (the topic is defined at the beginning of the course). The project is useful in order to apply both the methodologies and the theories of course.

• Written exam(s) with a mix of open ended and multiple-choice questions has the aim to assess the knowledge of theories, cultural motives at the origin of individuals’ patterns of consumption and of the most suitable methods to study them. More specifically multiple-choice questions are intended to assess the knowledge of theoretical concepts while open ended questions are used to assess the students’ capability to understand and interpret a real consumption phenomenon or a case study through the application of most suitable theories and qualitative methods.

• Group assignments, made in cooperation with companies, are aimed at assessing the capabilities of students to work in teams and to develop new products and services as the outcome of a qualitative market research project.

• Peer evaluation.

Written exam(s) with a mix of open ended and multiple-choice questions has the aim to assess the knowledge of theories, cultural motives at the origin of individuals’ patterns of consumption and of the most suitable methods to study them. More specifically multiple-choice questions are intended to assess the knowledge of theoretical concepts while open ended questions are used to assess the students’ capability to understand and interpret a real consumption phenomenon or a case study through the application of most suitable theories and qualitative methods.

• Slides, available on Bboard.
• Understanding consumers Module 2, Selections of readings, McGraw-Hill, Create, 2019.
• Selected Readings on the Historical Part, Understanding Consumers.

• ERIC.J. ARNOULD, CRAIG .J. THOMPSON, Consumer Culture Theory, Sage, 2018.
• Understanding consumers Module 2, Selections of readings, McGraw-Hill, Create, 2019.
• Selected Readings on the Historical Part, Understanding Consumers.