Non-western contexts: the invisible half

Like many other disciplines within the broad area of social sciences (e.g., anthropology, gender studies, psychology, sociology, etc.), consumer research is also highly navigated by scholars from Western countries. This, however, does not mean, by any means, that consumer research is devoted to studying Western contexts only. As evident from the ever-increasing number of regional conferences (e.g., Asia-Pacific and Latin American conferences of the Association for Consumer Research) and non-Western students' enrolment in doctoral programs at Western universities, there are many more researchers (from non-Western countries) who are entering the field and enriching it by their colourful contributions. Yet, given the low number of publications on consumer research in non-Western contexts, it seems that our current knowledge in these societies has a long way to go to flourish. More specifically, and in the domain of consumption culture research, this gap is even further widened by the fact that the culture of consumption in such contexts is largely interpreted with reference to the 'grand narratives' of Western scholars (e.g., Foucault, Mafessoli, Bourdieu, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Nietzsche, Durkheim, Derrida, etc.). Therefore, from an ontological perspective, it seems that our existing knowledge about non-Western societies lies heavily on the 'theoretical structures' that are 'constructed' by Western philosophy as a set of ideas, beliefs, and practices (Said, 1978). As Belk (1995) reminds us, consumption culture always existed in all human societies. What makes contemporary societies different from that of our predecessors' is not the fact that consumption culture did not exist in those societies, but that consumption culture has become a prevailing feature in modern society (Slater, 1997; Lury, 1996; Fırat and Venkatesh, 1995; McCracken, 1988). Therefore, the nature and dynamics of consumption culture in each society should be studied not only against the sociocultural, historical, and economic background of a given context (Western or non-Western) but also with reference to the philosophical and epistemological viewpoints that analyse and interpret cultural practices of that society from within that culture. Addressing such issues, this paper discusses some of the key reasons for lack of theory development in the field from non-western contexts. The paper invites scholars in non-Western contexts to introduce the less articulated, and sometime hidden, body of knowledge from their own contexts into the field of marketing in general and consumer research in particular

An analysis of material consumption culture in the Muslim world

In this paper, we examine the notion of material consumption culture in Islamic societies. We differentiate between institutionalised religion and religion as culture. We contest the Orientalist portrayal of Islam as a fanatic ideology opposed to Western Modernity’s features of secularism, individualism, and pluralism. With reference to the Qur’anic text, we discuss that such qualities are embedded with Islam. We do not interpret the Qur’an from a theological perspective; rather, we seek to demonstrate the possibilities of its multiple interpretations. We argue that, in their everyday life consumption practices, Muslims (re)interpret religious guidelines in different ways and refer to Islam, as a transcendental set of guidelines, to make better sense of their cultural practices in different ways. We summarise our discussion by highlighting the importance of analysing the culture of consumption from the lens of insiders and offer directions for future research

Assessing the reliability and validity of a shorter version of RIASEC in Turkish

Holland’s RIASEC types are being frequently utilized in commercial vocational profiling tools for various human resources purposes. On the other hand, the length of the RIASEC scale and the copyright restrictions put by the publishers, are important barriers to application. In the present study, a RIASEC scale consisting of 41 items and adapted to Turkish language and culture, was developed. Each RIASEC type was represented with 6 or 7 items. Responses were obtained from a sample of 364 business professionals. Survey results indicated a good reliability for the scale, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.889. However, reliability analysis pointed out to the need for revision of certain scale items when each RIASEC facet was separately analysed. Then, feedback regarding scale composition, wording and structure were gathered from 20 PhD students. Lastly, feedback of 7 HR professionals were sought, regarding scale items’ expression and application of the scale in regular HR processes of companies. Results from face and content validity have been that for some items of the scale, more descriptive and specific expressions in Turkish are required. Moreover, some of the items would need to be reallocated to another facet where they would be more relevant. In line with findings from face and content validity, construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis also indicated that the short version of RIASEC must be revised substantially in order to become a valid tool for vocational profiling in Turkish context

The effects of scientific literacy on participation to political decision making

The low levels of scientific literacy among the general public in a society where technology penetrates all aspects of everyday life creates major citizenship problems. One of the main goals of education is increasing the civic scientific literacy of the citizens besides preparing students for science based vocations. Well educated human capital stock is important for informed decision making as well as the development of research and development activities. The quality of policy decisions is highly dependent on the level of interest, information and attitudes towards S&T. Making conscious decisions about S&T related developments is substantial for democratic participation of the public to policy making. Increasing complexity of science and technology related issues creates a gap between expert and citizen knowledge. Scientific literacy decreases this gap in terms of creating a knowledgeable approach to the controversies around scientific issues. The aim of this study is to make an operational model for explaining how civic scientific literacy affects public understanding of science and these in turn influence participation to political decision making. We analyse the effects of scientific literacy and other public understanding of science variables on participation to political decision making

Assessing the reliability and validity of a shorter version of RIASEC in Turkish

Holland’s RIASEC types are being frequently utilized in commercial vocational profiling tools for various human resources purposes. On the other hand, the length of the RIASEC scale and the copyright restrictions put by the publishers, are important barriers to application. In the present study, a RIASEC scale consisting of 41 items and adapted to Turkish language and culture, was developed. Each RIASEC type was represented with 6 or 7 items. Responses were obtained from a sample of 364 business professionals. Survey results indicated a good reliability for the scale, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.889. However, reliability analysis pointed out to the need for revision of certain scale items when each RIASEC facet was separately analysed. Then, feedback regarding scale composition, wording and structure were gathered from 20 PhD students. Lastly, feedback of 7 HR professionals were sought, regarding scale items’ expression and application of the scale in regular HR processes of companies. Results from face and content validity have been that for some items of the scale, more descriptive and specific expressions in Turkish are required. Moreover, some of the items would need to be reallocated to another facet where they would be more relevant. In line with findings from face and content validity, construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis also indicated that the short version of RIASEC must be revised substantially in order to become a valid tool for vocational profiling in Turkish context