Research Ethics and Fieldwork at New Consumption Communities

It is hard to deny that marketing practice has changed considerably during recent years. This is reflected in its increased focus on customisation, coproduction and interactive marketing, much of which has been enabled by new information technologies. While marketing has remained innovative there has also been much rhetoric and little reflexivity about what has been done (Szmigin, 2003). Although marketers may have been listening more to consumers (e.g. through qualitative research), efforts have almost always been directed at controlling consumers; ranges of products pre-determined by producers have been pushed through with little real involvement of consumers in the process, at a time in which we, consumers (are we not consumers as well as marketers?), are ever more aware of what is being done to us (Szmigin, 2003). In fact, many of these issues are also reflected in current consumer research practice. Consumer research has been of paramount importance to the development of marketing theory and practice, yet control over the research process remains entirely in the hands of marketers and academic marketing researchers alike. Consumers are seldom, if ever, involved in the research design and analysis processes, which raises issues that go beyond ethics and into an epistemological arena. These issues are particularly problematic when participant-observation is employed, as little is (and little could be) addressed by research guidelines and codes of ethics relevant to marketing research. Adopting an ethical standpoint of care and responsibility based on feminist theories (Edwards and Mauthner, 2002), I address some of the relevant ethical issues pertinent to participant-observation that arise from the lack of inclusion of the consumer in the research process (as well as the potential issues that may be involved in participatory and emancipatory research designs), the shortcomings of the available marketing research guidelines and codes of ethics as far as participant-observation is concerned, alongside the several issues that may arise during fieldwork. To illustrate the discussion a reflexive account of my own fieldwork at six distinct New Consumption Communities (Szmigin and Carrigan, 2003) is presented. Although some authors have put reflexivity as the means to achieve ethical fieldwork conduct and relationships (Guillemin and Gillam, 2004), such argument disregards the real-time and context-bound nature of ethical circumstances at the field, where the researcher must often respond to unexpected situations immediately. Reflexivity is a tool but cannot be used alone; it is not completely exempt from its own political, philosophical and epistemological stances and paradoxes, as well explored by Harley, Hardy and Alvesson (2004). This paper therefore does not aim to construct yet another set of guidelines for researchers that will engage or are already engaged in participantobservation; what goes on in the field can be unpredictable and fluid. Rather, the aim is to discuss the key issues that may be encountered while in the field through practical examples. This should prove valuable in alerting consumer researchers on the breadth and depth of ethical issues in the field, and on the all encompassing epistemological issues that we face, as researchers, on a daily basis. As put by Birch et al. (2002, p.3), the aim here “is to suggest ethical ways of thinking rather than to provide answers or rules to be adhered to”. In this study such ethical ways of thinking will be placed within the particular context of participant-observation

Communally Living the Positive Alternative

Downshifting and other ‘resistance’ consumer behaviors have been examined according to varied perspectives, including political consumption (Shaw 2007; Shaw, Newholm and Dickinson 2006; Dickinson and Carsky 2005; Micheletti 2003), consumer activism and movements (Hermann 1970; Hilton 2003; Kozinets and Handelman 2004; Lang and Gabriel 2005) and resistance to consumer culture, the marketplace or marketing more broadly (Kozinets 2002; Giesler and Pohlmann 2003). Indeed, communities of alternative consumption involving radical forms of downshifting and/or ethical consumer behaviour have been largely positioned as anti- consumer culture and anti-marketing (Kozinets 2002; Giesler and Pohlmann 2003; Dobscha and Ozanne 2002; Dobscha 1998). But Juliet Schor (1998:23) suggests that past movements such as the “hippies” were “much more self-consciously anti-consumerist than most of today’s downshifters”; that downshifters today “are not dropping out. They are not back-to-the-land types. They don’t live together. And they don’t share a religion.” In this chapter we examine whether downshifting behaviour is possible within alternative community lifestyles, how it is manifested, and whether it may be considered a form of resistance to consumer culture in such a context. To do so, we review a diverse body of cross-disciplinary literature on the question of resistance to consumer culture, comprising the perspectives mentioned above. We also examine six UK communities of consumers who at a first glance could be seen as current embodiments of the ‘anti-’ and/or ‘resistance’ phenomenon, but which instead have shown communally-held ‘positive alternative’ approaches to discourses and practices encompassing downshifting and ethical consumption. We consider the communities’ relationships with the market and wider society from both the community position and the views of individuals within, presenting the everyday realities of downshifting in a communal context. We (re)present the communities through data from three years of ethnographic research comprising participant-observation, depth interviews, websites, print documents, broadcast material, informal conversations and experience stories with participants in what we have termed New Consumption Communities (Szmigin, Carrigan and Bekin 2007; Szmigin and Carrigan 2003). New Consumption Communities are presented as beneficial in terms of consumer re-enablement; they have been conceptualized as communities providing alternative ways of engaging in consumption and negotiating with the marketplace to an increasingly varied range of individuals (Szmigin, Carrigan and Bekin 2007). New Consumption Communities are formed around a sense of community through consumers’ reconnection to production, and maintained through engagement in boycotts, voicing of concerns and positive choices (Szmigin and Carrigan 2003). The six distinct cases are presented throughout the text in order to diversely illustrate our arguments in this chapter. The first of these is Hockerton Housing Project (HHP), the UK’s first ecologically sound, energy-efficient, earth-sheltered housing complex, launched in 1998. It was built by five resident families who produce 100% of their own wind energy, grow organic food, and manage their own sewage, water collection and filtering systems. Members are committed to a community business that comprises guided tours, educational and specialist workshops. HHP considers itself a best practice example and catalyst for sustainable living. The second community is Fallowfields (pseudonym). Founded in 1950 as an educational trust, Fallowfields had eighteen members at the time of research (2004). Their values comprise learning to live life peacefully and in community. Some members live in shared and others in independent accommodation within the community. During fieldwork, Fallowfields was undergoing an ethos-searching period, with environmental causes gaining prominence. The third community is Spiritual (pseudonym), a pioneering, holistic enterprise whose aim is spiritual (non-religious) education. It comprises an eco-village with several communal buildings for workshops, housing, ethical shops and a hall used for conferences and performances. Spiritual is an inspirational example to other communities. It had around five hundred permanent and volunteer members at the time of research, and thousands of people visit them each year. It is set up as a non-profit charity with a body of trustees, and is holistically devoted to sustainability through its energy windmills, organic sewage system, eco-housing and local exchanges fostered through its own community currency and bank. Stone-Hall (pseudonym) is also committed to holistic education. Its education centre is run by a resident cooperative group and administered by a trust. They are committed to environmental goals, rear livestock, grow vegetables, recycle, have their own water spring, reed-bed sewage, composting system and wood burners. All members work full-time for the community. Sunny-Valley Community (pseudonym) and its eleven members celebrated the community’s 10th anniversary in 2004. It is also a co-housing cooperative based in a shared house on rural land with members sharing maintenance responsibilities. Their ethos has a strong ecological focus and respect for diversity. They have good links with the local village, organize the local composting scheme and take part in the local community currency scheme. Finally, Woodland (pseudonym) is a rural co-housing initiative formed some thirty years ago. It had fifty-eight members at the time of research, and volunteers supplement the community. Spaces were communal with shared kitchen, laundry, library and other social rooms. Common values included self-sufficiency, cooperative living and low environmental impact

Empowerment, waste and new consumption communities

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the diverse and complementary resistance and waste-reduction practices adopted by UK-based New Consumption Communities, and whether such behaviours empower them to achieve their environmental and social goals. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology can be broadly classified as critical ethnography, which acknowledges the researcher’s own subjectivity, how the informants are treated and represented, and the study’s wider context (Peñaloza, 1994). A participant-observer role is employed and six distinct New Consumption Communities are explored. Findings – It is suggested that through their resistance and empowerment, as well as a reconnection to production, the communities are able to implement alternatives to the wasteful practices of mainstream consumption behaviour, and achieve (partial) autonomy from the hegemonic forces of the market. Originality/value – This paper’s original perspective on waste is not limited to a small group of consumers, and thus should interest marketers and policy makers engaged in the advancement of sustainability and green marketing. Keywords – Consumer Empowerment; Voluntary Simplicity; Waste; Ethnography Paper type – Research pape

Communities and consumption

Editorial for the IJSSP Special Issue on Communities and Consumption

Defying marketing sovereignty: Voluntary simplicity at new consumption communities

Purpose of this paper: To broaden the scope of or knowledge of collective voluntarily simplified lifestyles in the UK, by exploring whether voluntary simplifiers achieve their goals by adopting a simpler life. Design/methodology/approach: Radical forms of voluntary simplifier groups were explored through participant-observation research. The methodology can be broadly classified as critical ethnography, and a multi-locale approach has been used in designing the field. Findings: Although for some of these consumers voluntary simplicity seems to have reinstated the enjoyment of life, certain goals remain unfulfilled and other unexpected issues arise, such as the challenges of mobility in the attainment of environmental goals. Research limitations/implications (if applicable): This is an ongoing research, however many opportunities for further research have arisen from this study. Quantitative research could be undertaken on the values and attitudes buttressing voluntary simplicity specifically in the UK. The extent to which such communities influence mainstream consumers could be studied both quantitatively and qualitatively. Mainstream consumers’ attitudes to the practices of such communities could prove useful for uncovering real consumer needs. Practical implications: Despite these communities position in the extreme end of the voluntary simplicity spectrum, their role in shaping the practices and attitudes of other consumers is clear. What is original/value of paper: This paper provides new consumer insights that can re-shape policy-making and marketing practice aimed at achieving a sustainable future

Intending to be ethical: An examination of consumer choice in sweatshop avoidance

While much research in ethical consumption has focused on contexts such as food, this research explores ethical consumer decision-making in the context of intention to avoid sweatshop apparel. This research seeks to deepen the Theory of Planned Behavior with respect to the motivation and volitional stages underlying behavior. The findings of the research, based on 794 consumers, are novel and support an enriched framework which reveals that the role of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control are mediated by desire, intention and plan. The findings have implications for research seeking to address the ‘intention-behavior’ gap

An Examination of the Volitional Stages in Consumer Decisions to Avoid Sweatshop Clothing

While much research in ethical consumption has focused on contexts such as food, this research explores ethical consumer decision-making in the context of intention to avoid sweatshop clothing where consumer concern has increased but response from the market remains limited. This research seeks to deepen the theory of planned behaviour with respect to the volitional stages underlying behaviour. The findings of the research support a modified theory of planned behaviour model and also reveal volitional stages from intention to trying and plan which reveal the stages of consumer decision-making to avoid sweatshop clothing. Implications for consumer decision-making are discussed

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-based hybrid networks obtained via thiol-epoxy click chemistry

A series of hybrid networks based on polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) were prepared by thiol-epoxy click reaction using commercially available octakis-glycidyl-POSS (G-POSS), trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether, and trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate) as monomers. The click reaction was simply catalyzed by lithium hydroxide which proceeded readily at ambient conditions in very good yields. The incorporation of G-POSS into the network was clearly determined by transmission electron microscopy, FTIR, and 1H-NMR spectroscopy techniques performed with a model study using 1-butane thiol and G-POSS molecules. The homogeneous distribution of G-POSS up to 5 wt% in the hybrid network was apparently confirmed by morphological investigations. By increasing G-POSS content higher than 5 wt%, the heterogeneous dispersion of G-POSS was determined from the tensile strength measurements. The significant decrease in tensile strength was possible due to the agglomeration of G-POSS. On the other hand, thermal properties of hybrid networks were compared together by thermogravimetric analyses, where all samples exhibited one-step degradation in the range of 220–500 °C. The thermal decomposition of hybrid network led to complete degradation of the organic part and favored the formation of stable carbonaceous and inorganic residues as char. Thus, the char yields of hybrid networks were increased to 6.2, 7.8, 10.1, 12.7, and 15.1% by G-POSS loadings from 0 to 15 wt%. This improvement was also a proof of the incorporation of G-POSS into the hybrid networks that resulted in high heat-resistant POSS-based hybrid networks compared to a sample without G-POSS. © 2017, Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute

Experience in the surgical management of children with complicated crohn's disease

Objective: To present experience in pre-surgical diagnosis, selection of surgical tactics and volume of intervention in different variants of gastrointestinal tract lesions and disease activity. Materials and methods: We undertook cross-sectional, retrospective-prospective study of 64 children who underwent surgery due to complicated CD. We analyzed CD activity via PCDAI, medications used, inflammation localization, and changes in mass-growth parameters at pre-surgery stage. Results: Three patients from the group of 44 children with two-stage surgical treatment later showed inefficacy of GEBD in post-operative period. The disease progression was revealed and, therefore, subtotal colectomy was required. Three children had secondary adhesion of surgical wounds by means of active immunosuppressive therapy at preoperative period, and five patients developed suture sinuses at post-operative period. Early adhesive intestinal obstruction was revealed in 3 (4.7%) cases, and they required re-surgery. Conclusions: Personalized approach to the surgical treatment of children with complicated CD has shown its efficacy due to the small percentage of postoperative complications with re-surgery. There was significant improvement in mass-growth parameters, recovery of albumin levels, and anemia decrease in 96.9% of cases in the long-term postoperative period (6 months or more)

¿Cómo un mercado mayorista con espacios polivalentes en Pillcomarca puede aportar a la sociedad?

El propósito de la investigación es satisfacer la necesidad de la población a través del diseño de un mercado mayorista sustentable con espacios polivalentes en el distrito de Pillco Marca, de esta manera la población podrá acceder a un servicio o un bien requerido, es decir, los productos o servicios que brinde la infraestructura, cumple con los deseos y requerimientos del usuario. La metodología usada en la investigación fue una metodología de investigación documental, en donde se hicieron revisiones bibliográficas de diferentes autores para el recojo de información. Los resultados demuestran que no es agradable realizar comprar en condiciones actuales. Entonces fomentar un diseño de mercado polivalente con visión de futuro de este tipo de infraestructura, abogar por una mejor relación y más sostenible con el ambiente cambiante es fundamental, empleando materiales de construcción adecuadas para reducir la contaminación ambiental a medida que esto sea positivo para la población y también para el uso y consumo