Consumer vulnerability : Conditions, contexts and characteristics

Description

Consumer disadvantage is of growing importance as a research topic for those exploring wellbeing. Conditions such as homelessness, poverty, addiction and immigration affect how people experience and respond to the marketplace and vice versa. Building on this research, the originality of this book lies in its emphasis on the role of marketing and marketers in both enhancing and ameliorating consumer vulnerability. Focussing on the substantive, ethical, social and methodological issues relevant to studies with vulnerable consumers, this book broadens our understanding of the social contexts and consequences of consumption by drawing attention to consumers who are typically overlooked in mainstream marketing. Organised into six sections, each addressing different aspects of vulnerability, this book will be of interest to marketing and consumer research scholars and students and also to researchers in other disciplines including sociology, public policy, anthropology, and medicine, and practitioners, policy makers and charitable organisations working with vulnerable groups.  Read more... Part I: Mapping the Domain of Consumer Vulnerability 1. Introduction (Kathy Hamilton, Susan Dunnett and Maria Piacentini) 2. On Consumer Vulnerability: Foundations, phenomena, and future investigations (Stacey Menzel Baker, Monica LaBarge and Courtney Nations Baker) 3. An Inclusive Approach to Consumer Vulnerability: Exploring the contributions of intersectionality (Bige Saatcioglu and Canan Corus) 4. Justice in Injustice, Power in Vulnerability: The dialogic potential of The Uncondemned (Catherine Coleman) 5. Asking for Trouble: Some reflections on researching bereaved consumers (Darach Turley) 6. Consumer Vulnerability is Market Failure (Jonathan Stearn) Part II: Consumer Vulnerability and Key Life Stages 7. Children as Vulnerable Consumers (Agnes Nairn) 8. Consuming Childhood Grief (Stephanie O'Donohoe) 9. An Adolescent-Centric Approach to Consumer Vulnerability: New implications for public policy (Wided Batat) 10. Care Leavers' Experiences of Assuming Consumer Roles During the Transition to Adulthood (Sally Hibbert, Maria Piacentini and Margaret K. Hogg) 11. Older People: Citizens in a consumer society (Roger Clough) Part III: Consumer Vulnerability, Health and Wellbeing 12. Health Shocks, Identity and Consumer Vulnerability (Marlys J. Mason and Teresa Pavia) 13. Social Exclusion: A perspective on consumers with disabilities (Carol Kaufman-Scarborough) Part IV: Consumer Vulnerability, Poverty and Exclusion 14. Towards an Understanding of Religion-Related Vulnerability in Consumer Society (Aliakbar Jafari) 15. Descent into Financial Difficulty and the Role of Consumer Credit (Andrea Finney) 16. Poverty, Shame and the Vulnerable Consumer (Elaine Chase and Robert Walker) 17. Poverty Proofing the School Day (Sara Bryson and Stephen Crossley)