Submissions from academics, practitioners and emerging researchers are encouraged. Extended submission deadline: 30 April 2018.

2018 ICAR Symposium: “Anti-consumption ― beyond boundaries”

Anti-consumption research has flourished since the first special issue in Psychology and Marketing (2002). This interest is evidenced by several special issues, focusing on various aspects of anti-consumption, published by: Journal of Business Research (2009); Consumption, Markets and Culture (2010); Journal of Consumer Behaviour (2010); European Journal of Marketing (2011); Journal of Macromarketing (2013); Journal of Consumer Affairs (2016); and the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing (2018).

Anti-consumption research now encompasses a wide range of phenomena, from specific avoidance of brands (Lee, Motion, and Conroy, 2009; Iyer and Muncy, 2009) through to sustainable resistance of mainstream consumption in general (Cherrier, Black, and Lee, 2011). It is heartening to see that the study of the ‘reasons against consumption’ Chatizidakis and Lee, 2013) has moved beyond fringe dwelling ‘hippy’ and ‘dumpster-diving’ lifestyles (Zavestoski, 2002; Fernandez, Brittain, and Bennett, 2011), to now include a multitude of phenomena where individuals consciously make the decision to reject certain products, brands, organizations, or countries. Indeed, research has documented that ‘regular’ citizens are also capable of performing anti-consumption behaviors (Lee, Motion, and Conroy, 2009). Hence, anti-consumption comprises a plethora of manifestations which differ in terms of actors, goals, targets, duration and intensity. As a consequence, anti-consumption can be researched in different ways, varying the object of analysis, the research purpose, the sample, the methods and analysis employed.

Yet, it is evident that whilst anti-consumption is a mushrooming field of research, the area has predominantly focused on how and why individuals engage in anti-consumption practices, with a marked emphasis on the antecedents and meanings of individual behaviors. We believe, it is now necessary to take a more complete approach to the different phenomena encompassed under anti-consumption. We believe that anti-consumption is worthy of exploration from multiple perspectives, taking into account multiple actors—not only individuals, but also communities, companies, or even nations. Furthermore, the study of the consequences of anti-consumption has been mostly overlooked in previous literature. This is problematic because, although most anti-consumption behavior holds considerable promise for fostering a more sustainable society and diminishing the environmental impact of human activities, there is still very little understanding of how this process will actually unfold. Moreover, although many anti-consumption practices seek to achieve substantial environmental changes in current society, considerable uncertainty remains on the existence of societal or aggregated effects of anti-consumption behaviors; thus, a significant research gap still persists.

Therefore, we feel that the study of anti-consumption is now ready to move beyond its ‘product/corporate-centric’ boundary into a broader realm of ‘marketing compatible’ disciplines and topics. Consequently, ICAR 2018 calls for anti-consumption research that goes ‘beyond boundaries’. From research focusing on individuals through to groups, companies, or even countries as anti-consumption agents. Works delving into the consequences of anti-consumption practices at different levels (e.g., organizations, governments, charitable organizations, or countries) will be especially welcomed.

Special issue

In line with the above theme, a special issue has been negotiated with Psychology & Marketing. Given the broad positioning of the journal and the fact that ‘individual and collective psychology’ underpins most of what occurs in marketing and, by-proxy, anti-consumption, papers presented at this symposium will feed into a highly anticipated follow-up special issue.

Submissions should take into account the extensive developments in anti-consumption since the emergent works published in 2002, and are solicited from a broad spectrum of contexts, such as:

• Arts and fashion;
• Media, music, and film;
• Politics and policy;
• Not-for-profit and charitable organizations;
• Tourism and country of origin;
• Religion and philosophy;
• Organizational theory and supply chain management;
• Behavioral economics and financial markets;
• Information systems;
• Environmental and climate change research;
• Waste and dispossession;
• Superstition, magic, and taboo;
• Psychology of unconscious and mindful anti-consumers;
• Intentional and unintentional outcomes/consequences of anti-consumption;
• Sociology and social movements;
• Broad groups (companies/industries, or governments/countries) as anti-consumption agents or targets of anti-consumption;

Papers related, but not limited, to the above topics will be considered, but in all cases, the theoretical underpinnings of Psychology and Marketing should still play a fundamental role.

Please follow the submission guidelines for Psychology & Marketing as detailed under «Instructions to Authors» on the Wiley Web site and send completed manuscripts electronically to Michael SW Lee at msw.lee@auckland.ac.nz and José Manuel Ortega-Egea at jmortega@ual.es

References

• Chatzidakis, A. and Michael. S. W. Lee (2013). «Anti-consumption as the study of Reasons against.» Journal of Macromarketing 33(3): 190–203.
• Cherrier, Helene, Iain Black, and Michael S. W. Lee. (2011). «Intentional non-consumption for sustainability: Consumer resistance and/or anti-consumption?» European Journal of Marketing 45(11/12): 1757–1767.
• Fernandez, Karen V., Amanda J. Brittain, and Sandra D. Bennett (2011). “Doing the duck: Negotiating the resistant-consumer identity.” European Journal of Marketing 45 (11/12): 1779–88.
• García-de-Frutos, Nieves, José M. Ortega-Egea, and J. Martínez-del-Río (2016). “Anti-consumption for Environmental Sustainability: Conceptualization, Review, and Multilevel Research Directions.” Journal of Business Ethics (Online First): 1–25.
• Iyer, R. and James A. Muncy (2009). «Purpose and object of anti-consumption.» Journal of Business Research 62(2): 160–168.
• Lee, Michael S. W., Judith Motion, and Denise Conroy (2009). «Anti-consumption and brand avoidance.» Journal of Business Research 62(2): 169–180.
• Zavestoski, Stephen. (2002). «The social-psychological bases of anti-consumption attitudes.» Psychology & Marketing 19(2): 149–165.