Learning objectives
Competences and outcomes are as follows.
a. Knowledge and understanding. Students learn to use the categories of analysis of consumer behavior and to understand the complexity of the interrelationships between individual and social dimensions, such as between different determinants of choice.
b. Applying knowledge and understanding. At the end of the course, the students will acquire, in addition to general knowledge related to the scenarios of consumption, the main methods for the analysis of trends, as well as tools for analyzing reports from various sources and answering to specific questions.
c. Making Judgments. Through the course, students acquire the independence of judgment required to understand the different communication strategies implemented by the brands and their relationship with the socio-cultural context.
d. Communication Skills. The multidisciplinary approach, the variety of cases considered, as well as the practice of presentations made by the students in the classroom, teaches how to handle different types of communication means. The specific attention to new brand messages helps the acquisition of communication skills. The proposal of different materials and analysis of cases strengthens the ability to communicate in different contexts and purposes and learning skills. The multidisciplinary approach proposed requires a strong capability to make connections, compare methodologies and results, and facilitates the development of learning skills. In particular, urges the research and the use of different sources useful analysis (research, secondary data source, business reports). The course aims to develop independent judgment and ability to interpret several topics about consumption.
Prerequisites
none
Course unit content
This course will tackle the key concepts and main theories of the Sociology of Consumption and its uses for understanding aspects related to consumer behaviour. Sociological theories will be compared with the contributions from other disciplines, including psychology and neuroscience. Particular attention will be paid to emerging trends in the new context of social networks, communication between consumers and brands and tools for the analysis of the consumer. In addition, the course will be given ample space to the study of cases and contributions of companies.
Main topics:
• scenarios of consumption in post-modern society: aesthetics, ethics, relationships,
• structural determinants of consumer behavior: intersection between socio-cultural and technological changes,
• Lifestyles and consumption behavior,
• Consumption as exercise of citizenship: ethical consumption and critical consumption,
• New relationships between brand and consumer: prosumerism and co-production of value,
• Social networks and consumer choice,
• Narrative marketing and social conversations,
• Practical and symbolic functions of the brand,
• New qualitative approaches for analysis of consumer: ethnography, observation, narrative analysis.
Full programme
• Scenarios of consumption in post-modern society: aesthetics, ethics, relationships,
• structural determinants of consumer behavior: intersection between socio-cultural and technological changes,
• Lifestyles and consumption behavior,
• Consumption as exercise of citizenship: ethical consumption and critical consumption,
• New relationships between brand and consumer: prosumerism and co-production of value,
• Social networks and consumer choice,
• Narrative marketing and social conversations,
• Practical and symbolic functions of the brand,
• New qualitative approaches for analysis of consumer: ethnography, observation, narrative analysis.
Bibliography
Attending students for the exam can use the slides presented during the course and freely available via the Internet and a few scientific articles on the topics covered.
Non-attending students are required to study three books:
M. FRANCHI, A. SCHIANCHI (2011), Scegliere nel tempo di Facebook. Come i social network influenzano le nostre preferenze, Carocci.
G. FABRIS (2010), La società post-crescita. Consumi e stili di vita, Egea.
V. CODELUPPI (2012), Ipermondo. Dieci chiavi per capire il presente, Laterza
Teaching methods
Lectures, experts/managers lectures, group and individual work on case studies and analysis of various materials
Assessment methods and criteria
Assessment takes place through written tests lasting one hour: the student must answer three open questions. Through the responses, knowledge and understanding of the issues proposed (a of the Objectives described above) and the ability of the student to apply the knowledge to specific questions (b) are assessed. Furthermore, since the questions are open, students are able to exercise significant independent judgment (c) with respect to what is required and we can check the communication skills of the student (d). Finally, the need for handling categories and qualitative information acquired during the course, during the specific cases studies, requires the students to apply knowledge already possessed, and to learn and to evaluate new information (e).
Other information
Please always refer to Professor's webpage for updates regarding course, timetable, office hours and more
