I Shop Therefore I Am

1.00 credits · Undergraduate

Whether we are shopping for carrots or cars, we make choices about and between products. These choices are informed by our backgrounds, situations, cognitions, behaviours, and emotions — and they can affect how we feel about ourselves and others, thereby contributing to our perceptions of identity. This course examines how shopping is intertwined with individuals’ social and self identities, how shoppers’ identities are affected by retailers’ and marketers’ view of the aggregate consumer, and how shoppers interact with brands and related constructed identities. Students’ understanding of these perspectives will be informed by active qualitative research and debates.