Synopsis
Qualitative Methods, Part II: Symbolic Consumer Behavior or Consumption Symbolism by Morris B. Holbrook delves into the symbolic meanings that consumers attach to the products and services they choose. This book examines how consumption is not just about utility, but also about the symbolic values that items represent in consumers' lives. Holbrook’s exploration highlights the complex layers of meaning consumers derive from their purchases, including social identity, personal expression, and cultural significance.
By exploring the concept of consumption symbolism, Holbrook introduces readers to qualitative methods that reveal how brands and products act as symbols in shaping consumer self-concept and societal roles. Through detailed case studies and real-world examples, this book provides valuable insights into how symbolic consumption drives consumer choices and brand loyalty.
This book is an essential resource for researchers, marketers, and academics interested in the intersection of psychology, culture, and consumer behavior. Holbrook’s approach provides a deep understanding of the symbolic forces that shape the modern marketplace.
About the Authors
Morris B. Holbrook is the now-retired W. T. Dillard Professor Emeritus of Marketing, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University, New York City. Holbrook received his Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard College (English Literature) in 1965, his MBA from Columbia University in 1967, and his Ph.D. in Marketing from Columbia University in 1975. From 1975 to 2009, he taught courses at the Columbia Business School in areas such as sales management, marketing strategy, research methods, consumer behavior, and commercial communication in the culture of consumption. His research has covered a wide variety of topics in marketing, consumer behavior, and related areas with a special focus on issues concerning communication in general and aesthetics, semiotics, hermeneutics, art, entertainment, music, jazz, motion pictures, nostalgia, animal companions, and stereography in particular. His recent books and monographs include Postmodern Consumer Research: The Study of Consumption as Text (with Elizabeth C. Hirschman, SAGE, 1992); Daytime Television Game Shows and the Celebration of Merchandise: The Price Is Right (1993); The Semiotics of Consumption: Interpreting Symbolic Consumer Behavior in Popular Culture and Works of Art (with Elizabeth C. Hirschman, 1993); Consumer Research: Introspective Essays on the Study of Consumption (SAGE, 1995); Consumer Value: A Framework for Analysis and Research (edited, 1999); Playing the Changes on the Jazz Metaphor: An Expanded Conceptualization of Music, Management, and Marketing-Related Themes (2007); Music, Movies, Meanings, and Markets: Cinemajazzamatazz (2011) and Consumer Behavior: New Essays on the Study of Consumption (2025). He lives with his wife Sally on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where he pursues hobbies such as playing the piano and vibraphone, attending jazz and classical concerts, going to movies and the theater, collecting musical recordings, making stereographic photos, watching sunsets, taking long walks, window shopping, and being kind to cats.
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