Reframing gender and feminist knowledge construction in marketing and consumer research: missing feminisms and the case of men and masculinities

Abstract

Abstract:Gender has been theorized and studied in many ways and across different disciplines.Although a number of these theorizations have been recognized and adopted in marketing and consumer research, the significance of feminism in knowledge construction has been largely remained what we would call 'unfinished'. Based on a critical reframing of gender research in marketing and consumer research, in dialogue with feminist theory, this paper offers theoretical and practical suggestions for how to reinvigorate these research efforts. The analysis highlights dominant theorizations of gender, relating to gender as variable, difference and role; as fundamental difference and structuring; and as cultural and identity constructions. This reframing emphasizes various neglected or 'missing feminisms', including queer theory; critical race, intersectional and transnational feminisms; materialdiscursive feminism; and critical studies on men and masculinities. A more detailed discussion of the latter, as a relatively new, growing and politically contentious area is further developed, to highlight more specifically which feminist and gender theories are mainly in use in marketing and consumer research, and which are little or not used. In the light of this, it is argued that marketing and related disciplines have thus far largely neglected several key contemporary gender and feminist theorizations, particularly those that centre on gender power relations. The potential impact of these theoretical frames on transdisciplinary studies in marketing and consumer research and research agenda(s) is discussed.1 This paper builds on the paper, What's Love/Sex/Gender/Gex Got To Do With it? Gender, Men, Masculinities, "Marketing & Consumer Behaviour", 12th Conference on Gender, Marketing and Consumer Behaviour, Helsinki, June 2014. 2 Statement of contribution:This paper contributes to marketing and consumer research through presentations of neglected gender theories, based on reframing previous gender research in the marketing discipline. It finds that marketing has marginalized gender and feminism as political, and that various theorizations have been sidelined. In particular, it draws on developments in the field of CSMM to illustrate neglected theorizations. It concludes with a discussion of future research directions that centre on gender and power relations, and the potential impact of alternative gender and feminist theories on marketing as a discipline.Keywords: gender, feminism, critical studies on men and masculinities, marketing, consumer research 3 IntroductionGender knowledge construction is a central concern for marketing and consumer research (MCR), as reflected in this special issue. As a construct, gender has often been linked to feminism (Oakley, 1972). However, while research on gender advanced in marketing disciplines, feminism has often become muted, implied or sidelined, despite the opportunities it offers. The fundamental questions this paper addresses are: how is gender theorized in MCR? And, how do these conne...

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