Kathy Hamilton

Professor of Consumption, Markets and Society, Prof

  • United Kingdom

Personal profile

Personal Statement

I joined the University of Strathclyde in 2006. I’m currently a Professor in the Department of Marketing. I am also Associate Director (challenge pathways and postdoctoral fellows) with the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences (SGSSS). 

 

I predominantly teach on consumer behaviour classes. This is reflective of my research interests in the area of "Consumption, Markets and Society.” 

 

I am co-chair of the Consumer Research with Impact for Society (CRIS) Special Interest Group within the Academy of Marketing. I am also part of the organising committee for the biennial Interpretive Consumer Research (ICR) seminars (part of the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management).

Research Interests

My research falls at the intersection of Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and Transformative Consumer Research (TCR). The CCT perspective guides my theoretical contributions in terms of how market-mediated contemporary culture impacts consumers, institutions and society at large. The TCR perspective is more impact oriented and is a movement that encourages research that benefits well-being and quality of life within the context of consumer culture.

I have a longstanding interest in consumer vulnerability and how various contexts, such as poverty, transform market interactions. Some of my central research themes have been gender and family dynamics of poverty, therapeutic consumption, coping with vulnerability and marketplace stigma. I co-hosted an ESRC seminar series on the theme of consumer vulnerability with Dr Susan Dunnett (University of Edinburgh) and Prof Maria Piacentini (Lancaster University) and have published an edited book (2016) entitled "Consumer Vulnerability: Conditions, Contexts and Characteristics" as part of the Routledge Studies in Critical Marketing Series. 

More recently, I was Principle Investigator for an interdisciplinary project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, on transformative servicescapes and consumer vulnerability that focuses on how public service spaces can ameliorate vulnerability in relation to community cohesion, social mobility and social and digital inclusion. I am also one of the programme leads for a project funded by the Scottish Universities Insight Institute on “Consumer resilience and coping strategies during the cost-of-living crisis: What consumers can do and where stakeholder interventions are needed” (with Prof Thomas Boysen Anker, University of Dundee).

My work has been published in journals such as Journal of Consumer Research, European Journal of Marketing, Sociology, Annals of Tourism Research, and Journal of Marketing Management. 

Expertise & Capabilities

  • Consumer Culture
  • Consumer Vulnerability
  • Therapautic Consumption/Therapeutic Servicescapes
  • Consumer Poverty
  • Consumer research with impact for society
  • Consumer-driven memorialization

Teaching Interests

I teach classes related to consumer behaviour and qualitative methods at UG, Honours and Masters level. I have received regular nominations for the Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Awards. I am also a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, Low-income Families: Coping with Consumer Disadvantage, Queen's University Belfast

Award Date: 1 Jan 2005

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