M. Tadajewski
Focus Groups: History, Epistemology and Non-Individualistic Consumer Research
Tadajewski, M.
Authors
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the development and application of focus groups. It rethinks the conventional history associated with this approach in at least four ways. We reinsert a forgotten pioneer of focus groups, Herta Herzog, into our narrative. Secondly, we trace the emergence of group-based research to the work of applied psychologists in the early twentieth century and argue that the conditions of possibility for the uptake of this method were contingent on the asking of “why” questions. We follow the thread of “why” questions from the applied psychologists through to motivation research and the promotion of focus groups by Herzog to practitioners. Exploring the literature on motivation research unearths a further novel contribution: we excavate the use of “interpretative focus groups” by this community of practice. In addition, our close reading of motivation research and focus groups permits us to problematise the distinctions made by Calder [1977. “Focus Groups and the Nature of Qualitative Marketing Research.” Journal of Marketing Research 14: 353–364]. We subsequently trace the uptake of this methodology in the tobacco industry as a means of making an epistemological and political argument for the greater use of focus groups. Initially, we do so by charting the rise of social constructionism and non-individualistic consumer research. This enables us to navigate the highways and byways of discursive psychology, interpretive research, Consumer Culture Theory and on to feminist and Critical Marketing Studies. The engagement with focus groups with respect to the latter traditions is woefully underdeveloped. Our political argument is that focus group methodology can speak to the interests of many constituents in marketing theory and practice. It is not wedded to any specific social or political agenda. This means that its potential contribution to the study of consumption, markets and culture is multi-faceted.
Citation
Tadajewski, M. (2016). Focus Groups: History, Epistemology and Non-Individualistic Consumer Research. Consumption, Markets and Culture, 19(4), 319-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2015.1104038
Journal Article Type | Article |
---|---|
Acceptance Date | Sep 29, 2015 |
Online Publication Date | Nov 4, 2015 |
Publication Date | Jul 1, 2016 |
Deposit Date | Sep 30, 2015 |
Publicly Available Date | Mar 29, 2024 |
Journal | Consumption, Markets and Culture |
Print ISSN | 1025-3866 |
Electronic ISSN | 1477-223X |
Publisher | Taylor and Francis Group |
Peer Reviewed | Peer Reviewed |
Volume | 19 |
Issue | 4 |
Pages | 319-345 |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2015.1104038 |
Keywords | Focus group, Marketing theory, Methodology, Herta Herzog, Robert Merton, Paul Lazarsfeld, Consumer culture theory, Critical marketing studies. |
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Copyright Statement
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Consumption Markets and Culture on 04/11/2015, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10253866.2015.1104038.
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