Strategy

Glasshouse Forum launches an international comparative 18 months programme of enquiry and discussion on the dynamics of consumer capitalism. To cover the core dimensions, we envisage applying a multi-disciplinary approach calling on a mix of economists, political scientists, anthropologists, historians and sociologists.

The emphasis will be on understanding how consumer capitalism influences the social fabric of society and political culture in the UK, Germany, France, Sweden and the US and other parts of the West.

In particular, we want to uncover whether and how the spread of consumer culture is taking different forms in different places and why. This will be done through:

1. A comparative study with the aim to get a better empirical base for the discussion about consumption and consumerism in the West, resulting in a report containing what we can call a “consumption map”.

2. An anthology - Changing Consumer Roles - edited by Karin Ekström, Professor in Marketing at the School of Business and Informatics, University of Borås, Sweden, and Kay Glans, Glasshouse Forum's editorial coordinator, will be published by Routledge in June 2010. Read more and pre-order the book here.

The project was launced in London on the 24th of January 2008, where the key questions were defined and the project was properly focused. It involved forming strong hypotheses, pulling together existing evidence and point out areas for further research.

The main communication channels will be the Glasshouse Forum’s website, the newsletter LookingGlass, a series of short research reports, the final project publication and public seminars.