9th ACR Conference
on Gender, Marketing,
and Consumer
Behavior, B0ston,
Simmons College,
June 16th to 19th 2008
“Moving Beyond
Binary Oppositions:
Exploring the Tapestry
of Gender in Consumer
Research and
Marketing”
www.bentley.edu/genderconference
Conference co-chairs:
Shona Bettany, University of Bradford;
Susan Dobscha, Bentley College;
Lisa O’Malley, University of Limerick;
Andrea Prothero, University College Dublin
Call for Submissions
The 9th ACR Conference on Gender, Marketing, and Consumer Behavior will take
place June 16th to June 19th, 2008 in Boston, MA at Simmons College. This conference
will take place directly before the Consumer Culture Theory Conference (dates June
19th-June 22nd) with a joint reception held on the evening of June 19th.
Gender and feminist theory has a long and rich intellectual history in such disciplines
as sociology, cultural studies, media, women’s studies, anthropology, ethics, law, and
economics. While research in marketing and consumer research has applied gender
and feminist theory both conceptually and methodologically, it has not had the
impact on the field evidenced within other disciplines.
In its 9th incarnation, this conference will serve to showcase research that moves
beyond basic differences between men and women to look more deeply into the rich
tapestry that gender weaves upon consumers’ experiences.
To that end, this conference will utilize a “track” structure. Authors are encouraged to
submit papers that reflect one of the track themes listed below. Furthermore, we are
excited to announce that accepted papers from this conference will have two potential
publication outlets:
 A special issue of Marketing Theory, published by Sage.
 The conference proceedings, which are part of the ACR database.
Authors can choose to publish their paper in full in the conference proceedings, or as
an abstract if they are considering publication in another outlet.
All full papers will automatically be eligible for consideration for the special issue of
Marketing Theory unless authors specify otherwise.
The tracks are not meant to provide an exhaustive list of topics. We welcome papers
that address any aspect of gender; marketing and consumer behaviour not included in
the following tracks that nevertheless reflects the overall theme of the conference.
List of Tracks
Gender Identity, Gendered Bodies and Consumption
Description: Papers in this track should focus on the production and reproduction of
gender identity and gendered bodies through, by and within consumption and
marketing. Possible themes might include (but not be limited by) gender, materiality
and consumption, gendered identity construction through consumption and
consuming gendered bodies.
Track Chair: Lorna Stevens
Locating Gender in Consumer Culture Theory
Description: Papers submitted for this track should address the questions of
“where/how/what is gender in consumer culture.” The emphasis here is not on
criticism of consumer culture theory, but in stimulating a productive dialogue
between gender researchers in consumer and marketing research and this growing
disciplinary movement.
Track Chair: Lisa Peñaloza
The Role of Feminist Theory in Transformative Consumer Research
Description: Papers in this track should focus on how feminist theory can be applied
to marketing and consumer research phenomena with a particular emphasis on the
transformative nature of feminism.
Track Chair: Janet Borgerson
Masculinity in Marketing and Consumer Research
Description: Within marketing (and other disciplines as well), there has been a lack
of emphasis on how men’s gender identity is formed/maintained/manipulated by
consumer culture and the marketplace. Papers in this track should focus on men’s
experiences in the marketplace and may include issues of masculinity identity
construction and maintenance and issues of “machismo”
Track Chair: Jim Gentry
Queer/ing Consumption and Marketing
Description: Papers in this track should employ work from queer theory to shed light
on the heterosexist nature of research in marketing and consumer research. This
Work might include (but not be limited to) queer readings of advertisements,
representation issues, gender bending and androgyny. We particularly want to
encourage work about lesbian consumers given the historically uneven attention they
have received in the discipline vis a vis gay men.
Track Chair: Helen Woodruffe-Burton
Families and Gendered Consumption
Description: Papers in this track should focus on how gender affects family
dynamics. Issues such as how children form gender roles through consumption,
single mothers and single fathers and gay and lesbian family issues.
Track Chair: Linda Price
Visual Consumption and Gender
Description: Papers for this track should address the relation between consumption
practices and visual practices from a gendered and gendering perspective. Possible
themes include (but are not limited to): the gendered politics of the visual, the
production of gender through the commoditized image and gender in advertising.
Track Chair: Jonathan Schroeder
Historical Inquiries, Gender and Consumer Research
Description: This track encourages submissions using historical analysis to study
gender issues in consumer research and marketing. Possible topics include the
historical development of gender issues in consumer and marketing research;
periodization of gendered consumption and marketing practices; interpretive analysis
of consumer cultures and gendered marketing activities in classical literature and art;
analysis of ancient architecture and other communication media for constructing
gender identity in the marketplace. Empirical studies utilizing written and material
primary data sources (e.g., newspaper advertising, photography, toys, and other
artifacts and found objects) are particularly encouraged. Historical analysis of gender
issues in non-western consumer cultures as well as western cultures is encouraged.
Co-Chairs: Blaine Branchik and Yuko Minowa
Submission Types and Requirements
Competitive Papers:
Page 1: Title, author or authors, track for which paper is to be considered (if you have
a submission that doesn’t fit into one of the tracks, simply label the submission as
“other”), and full contact information.
Pages 2-21 (maximum) Double-spaced paper including tables, figures and references,
please follow the JCR referencing style.
Topical Session Proposals:
We welcome any topical session submissions that focus on gender and consumer
research. Topical session proposals should include 3-4 papers or multimedia abstracts,
with or without a discussant.
Please provide:
Page 1: Session title, presentation titles, session chairperson, discussant, if used, and
full contact information for chairperson, discussant and each presentation.
Pages 2-4 (maximum): Double-spaced description of session and rationale.
Pages 5-9 (maximum): Approximately 500-word abstracts for each presentation.
Working Papers:
Any incomplete work that you wish to share but do not want to have considered for
publication can be submitted as a working paper, for feedback from colleagues. These
submissions can take any form such as abstracts, literature reviews, early fieldwork,
videographies, poetry, performance art, or multimedia presentations. These works
will be subjected to critique but not formally “reviewed.” These works will be
presented concurrently during a poster session. We particularly welcome any PhD
students who wish feedback to submit their thesis work .
Please provide:
Page 1: Title, format (film, paper, other) author/filmmaker, and full contact
information (including e-mail).
Pages 2-3: Double-spaced abstract of the paper or film.
Completed papers and/or conference queries should be submitted to
GA_GenderConference@bentley.edu no later than January 31st, 2008.
Final notification of papers and sessions will be completed in late March, 2008. If
accepted, authors must commit to appropriate revisions within six weeks. All
accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings. They will also be
downloadable in a PDF format from the Association for Consumer Research website
(http://www.acrweb.org/).
All submissions, reviews, and correspondence will be handled electronically.
Looking forward to seeing you in Boston – Andy, Lisa, Shona, Susan.