Kathy Hamilton

I joined the University of Strathclyde in 2006. I’m currently a reader in the Department of Marketing and work within the “Consumption, Markets and Society” research cluster.

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. I explore how interpretive methodologies can be used to generate advances in knowledge. 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 am a chair of the newly launched ‘Consumer research with Social Impact” Special Interest Group within the Academy of Marketing. The purpose of the group is to foster dialogue and expand knowledge on consumer research with social impact issues among academics as well as other stakeholders (e.g. consumers, third sector organisations, commercial businesses).

My research expertise relates to consumer vulnerability and I have investigated how various contexts, such as poverty, transform market interactions. My key contributions in this area relate to lived experiences of poverty, coping with vulnerability, marketplace stigma and therapeutic consumption.

Another project that aligns with my interest in consumer culture is a collaboration with Dr Stephanie Anderson (University of Glasgow) related to the subcultural exploration of abandoned buildings. We have used this context to better understand obsolescence and consumer interest in the past. The research is published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.

My research is of interest to an interdisciplinary audience and this is reflected in my publication record which includes articles in the top marketing, sociology, and tourism journals.

I am an Associate Editor for the Journal of Marketing Management and co-chair of the Interpretive Consumer Research (ICR) workshops within the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management.