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Marketing Education

Incorporating Transformative Consumer Research Into the Consumer Behavior Course Experience
Ed Petkus, Jr
Journal of Marketing Education 2010 32: 292 originally published online 28 July 2010
DOI: 10.1177/0273475310377784

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Article
Journal of Marketing Education

Incorporating Transformative Consumer 32(3) 292­–299

© The Author(s) 2010
Reprints and permission:
Research Into the Consumer Behavior sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0273475310377784

Course Experience http://jmd.sagepub.com

Ed Petkus Jr.1

Abstract
In contrast to understanding consumer behavior for the benefit of business organizations, transformative consumer research
(TCR) seeks to understand consumer behavior for the benefit of consumers themselves. Following Mari’s (2008) call for the
incorporation of TCR in doctoral programs in marketing, this article outlines the relevance of TCR to the undergraduate
consumer behavior course experience and develops topical and structural recommendations for implementation. Empirical
evidence indicates positive student perceptions of TCR-based course projects in terms of complementing traditional projects,
personal relevance, awareness of social responsibility issues, and marketing applications.

Keywords
transformative consumer research, experiential learning, consumer behavior, social responsibility

Mrs. ___ understands enough about nutrition to know that
her children eat far too many processed foods and far too few
fruits and vegetables. She reads anything she can find about
healthy eating and often talks to her friends about it. She under-
stands nutritional labels and is skilled at evaluating alterna-
tives in the context of food shopping. She is seriously motivated
to buy healthy food, and despite her relatively low income,
she is willing to pay more for it.
But Mrs. ___ lives in what is known as a “food desert.”
She has no car, and the only stores to which she has access
via walking or affordable public transportation are conve-
nience stores (which, of course, not only sell mostly pro-
cessed food but sell it at a higher price). There is one store
that she could walk to that sells some whole foods, but it
involves crossing under a bridge where some dangerous peo-
ple hang out (her friend was attacked there 6 months ago). So
despite a consumer decision-making process that results in a
strong intention to buy healthy food, Mrs. ___ is in a situa-
tion that forces her to make choices that are less than favor-
able to her and her family’s well-being.
This scenario describes a consumer behavior context that
is significantly different from the contexts typically addressed
in a more traditional, managerially focused consumer behavior
curriculum. These situations and ones like them raise impor-
tant implications for consumer researchers—considerations
involving not only why and how people make (and are some-
times forced to make) the choices they do but what the impact
of those choices is on their well-being. The question is, “Is
there a place for such considerations in the consumer behavior
curriculum?” Drawing on the body of knowledge known as
transformative consumer research, this article seeks to shed
light on that question.
What Is Transformative
Consumer Research?
Transformative consumer research (TCR) refers most sim-
ply to consumer research whose mission is to improve peo-
ple’s welfare. A formal definition is found on the TCR link
from the Association for Consumer Research (2010) web-
site: “(TCR) is a movement within our association that seeks
to encourage, support, and publicize research that benefits
consumer welfare and quality of life for all beings affected
by consumption across the world.” The scope of TCR includes
both micro- and macro-level consumer considerations. In
setting the broad context for increased attention to TCR con-
siderations, Mick (2008, p. 377) remarks, “These are . . . the
times in which the ideology and practice of consumption
have multiplied across the earth to levels of complexity, sub-
tlety, and influence that were unimaginable just a few
decades ago.”
In short, TCR addresses the avoidance of negative con-
sumer outcomes and the realization of positive consumer
1
Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ, USA
Corresponding Author:
Ed Petkus Jr., Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ 07430, USA
Email: epetkus@ramapo.edu

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Petkus 293
outcomes. General TCR topic areas include vulnerable pop-
ulations (e.g., the poor, illiterate, elderly, etc.), negative con-
sumer behaviors (e.g., smoking, poor nutritional habits,
high-risk behaviors, etc.), and positive consumer behaviors
(e.g., environmentally responsible behavior, volunteer work,
organ donation, etc.) (Mari, 2008; Mick, 2006). TCR repre-
sents a countervailing approach to the traditional managerial
perspective in consumer behavior; in contrast to understand-
ing consumer behavior for the benefit of business organiza-
tions, TCR involves understanding consumer behavior for
the benefit of consumers themselves.
Although Mick (2006) can be credited with developing
the TCR concept, Mari (2008) must be credited with intro-
ducing the TCR theme to marketing education. However,
Mari’s (2008) discussion is entirely limited to doctoral-level
marketing education. This article seeks to extend the Mari
(2008) discussion to undergraduate marketing education.
This article will argue that undergraduate marketing educa-
tion, specifically the Consumer Behavior course, represents
an effective context for the implementation of TCR.
TCR in the Consumer Behavior
Course: Relevance and Justification
In the marketing education literature, Mari (2008) singularly
provides the direct justification for the curricular consider-
ation of TCR. However, there is a body of scholarship out-
side the realm of marketing education that addresses the
importance of a consumer welfare perspective in consumer
research. Thus, a primary justification for the incorporation
of TCR rests on the assumption that the consumer behavior
curriculum seeks to tap into the consumer research body of
knowledge in its totality.
Although the purpose here is not to review the entire TCR
body of knowledge, several TCR research themes can be
identified. For example, Bazerman (2001), examining social
issues that affect consumers, identifies three areas of consumer
decision making that provide opportunities for exploitative
marketing practices: negotiations (e.g., for automobile pur-
chase), financial services, and auctions. Another stream of
research focuses on the ways in which consumers increase
their psychological well-being by constructing individual
and collective self-identities (e.g., Schau & Gilly, 2003;
Thompson & Hirschmann, 1995). Other transformative con-
sumer research topics that have been addressed include dif-
fusion of innovations in less-developed countries (Arnould,
1989), the role of materialism in the consumer dynamics of
homeless people (Hill, 1991), consumer assimilation among
immigrants (Mehta & Belk, 1991; Penaloza, 1994), drug
addiction experiences (Hirschmann, 1992), consumer scam
victimization (Deighton & Grayson, 1995), and the con-
sumption of natural foods and alternative health products
(Thompson & Troester 2002).
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These articles are cited here because they are among the
“classics” in the field—groundbreaking in terms of TCR
theme (and methodology in some cases). Much more recent
scholarship has carried on in this tradition. In 2007, the first
Transformative Consumer Research Conference was held
at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth University; the
second TCR conference was held in summer 2009 at Villa-
nova University. General themes for the conference sessions
included the following:
• Poverty
• Materialism
• Developing Markets
• Sustainable Consumption
• Empowering Consumers to Live Healthier Lives
• Food and Health
• At-Risk Groups
• Social Justice
• Immigration, Culture, Ethnicity
The Association for Consumer Research website offers a
“Transformative Consumer Research” link that provides
an extensive resource for the most current scholarship in
this area.
In addition to consumer research, scholarship in the con-
text of macromarketing is also relevant to transformative
consumer research. Echoing some of their earlier work (e.g.,
Wilkie & Moore, 1999; Wilkie, William, & Moore-Shay,
1997), Wilkie and Moore (2006) address the responsibility
of the marketing discipline to address issues of the interface
between marketing and society at large, including the influence
of, and on, public policy decisions. They call for a renewed
acknowledgement of the importance of a macromarketing
perspective in understanding the effects of marketing sys-
tems on society.
More broadly, the social responsibility and ethical themes
of TCR suggest that its incorporation in the consumer behav-
ior curriculum could enhance the degree to which students
embrace and understand social responsibility and ethical fac-
tors in marketing. To the extent that such learning outcomes
are important in the marketing curriculum (e.g., Petkus,
2007; Singhapakdi, 2004; Yoo & Donthu, 2002), TCR can
make a further contribution to their establishment, serving
as the consumer-side complement to marketer-side social
responsibility and ethical decision-making considerations.
In short, the existence of a robust body of prior (and
emerging) scholarship makes a strong case for the relevance
of the TCR perspective in the domain of marketing in gen-
eral and consumer behavior in particular. It follows, then,
that an infusion of the TCR perspective into the undergradu-
ate consumer behavior course experience is justified. The
body of knowledge is there, ready to be tapped for the devel-
opment of rich undergraduate learning experiences. The next
294 Journal of Marketing Education 32(3)

Table 1. Consumer Behavior Topics, TCR Dimensions, and Related Learning Experiences

Consumer Behavior Topic Relevant TCR Dimensions/Topics Examples of Learning Experiences

Sensory systems/
multisensory perception
Consumer socialization
and learning
Motivation
Materialism/conspicuous
consumption
Self-concept/self-esteem
Consumer decision-making
model
Consumer attitudes
Personality/lifestyle
Reference group/social
influence
Consumer social
responsibility
Cultural influences
Global issues
Note: TCR = transformative consumer research.
• The effect of hedonic consumption on well-
being and safety
•  The effect of hedonic consumption on
economic efficiency
•  Consumer socialization designed to increase
well-being for children and vulnerable groups
•  Motivational conflicts among positive versus
negative behaviors (e.g., risky shift)
•  Relationship to debt incurrence and other
economic efficiency issues
•  Relationship of self-esteem, body image,
and so on, to consumer choices that affect
physical/emotional health
•  Availability of full and accurate consumer
information
•  Disconnects among attitudes, behavioral
intentions, and actual behavior
•  Cognitive dissonance related to conflicts
among positive versus negative behaviors
•  Attitude change as related to avoiding
negative outcomes and realizing more positive
outcomes
•  Effects of personality and lifestyle on
positive versus negative consumer well-being
outcomes (e.g., smoking cessation)
•  Peer pressure resulting in negative outcomes
•  Social pressures leading to economic
inefficiencies
•  Negative externalities of consumption (e.g.,
child labor, illegal or harmful “ingredients”),
carbon footprint, effects of industrial
agriculture, disposal issues
•  Identification of cultural differences among
vulnerable groups and all aspects of negative
versus positive consumer well-being outcomes
•  Cultural homogenization
•  Harmful effects of export of lifestyle
dimensions (e.g., Western diet)
In-class discussion of personal examples/anecdotes
related to negative outcomes of hedonic
consumption
Research project designed to develop
recommendations for using consumer
socialization to positive outcome
Reflective essay to illustrate motivational conflict
(and potential resolution)
Secondary research project summarizing current
consumption/economics issues
Qualitative (interview) research project that
explores relationships among relevant factors
In-class development of consumer decision-making
scenarios that demonstrate disconnects among
model dimensions (small groups or general
discussion)
Reflective essay that applies TCR factors to the
various attitude models and their specific
components (e.g., role of subjective norms in
multiattribute attitude models)
Qualitative research project that explores
relationships among personality, lifestyle, and
TCR-related behaviors
In-class discussion of personal examples/anecdotes
related to social pressures, and so on
Research project that addresses any of many
consumer social responsibility issues; in-class
discussion of relevant current events; broad final
course project
Reflective essay that explores cultural influence
related to TCR topics; broad final course project
Reflective essay that explores global issues related
to TCR topics; broad final course project

question is, “How, specifically, can the TCR perspective be
implemented in the consumer behavior curriculum?”
Implementation of TCR
Perspective in the Consumer
Behavior Course Experience
Topical Relevance
The first step in implementation is to match basic consumer
behavior course topics with the TCR body of knowledge.
Table 1 outlines selected potential correspondences among
general consumer behavior course topics and TCR dimensions/
topics. Although the course topics listed in Table 1 are intended
to be rather generic (and thus flexible in application), most
consumer behavior textbooks offer content that is explicitly
relevant to TCR. For example, Solomon (2008) includes a
section called “The Dark Side of Consumer Behavior” that
draws directly on TCR literature. Topics covered include con-
sumer terrorism (e.g., deliberate introduction of harmful sub-
stances into consumer products, such as the Tylenol/cyanide
case), addictive behavior (physical and psychological), com-
pulsive consumption, consumer exploitation, illegal consump-
tion activities, and anticonsumption behavior (deliberate

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Petkus 295
sabotage or defacement of marketing activities such as ciga-
rette billboards). Other textbook treatments of specific TCR-
related topics include “consumer misbehavior” (Babin &
Harris, 2008) and consumer advocacy and public policy issues
related to consumer behavior (Lindquist & Sirgy, 2008). In
addition, most consumer behavior textbooks include treat-
ments of broader contextually relevant issues such as market-
ing ethics and social responsibility.
Learning Experiences
If one accepts that TCR dimensions and topics are relevant
to the consumer behavior course curriculum, the next step is
to develop specific learning experiences for implementation.
These learning experiences generally fall into two catego-
ries: in-class experiences and homework/project work. Table 1
offers examples of potential learning experiences for each of
the consumer behavior topics and TCR dimensions. These
examples are intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive; indeed,
any type of learning experience or assignment could poten-
tially be applied to any of the topics, based on instructor inter-
est, preference, and course structure.
Also, it is very important to emphasize that the overall
degree of TCR implementation is very flexible: It could range
from creating an entire course that is TCR themed to occa-
sionally introducing TCR dimensions on an a la carte basis.
Indeed, innovative teaching methods may be applied to the
TCR context; for example, Stern (2008) discusses a course
innovation in which students undertook a “discovery walk”
in which they directly observed the consumption contexts of
minority consumers. Again, instructor preference, school or
college or department mission, and student interest are some
factors than can help determine the degree of TCR integra-
tion in the course. The following sections will offer some
illustrative examples of (a) in-class learning experiences and
(b) student projects from my own experience in fall 2008 and
spring 2009 (the semesters in which, inspired by Mari (2008),
I integrated TCR formally into the curriculum). For context:
I teach at a medium-sized public liberal arts college in the
northeast United States; the School of Business is the largest
of the five schools at the college; we have roughly 225 mar-
keting majors.
In-class learning experiences. In-class TCR-related experi-
ences include (a) discussions of TCR themes and dimension
and (b) the completion of in-class experiential exercises. In
my experience, in-class discussions of TCR topics have been
vibrant, with generally broad participation. In the interest of
full disclosure, an advantage in my classes is that the stu-
dents were primed to understand TCR topics because their
final project, to be discussed later, was TCR themed, so they
were familiar with the TCR perspective starting with the
first-day discussion of the syllabus. In general, student famil-
iarity with the specific topics, as well as students’ overall
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level of involvement with social issues, would likely be fac-
tors in the level of participation in class discussion and the
depth and breadth of student input in those discussions.
In my own classes, I emphasized the congruence of
TCR themes with the liberal arts mission of our college (our
school of business mission also incorporates integration of
business education and the liberal arts). However, any mar-
keting educator seeking to enhance the degree of relevance
of TCR dimensions can call on (a) current events and/or
(b) students’ own life experiences. For example, the semes-
ters in which I implemented TCR dimensions happened to
coincide with the economic recession of 2008-2009, which
opened up many chances for discussion of how economic
difficulties relate to consumer behavior in terms of motivation,
attitude formation, and consumer decision-making dynam-
ics. In addition, a number of my students were able to share
stories that related to TCR themes. In one notably affecting
example, a student’s father had recently died from obesity-
related conditions; the student was forthcoming with many
details about his father’s consumption choices (in terms of
food, exercise, and other lifestyle factors), which provided
rich fodder for discussion (and inspired that student’s group
project topic for the course).
In-class exercises represent an even higher level of TCR
application than does a general discussion. Several times
during the two semesters, I dedicated the last 20 to 30 min-
utes of class to having the students form small groups and
apply the day’s material to a minicase that is TCR themed.
For example, the class was asked to devise a draft of a
community outreach strategy that would help children learn
how to understand the basics of nutritional labeling for the
foods they eat. The goal of this exercise was to have students
apply concepts involving consumer socialization and con-
sumer learning. The outcomes of this exercise involved mul-
tifaceted appeals drawing on cultural, social, and educational
factors in consumer socialization and consumer learning (as
well as a complementary application of integrated marketing
communication basics). Another example of an in-class TCR
exercise had students rewriting and redesigning advertise-
ments for beauty products. The goal of this exercise was to
apply chapter material dealing with body image, self-esteem,
and sex roles in order to redesign the ads so that they “told
the truth.” The main TCR-related outcome of this exercise
was that it helped the students understand the links between
marketing/advertising strategies and consumers’ psycholog-
ical well-being; however, the in-class time was perhaps too
limited for the students to fully execute their ideas (some-
thing to consider for any in-class exercise or assignment).
Student projects/out-of-class assignments. Although in-class
experiences serve to reinforce course material and demon-
strate its application in the TCR context, homework assign-
ments and research projects provide an opportunity for
even deeper immersion in and exploration of TCR themes.
296 Journal of Marketing Education 32(3)

Assignment breadth and depth can obviously vary greatly, as Table 2. Transformative Consumer Research–Based Project
can the degree to which the assignment incorporates TCR Topics (Fall 2008/Spring 2009)
themes. TCR-based learning experiences are also a natural Broad Project Theme Specific Project Topics
match for service-learning opportunities, in which commu-
nity organizations that deal with negative consumer out- Consumer well-being •  Diet versus exercise for weight
comes or vulnerable groups (such as, e.g., local food pantries, (diet/fitness) management
local chapters of Consumer Credit Counseling Services, •  Effect of technology on exercise
•  Organic food consumption: College
Better Business Bureau, etc.) benefit from direct student
students
projects and consultations. •  Vegetarianism/veganism
In my courses, the deepest and broadest immersion in the •  Workplace factors in obesity
TCR perspective came in the final group project. For this •  Water: Consumption and conservation
assignment, student groups select a TCR-related consumer Consumer well-being •  Prescription drug addiction
phenomenon and complete both secondary and primary (addictive/harmful •  Smoking cessation
research with the goal of developing recommendations both behaviors) •  Performance-enhancing drugs
to consumers and to any relevant organizations or companies •  Workplace factors in obesity
•  Video game addiction
(all students in the courses completed the TCR-themed proj-
•  Gambling addiction
ect). The project also requires students to apply any funda- •  Body modification
mental consumer behavior concepts that are relevant to the Economic/ •  Online banking and personal finance
topic. Students choose their own topics (though I give them technological management
a list of broad themes, as shown in the outline in the appen- issues •  Economic challenges for new college
dix); indeed, they are encouraged to choose a topic in which graduates
they have some personal interest, if possible. •  Recessionary spending
An important aspect of the final project is the emphasis on •  Online shopping: Senior citizens
•  Internet safety
developing marketing solutions (or the mitigation of market-
ing efforts that exacerbate problems) to “close the loop”
from analysis to recommendation. In other words, it is not
enough to raise these issues; ultimately, the goal is a more and functions. For example, the students who completed the
comprehensive learning experience that incorporates mar- project that addressed the effects of consumer technology on
keting applications, in the form of specific recommendations exercise made recommendations to consumers that involved
to both consumers and organizations (companies, govern- compensating for sedentary technology experiences with
ment organizations, etc.), based on the analysis. Each group physical activity (including direct time correspondences and
is required to complete 20 primary data “events” (personal making decisions that, if possible, combined the two). They
interviews, surveys, etc.) to enhance their analysis and sup- also recommended a public awareness campaign (facilitated
port their recommendations. The project outline (see the through the Ad Council and the President’s Council on Phys-
appendix) is designed to follow the broader topical outline of ical Fitness) that communicated the importance of balancing
the course. the consumer technology experience with physical activity
The TCR-based topics group projects for fall 2008 and and a similar campaign, directly targeting younger children,
spring 2009 fell into three broad categories. Six of the proj- to be delivered in the elementary schools.
ects addressed consumer well-being in the context of diet
and fitness; seven projects addressed consumer well-being in
the context of addictive or harmful behaviors. Five of the Students’ Perceptions of TCR
projects focused on economic and/or technological issues. Implementation: Empirical Evidence
The specific project topics are detailed in Table 2. For some, the justification for implementing TCR in the con-
As indicated above, an important aspect of the project is sumer behavior course curriculum would come from its very
the recommendations that students generate based on their nature; that any effort to impart social responsibility into the
analysis. Because they develop recommendations for both marketing curriculum is fundamentally, even morally, justi-
consumers themselves and for organizations (businesses, fied. However, I was interested in the students’ reaction to
government organizations, consumer advocacy groups, and the TCR orientation of the projects. In June 2009, I sent all
schools) that are relevant to the particular phenomenon, the the students who had completed the projects (i.e., both the
students are forced to think through the entire consumption/ fall 2008 and spring 2009 sections) a single-question online
marketing cycle that relates to the phenomenon. This adds an survey that simply asked, “In your Consumer Behavior
integrative aspect to the project, as students apply marketing course, you completed a final group project in which you
strategy and integrated marketing communication concepts researched a topic that dealt with consumer well-being.

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Petkus 297

Please describe how you feel about doing a project with this Table 3. Students’ Response to TCR Project (Fall 2008/
type of objective. Please include as much detail as possible in Spring 2009)
your response.” Forty-four out of the 60 students responded, Students’ Response
and they were nearly evenly split between the two semesters to TCR Project:
(21 from fall 2008 and 23 from spring 2009); given that the General Themes Examples of Verbatim Responses
two courses were in the same academic year, there is no rea- Contrast with •  More appropriate . . . not everything
son to expect that there would be any significant differences traditional when dealing with marketing is about
between the two groups. marketing sales; it is important to learn this
The valence of the responses was overwhelmingly pos- projects •  Better way to keep students thinking
itive, which was not surprising because, as the projects and involved in the topic
unfolded during the semesters, there was a generally positive •  Far more interesting than traditional
business-oriented project
feeling about the TCR orientation (likewise the comments
•  When the assignment was given and
in the course evaluations). Beyond that confirmation, I was I was informed that we would have
interested in the students’ feelings regarding the learning to give recommendations to improve
outcomes that they had realized in completing the project. consumer well-being I became
A content analysis of the responses identified four main extremely excited a refreshing change
themes. First, many students noted the favorable contrast that •  Different research than other classes
the TCR project provided with respect to more traditional which broadened my learning horizon
marketing/business-oriented projects. A second theme was •  Provides students with a holistic view
Personal relevance •  We are all consumers . . . we learn more
personal relevance—students commented that they could about ourselves as consumers
relate personally to the TCR topics and that this enhanced •  The project was more personally
their learning of the concepts. Third, students reported that relevant . . . these types of topics help us
the TCR project helped increase their awareness of consumer as consumers to make better decisions
well-being issues and social responsibility factors in market- •  Doing research that reflected and
ing. Finally, several responses discussed the practical mar- related to my self and my attitudes
keting applications that emerged from the project (which is •  Allowed us to relate the project more
to ourselves than another project might
encouraging in terms of the overall objectives of the con-
Awareness of •  Conducting the research forces you to
sumer behavior course). It is also important to note that two social/social become aware of issues you may not
students commented that they would have liked to either responsibility otherwise think about . . . it encompasses
have had a choice between doing a traditional project or com- issues ethics, law, as well as social sciences
pleted a project that somehow combined the traditional with •  Presented an opportunity to look
the TCR approach (indeed, this speaks to the flexible nature outside of the box beyond the actual
of the degree of TCR implementation—communication with product and address the ways in which
students as to the amount of choice that they would like to in affect the consumers life
•  Will better our ability to work in a
see). None of the student comments were critical or disdain- socially responsible capacity
ful of the project (though I acknowledge that there is no way Marketing •  This project forces you to fix problems
to account for potential nonresponse bias). Table 3 offers applications or potential problems and think of ways
some verbatim examples of the students’ responses for each to help consumers
of these four thematic categories. •  Making recommendations allowed us to
use our creativity to its best potential
•  In learning how we are able to better
Final Reflections our consumers well-being, we were,
inevitably, going to increase sales and
The total body of consumer research literature is indeed vast, market share
and no instructor can hope to cover all of it in a semester-long •  A deeper understanding of marketing
consumer behavior course experience. Adding a TCR per- concepts
spective to one’s course thus might require that something
Note: TCR = transformative consumer research.
else be foregone. However, merely exposing students to the
potential for such consumer research, and to the consumer
well-being issues that are raised, should result in some of the
learning outcomes discussed in the previous section. More- potentially find opportunities for implementation. It is impor-
over, TCR topical coverage would not be limited to the tant to emphasize here that the TCR implementation described
consumer behavior course; any course that covers consumer herein is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive. Over
behavior topics and/or social responsibility topics could time, given some level of increased TCR implementation, we

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298 Journal of Marketing Education 32(3)

should look for future scholarship to expand on the consider- Appendix (continued)
ations introduced herein. Also, it is important to reiterate that
this is not a call for a complete, radical overhaul of the con- Part 2: Sociocultural Perspective
sumer behavior curriculum; TCR can serve as a balance to the 1. Sociodemographic Factors
predominant managerial focus, but not necessarily a replace- 2. Cultural Influences
ment. Again, ultimately, the degree to which TCR is incorpo- 3. Global/Multicultural Factors
rated into the consumer behavior curriculum will likely be
driven primarily by the individual instructor’s level of inter- Part 3: Recommendations to Organizations and Consumers
est in the perspective.
Such considerations open the door to a new and broader Please recall that the overarching theme of the project is
question: Should a TCR perspective be part of a larger “social “transformative consumer research,” with a mission of enhanc-
responsibility” focus in the overall marketing curriculum? ing the well-being of people/society. Some topical areas that
Most marketing curricula have embraced marketing ethics you might address include
across most, if not all, courses. Marketing curricula are
increasingly embracing sustainability issues. Is TCR the next • Economic efficiency
step in the evolution (enlightenment?) of the marketing cur- • Health/nutrition/fitness
riculum? The student responses to the TCR project experi- • Environmental/social responsibility
ence seem to indicate that this may be the case (see Table 3). • Consumer education (children/youth)
Examples of student responses include “conducting the • Consumer safety
research forces you to become aware of issues you may not • Psychological and social well-being
otherwise think about . . . it encompasses ethics, law, as well • Vulnerable groups (poor, elderly, illiterate, etc.)
as social sciences”; “presented an opportunity to look out-
side of the box beyond the actual product and address the
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
ways in which in affect the consumers life”; and “will better
our ability to work in a socially responsible capacity.” Although The author(s) declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the
more research would need to be done in this area, the logical authorship and/or publication of this.
extension from TCR themes to social responsibility consid-
erations does not appear to be too far a stretch. Funding
Of course, Mrs.___ does not care what we call it. She just The author(s) received no financial support for the research and/or
wants to get some healthy food for her kids. authorship of this article.

References
Appendix Arnould, E. J. (1989). Toward a broadened theory of preference for-
Example Outline for TCR Final Course Project mation and the diffusion of innovations: Cases from Zinder prov-
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