Fingers are crossed: Susan & I pitched a proposal to sponsor a roundtable discussion titled "Exploring the Co-Evolution of Possession Constellations, Self, and Identity.”
Purposes of the roundtable are to:
- Assemble scholars from across the disciplinary spectrum that have investigated issues related to the intersection of possession constellations, self, and identity.
- To Identify:
- Gaps in current knowledge (persisting mysteries, blind spots) about how possession constellations, self, and identity co-evolve;
- Speed bumps or barriers to progress in this area (speed bumps, barriers):
- Theoretical?
- Methodological?
- Substantive?
- Opportunities (doors ajar, windows open) for potential new directions for research in this area:
- Research questions that haven't been explored or deserve further exploration;
- Methodologies. To apply under-utilized methodologies that are distinctly appropriate for understanding consumption systems dynamics.
- Contexts that seem especially prime for revealing the co-evolutionary aspects of consumption and self.
- Consumer benefits?
- Are there opportunities to advance inquiry in this area in a way that benefits consumers (to tie into the conference theme ... that I don't really get--but that's another issue).
Response to this idea has been gratifying. An exciting collection of scholars have expressed an interesst in participating. Here's the roll-call as it now stands (recognizing that I'm still waiting to hear from a number of folks):
- Eric Arnould, University of Nebraska
- Stacy Baker, University of Wyoming
- Dwayne Ball, University of Nebraska
- Terry Bristol, Arizona State University-West
- Carolyn Curasi, Georgia State University
- Jim Gentry, University of Nebraska
- Kent Grayson, Northwestern University
- Susan Kleine, Bowling Green State University
- John Lastovicka, Arizona State University
- James McAlexander, Oregon State University
- Radan Martinec, London School of Communication
- Americus Reed, University of Pennsylvania
- Marsha Richins, University of Missouri
- Shay Sayre, California State: Fullerton
- Mike Solomon, Auburn University
- John Schouten, Portland State University
- Darach Turley, Dublin City University
- There's room for more to gather 'round the table. Who's next?
So, we'll see how the ACR program committee rules on our proposal. What I find most exciting is that this topic appears to afford a lens that brings focus to the commonality among several seemingly dispirate research programs. If so, the resulting discussion should be electrifying. We'll see.