Ethnicity in the Study of the Consumer: An Overview

Abstract

This article discusses the work on ethnicity as a social construct. It traces the evolution of research on this theme by proposing to distinguish two major approaches that reflect epistemological and methodological orientations. These approaches are distinguished according to whether they consider ethnicity as a feature or as a resource. The limitations of previous research and contemporary debates call for a renewal of the concept of ethnicity in the study of consumers through greater consideration of socio-cultural contexts and social interaction. The conclusion questions the responsibility of marketers as agents of social transformation.