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Instructors: Prof. Dr. Oliver Emrich
Event type:
Lecture/practice class
Displayed in timetable as:
Fabrics of Dreams
Hours per week:
4
Language of instruction:
Englisch
Min. | Max. participants:
- | -
Requirements / organisational issues:
Lecture (2 SWS) + Exercise (1 SWS)
Exam:
• Interactive group work with social media: reflection and application of the lecture's topics to a social media context (blogs) (30%)
• Written exam (70%)
Contents:
“Following one’s own dream” is a defining attribute of Western cultures that represents a highly individualistic orientation. “Dreams” exemplify very strong consumer aspirations that typically reach their peak moments during early adolescence, but are still influential for consumption in later life stages. Beyond the individual effects, these needs and aspirations can accumulate into whole waves of consumer demands (i.e., trends) and subsequently shape culture and consumption for decades. But to what extent do we self-determine our dreams and how strongly are dreams influenced by the societal trends seeded through media, and more recently, through social media?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that the pioneers of Western cultures as well as the most successful artists of our time transferred projected self-concepts from “dreams” into trends such as “Sturm und Drang” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) or “Grunge” (Kurt Donald Cobain). Also many consumer industries center around the creation and communication of “dreams”, relating to products and services. Advertising commonly uses the significance of trends in popular cultures in the use of brand associations, the collaboration with popular actors, and the adoption of cultural aesthetics and meanings. Conversely, music from TV commercials reaches top positions in billboard charts (e.g., Coke), modern consumption becomes the subject of art (e.g., Andy Warhol), and sometimes even whole film plots happen to be centered around product placements (e.g., Cast Away). Brand advertising is therefore one prominent – but not the only – avenue in which consumer research meets trends in popular culture.
As these trends seem to be strongly linked with mechanisms in consumer behavior, the observed links may provide new perspectives and innovative insights into trend development as well as open up new possibilities for brand positioning. However, one of many questions both for artists and brands is for example to what extent they should rely on their unique resources (talent) and to what extent they should align themselves to current trends in the marketplace.
This course is designed to assess the “fabrics of dreams”, that is, the ideological material that creates needs and aspirations and accumulates into trends. Students will analyze conditions under which trends in popular cultures emerge and learn to know psychological mechanisms from consumer research. The course will feature discussions with artists and industry representatives to receive insights into the process of cultural material production and discuss these insights based on empirical findings from consumer research. The course will also provide an outlook on future uses of online social media for trend origination and spreading and its impact on individual consumers and cultural developments.
This course is relevant for students interested in arts, media, marketing, psychology, and sociology.
Learning goals:
• Learn to know new perspectives on cultural and consumption-related trends
• Understand the conditions under which cultural trends and consumer trends emerge (and fade)
• Receive insights into the psychological mechanisms of consumer “dreams”
• Discuss creative experiences and the developments of trends with actors from popular culture
• Develop capabilities to integrate creative thinking with systematic research and analysis
Recommended reading list:
Excerpts from books and scientific articles which will be announced for each chapter of the lecture.
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