Alternative Ways of Seeking Knowledge in Consumer Research
Laurel Anderson Hudson; Julie L. Ozanne
The Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 14, N
..4 (Mar., 1988), 508-521,
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‘Tuo Feb 3 06:56:02 2004Alternative Ways of Seeking Knowledge
in Consumer Research
LAUREL ANDERSON HUDSON,
JULIE L. OZANNE*
“Two of the predominant approaches to gaining knowledge inthe social sciences
a the postvist and interpretive approaches. Diferent phiosophcal assumptions
land goals underie both. We are better abo to s
the stongins and weaknesses
in the two approaches by companng and contrasting dierent perspectives; ths
|uxtaposton essential ie ar to mprove the ways in which we sty consumers,
In arte, we demonstra
the infuonce of assumptions on diferent research
processes, ate problems inherent noth perspectives, pont out the range of po
jons within the interpretive approach, and discuss the ramifications of verse
‘ways of seeking knowledge for consumer research,
DM 2zzezsotscsine know abou consumes
exist. Knowledge may be gained from such dic
verse approaches as reading a novel to conducting @
laboratory experiment, Each form of knowledge is
valuable, However, as individual researchers, we must
choose the processes through which we gain knowledge.
(Our field is dominated by various versions of positivism
(Anderson 1986), even though the problems of positiv-
ism are well articulated inthe literature Anderson 198.
Olson 1981; Peter and Olson 1983). However, the in-
terpretive approach is beginning to receive some atten
tion as an alternative way of seeking knowledge (Belk,
Sherry, and Wallendort 1988; Hirschman 1985, 1986,
Holbrook 1986; Hudson and Murray 1986; Solomon
1986; Wallendorf 1987).
‘The purpose of this article isto explore the assump-
tions and goals that underlie the two predominant ap-
proaches to gaining knowledge in the social sciences.
By comparing positivism to interpretivism, we seek to
highlight the existence of a number of diverse ways of
seeking knowledge. Both of these research approaches
include theories and methods based on different goals
and underlying assumptions (Anderson 1986; Geertz
1973; Laudan 1984; Shulman 1986), These underlying
philosophical assumptions include beliefs about the
hature of reality, of social beings, and of what consti-
Laurel Anderson Hudson is Assistant Profesor of Commerce,
Metntie School of Commerce, Univesity of Virginia, Charlotesile,
YA 22903, Julie L, Ozanne is Assistant Professor of Marketing, De-
partment of Marketing, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Uai-
‘ersity, Blacksburg. VA 24061. The authors wish to thank Paul An-