Fatima Alansari

A considerable body of work on Self exists in consumer research. Most investigates how consumers enact (Belk, 1988), construct (Elliott, 2004; Elliott & Wattanasuwan, 1998; Kozinets, 2015; Lindridge, 2005), uncover (Campbell, 2004), or experience (Shankar & Fitchett, 2002) Self through consumption in the material world.

Little to no research investigates how a belief in an afterlife influences conceptualizations of the Self. To account for this gap, my work focuses on applying an Islamic Epistemology to understand Self as well as shed light on how the concept of an Afterlife influences consumption and understandings of Identity.

My research aligns itself with Kravets and Varman's (2022) claim that “marketing remains overwhelmingly Eurocentric and theoretical canon in what counts as knowledge” (p128) and proposes applying Islamic Epistemology and theology in consumer research to develop new ways of understanding Self and Identity. Throughout my research I am experimenting on ways in which I can apply both the Devine and interpretive sides of Islamic theology to develop a method that is suited for this study.

Supervisors

• Principal Supervisor: Susan Dunnett
• Assistant Supervisor: Victoria Rodner