Underdeveloped Other in country-of-origin theory and practices

Abstract

Consumers and marketers employ extant sociocultural discourses to give meaning to the products they consume or sell. In this paper, we present data and analyses that illustrate the manner by which American consumers and marketers draw upon one such sociocultural discourse, development, in the context of “craft” objects. Beyond the focus on discourse, however, our intent is to apply a post-development perspective to the Otherness inherent in country-of-origin (COO) theory and practices. We critique the COO framework and see it as a ramification of, and further creator of, economic difference and hierarchy.

Keywords:

• country of origin
• globalization
• otherness
• craft products
• post-development theory

Notes

1. We believe that terms such as “developed,” “developing,” “underdeveloped,” “First World,” and “Third World” are steeped in development discourse. These terms create a form of discursive violence that we have questioned in this research. At several places in this paper, we have used these terms in inverted commas to indicate our reservation. However, for the sake of simplicity in this section of literature review and subsequently, we have not used inverted commas. This does not mean that we uncritically accept the usage of the terms.

2. We are grateful to one of the reviewers for suggesting this line of analysis to us and for specifically identifying some variations and nuances in the data.