Can an anthropologist help us understand the world of business? Armed with this question, veteran anthropologist Brian Moeran embarks on an in-depth study of cultural production and creative industries in Japan. Moeran is able to shed light not only on social behavior and human relations in general but, more specifically, on the importance of strategic exchange to all business practices. Moeran's fieldwork, rooted in participant-observation of business life in communities and corporations, leads him to an original theory of how business operates. Culture is not all-powerful, Moeran shows....
Can an anthropologist help us understand the world of business? Armed with this question, veteran anthropologist Brian Moeran embarks on an in-dept...
Through its artful engagement with consumers, advertising subtly shapes our everyday worlds. It plays upon powerful emotions - envy, fear, lust and ambition. But the industry itself is far more subtle and complex than many people might assume. Through an innovative mix of business strategy and cultural theory, this pioneering book provides a behind-the-scenes analysis of the link between advertising and larger cultural forces, as well as a rare look into the workings of agencies themselves.
How do advertisements endeavour to capture 'real' life? How do advertising agencies think of...
Through its artful engagement with consumers, advertising subtly shapes our everyday worlds. It plays upon powerful emotions - envy, fear, lust and...
Ethnography at Work follows the experiences of the author as a participant observer in the day-to-day running of a Japanese advertising agency. The book reveals the intricate behind-the-scenes planning, discussion, negotiations and strategies needed to ensure that the agency's presentation to a potential client will be preferred over that of a rival firm. The book shows how detailed ethnography can lead to an understanding of numerous different, but interlocking, theoretical issues. It demonstrates how ethnography can travel beyond the academic realm and be used by business personnel to...
Ethnography at Work follows the experiences of the author as a participant observer in the day-to-day running of a Japanese advertising agency. The...
Recent years have witnessed an explosive growth in the literature published about Japan. Yet it seems that the more that is written about Japan and Japanism - its culture, society, people - the more mysterious it becomes. As well as exploring issues relating to advertising, tourism, women, festivals and the art world, the book depicts how the study of Japanese society contributes to anthropological theory and understanding. The editors use the term 'unwrapping' to provide insights into Japanese culture and relate these insights to broader problems and questions prevalent in contemporary...
Recent years have witnessed an explosive growth in the literature published about Japan. Yet it seems that the more that is written about Japan and Ja...
This book gives a social anthropological account of whaling culture in Japan. When originally published this was the first comprehensive account in English of the history of Japanese whaling, showing how it has given rise to a particular culture. The volume discusses what happens when that culture is threatened. At the same time as explaining the work organization of those involved in whaling, the role of whaling companies in local and national economies, and the role of the whale in the establishment and maintenance of local community identity (ritual, food, gift-giving), the authors address...
This book gives a social anthropological account of whaling culture in Japan. When originally published this was the first comprehensive account in En...
When this book was originally published it was the first work of its kind to examine the way in which language is used to express the 'myth' of advertising slogans and other popular cultural forms. By making use of general theories from the disciplines of anthropology, linguistics, media studies and semiotics, the book attempts to demystify Japanese culture as it has been hitherto presented in the West, and shows how such cultural forms as 'noodle westerns' and high-school baseball uphold the well-known ideologies of 'selflessness', 'diligence', 'compliance' and 'co-operation' typically...
When this book was originally published it was the first work of its kind to examine the way in which language is used to express the 'myth' of advert...
How does a group of people, brought together because of their diverse skills and professional knowledge, set out to be 'creative'? How are ongoing tensions between beauty, fame, and money resolved? In The Business of Creativity, Brian Moeran, a leading scholar and writer on the creative industries, takes the sacred relic of creativity out of the crypt and airs it in the ethnographic alley. In contrast to the persistent image of creativity as the spontaneous inspiration of a gifted individual, Moeran shows how creativity emerges from collaborative engagements among people, genres,...
How does a group of people, brought together because of their diverse skills and professional knowledge, set out to be 'creative'? How are ongoing ten...
How does a group of people, brought together because of their diverse skills and professional knowledge, set out to be 'creative'? How are ongoing tensions between beauty, fame, and money resolved? In The Business of Creativity, Brian Moeran, a leading scholar and writer on the creative industries, takes the sacred relic of creativity out of the crypt and airs it in the ethnographic alley. In contrast to the persistent image of creativity as the spontaneous inspiration of a gifted individual, Moeran shows how creativity emerges from collaborative engagements among people, genres,...
How does a group of people, brought together because of their diverse skills and professional knowledge, set out to be 'creative'? How are ongoing ten...
Under the guidance of Moeran and Christensen, the authors in this volume examine evaluative practices in the creative industries by exploring the processes surrounding the conception, design, manufacture, appraisal, and use of creative goods. They describe the editorial choices made by different participants in a 'creative world', as they go about conceiving, composing or designing, performing or making, selling and assessing a range of cultural products. The study draws upon ethnographically rich case studies from companies as varied as Bang and Olufsen, Hugo Boss, and Lonely Planet, in...
Under the guidance of Moeran and Christensen, the authors in this volume examine evaluative practices in the creative industries by exploring the proc...
Why do women all over the world read fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper s Bazaar, and Marie Claire? How do editorial, art, and advertising staff put together the monthly editions of each title in France, Hong Kong, Japan, the UK, and the U.S.? Based on the author s two decades of ethnographic fieldwork and content analysis, and drawing on anthropological theories, The Magic of Fashion argues that the fashion industry makes commercial use of practices and rituals commonly found in magical and religious rites to enchant its readers. The book -argues that fashion magazines make use of...
Why do women all over the world read fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper s Bazaar, and Marie Claire? How do editorial, art, and advertising sta...
