Marketing and the (in)authentic: a yin-yang perspective

Fan, Xuxiangru ORCID: 0000-0002-5505-0748 (2025). Marketing and the (in)authentic: a yin-yang perspective. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis presents a processual interpretation of (in)authenticity. It challenges the distinctive and polarised dualistic thinking in the context of heritage consumption and reframes the binary dynamics in marketing and consumer research. By employing an indigenous philosophy, Yin-Yang thinking, as the theoretical lens, this thesis enables a novel perspective to look at the neglected mutuality between dualistic elements. Through a two-stage online qualitative inquiry into the consumption experience of a trending museum merchandise – archaeological blind box, this study interprets the mutuality between authenticity and inauthenticity from multiple angles, and creates a Yin-Yang space where binary opposites are understood as inseparable and co-constitutive dualities. It is through the harmonious and generative interplay of these dualities within this Yin-Yang space that the Qi (vitality) keeps its sustainable flow. Building upon Yin-Yang thinking, this study contributes to the literature by offering an integrative review of the multifaceted and even tensional dynamics in marketing and consumption. It significantly enriches the perspectives on authenticity and subject-object relations in marketing and consumer research, opening up new prospects for rethinking these concepts through a dynamic, holistic and generative binary lens.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):