New Article published in Australasian Marketing Journal
Under the title "City, Consumption and Interculturalism: How Cities Can Facilitate Consumer Acculturation", Prof. Dr. Hartmut H. Holzmüller, together with Dr. Sorush Sepehr and Dr. Philip J. Rosenberger III, published an article in the Australasian Marketing Journal. As part of a series of in-depth case studies, Dr. Sepehr, as a visiting researcher at the TU Dortmund University, has been studying processes of identity development, which is an essential component of the integration of individuals with a migration background into a society.
For example, the results of the study show that tcities and city-related consumption is much more important in the sense of belonging than the emotional attachment to Germany. States tend to be abstract entities and it is obviously much more difficult to identify with them. The perspective is increasingly moving away from a more traditional view of multiculturalism, which strives for an equal coexistence of ethnic groups, but tends to overlook emotional aspects, such as a sense of belonging to and acceptance of the country's culture. The findings that the public living space of the city plays a much more important role in efforts to achieve greater integration than the abstract concept of "the state" have interesting consequences for politics and administration. The study results encourage city administrations and social initiatives to organize festivals and events in public spaces that are attractive to all population groups.