Disney discourses of self and other: animality, primitivity, modernity, and postmodernity

Bettany, S. and Belk, R.W. 2011. Disney discourses of self and other: animality, primitivity, modernity, and postmodernity. Consumption Markets & Culture. 14 (2), pp. 163-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2011.562017

TitleDisney discourses of self and other: animality, primitivity, modernity, and postmodernity
AuthorsBettany, S. and Belk, R.W.
Abstract

We need Otherness to define self. As our world widens in an age of global commerce, travel, and entertainment, we encounter a sometimes bewildering array of Otherness delivered at an ever‐increasing pace. In light of postmodern diversity and hybridity, we need increasingly fundamental Others against whom to construct ourselves. In the theme parks typified by those of Disney in Orlando, Florida, we find several discourses that offer us a perspective on who we are vis‐à‐vis the Other. The particular Others (and sometimes the particular selves) of these discourses often come from the non‐human animal kingdom as well as from other human animal groups. The animal self/Other is not new and can be traced back to Aesop’s Fables and earlier. But in the controlled and carefully planned world of Orlando theme parks, supplemented by films, cartoons, animatronics, and other “imagineering” techniques, the possibilities of representation are greatly expanded. Nor is offering human Others a new thing and the “human zoos” of some of the early North American World’s Fairs brought pseudo‐villages full of “natives” for spectator amusement and contemplation. In addition, various depictions of human Others in film, print, and art can be seen in earlier eras, ranging from William Rice Burrough’s Tarzan to Pablo Picasso’s Les demoiselles d’Avignon. But in a postmodern, post‐colonial, degendered era of self‐commoditization, global environmentalism, and multiculturalism, sensitivities are quite different from those that prevailed during earlier attempts at stylized presentations of the Other. Chauvinistic doctrines of superiority no longer go unchallenged with the human animal Other, and the non‐human animal Other presents a somewhat less contentious alternative. In this paper the authors seek to understand the Otherness crafted in Orlando theme parks, the messages they convey, and the broader societal discourses invoked and mobilized. The contrasts offered in these theme parks and that facilitate an understanding of our selves and our place in the world include not only us and them, but also a conflated array of here and there, now and then (past or future), human and animal, primitive and civilized, he and she, good and bad, and responsible and irresponsible. The authors do this by presenting auto‐ethnographic accounts of their own engagements with two Orlando theme parks, Disney Animal Kingdom and Anheuser‐Busch SeaWorld.

JournalConsumption Markets & Culture
Journal citation14 (2), pp. 163-176
ISSN1025-3866
Year2011
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/10253866.2011.562017
Publication dates
Published2011

Related outputs

Menopause and the Market: understanding the transitions to post-menopause through the lives of professional women
Bettany, S., Davies, A. and Snijders, S. 2016. Menopause and the Market: understanding the transitions to post-menopause through the lives of professional women. 13th Conference on Gender, Marketing and Consumer Behaviour. Paris 04 - 06 Jul 2016

Reproduction of Gender Ideology Through Russian Consumer Culture: The Case of Iconography of the ‘Mother’ in Russia
Baghdasaryan, L., Bettany, S., West, R. and Rieple, A. 2016. Reproduction of Gender Ideology Through Russian Consumer Culture: The Case of Iconography of the ‘Mother’ in Russia. 2016 AMS 19th World Marketing Congress. ISEG Paris 19 - 23 Jul 2016 Academy of Marketing Science.

Reproduction of Gender Ideology Through Russian Consumer Culture: The Case of Iconography of the ‘Mother’ in Russia
Rieple, A., Baghdasaryan, L., Bettany, S. and West, R. 2016. Reproduction of Gender Ideology Through Russian Consumer Culture: The Case of Iconography of the ‘Mother’ in Russia. ICCMI. Heraklion 22 - 24 Jun 2016 ICCMI.

The socio-materiality of parental style: negotiating the multiple affordances of parenting and child welfare within the new child surveillance technology market
Bettany, S. and Kerrane, B. 2016. The socio-materiality of parental style: negotiating the multiple affordances of parenting and child welfare within the new child surveillance technology market. European Journal of Marketing. 50 (11), pp. 2041-2066. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-07-2015-0437

Reproduction of gender ideology through Russian consumer culture: the case of iconography of the ‘mother’ in Russia
Baghdasaryan, L., Bettany, S., West, R. and Rieple, A. 2015. Reproduction of gender ideology through Russian consumer culture: the case of iconography of the ‘mother’ in Russia. 3rd International Conference on Contemporary Marketing Issues (ICCMI2015). Kingston University, London 30 Jun - 02 Jul 2015

Revisiting contemporary issues in family consumption
Kerrane, B., Bettany, S. and Hogg, M. 2014. Revisiting contemporary issues in family consumption. Journal of Marketing Management. 30 (15-16), pp. 1527-1532. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2014.937614

The material-semiotics of fatherhood: The co-emergence of technology and contemporary fatherhood
Bettany, S., Kerrane Ben and Margaret Hogg 2014. The material-semiotics of fatherhood: The co-emergence of technology and contemporary fatherhood. Journal of Business Research. 67 (7), p. 1544–1551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.01.012

Evaluating the Business Impact of Social Science: a report to the ESRC
Johnson, S., Orr, K., Bettany, S., Sturgeon-Adams, L., Terry, M. and Smith, R.-M. 2013. Evaluating the Business Impact of Social Science: a report to the ESRC. ESRC.

Children's influence strategies in practice: exploring the co-constructed nature of the child influence process in family consumption
Kerrane, B., Hogg, M.K. and Bettany, S. 2012. Children's influence strategies in practice: exploring the co-constructed nature of the child influence process in family consumption. Journal of Marketing Management. 28 (7-8), pp. 809-835. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2012.698633

The (post-human) consumer, the (post-avian) chicken and the (post-object) Eglu: Towards a material-semiotics of anti-consumption
Bettany, S. and Kerrane, B. 2011. The (post-human) consumer, the (post-avian) chicken and the (post-object) Eglu: Towards a material-semiotics of anti-consumption. European Journal of Marketing. 45 (11-12), pp. 1746-1756. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090561111167388

Moving beyond binary opposition: exploring the tapestry of gender in consumer research and marketing
Bettany, S., Dobscha, S., O'Malley, L. and Prothero, A. 2010. Moving beyond binary opposition: exploring the tapestry of gender in consumer research and marketing. Marketing Theory. 10 (1), pp. 3-28. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470593109355244

Performativity and belonging: negotiating the ethnographer and her field in virtual worlds
Bettany, S. and Nicolau, I. 2010. Performativity and belonging: negotiating the ethnographer and her field in virtual worlds. European Advances in Consumer Research. London, UK July 2010

The (post-human) consumer, the (post-avian) chicken and the (post-object) Eglu: towards a material-semiotics of anti-consumption
Bettany, S. and Kerrane, B. 2010. The (post-human) consumer, the (post-avian) chicken and the (post-object) Eglu: towards a material-semiotics of anti-consumption. NACRE/ICR Conference on Anti Consumption. Marseilles, France

Performing local community through co-housing: a discourse analysis of the value and values of sharing the home
Bettany, S. 2010. Performing local community through co-housing: a discourse analysis of the value and values of sharing the home. From Environmental Critique to Community Building: The Social Negotiation of New Transitional Forms of Exchange” (Special session) European Advances in Consumer Research. London, UK July 2010

Working the limits of method: the possibilities of critical reflexive practice in marketing and consumer research
Bettany, S. and Woodruffe-Burton, H. 2009. Working the limits of method: the possibilities of critical reflexive practice in marketing and consumer research. Journal of Marketing Management. 25 (7-8), pp. 661-679. https://doi.org/10.1362/026725709X471550

Heterotopias of emerging same-sexuality: spaces and places of consumption among young female consumers “coming out of the closet
Bettany, S. and Pantazopolous, A. 2009. Heterotopias of emerging same-sexuality: spaces and places of consumption among young female consumers “coming out of the closet. Association for Consumer Research. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The present location of temporal embeddedness: the case of time linked consumption practices in dual career families
Bettany, S. and Gatrell, C. 2009. The present location of temporal embeddedness: the case of time linked consumption practices in dual career families. Advances in Consumer Research. 36.

Figuring companion-species consumption: a multi-site ethnography of the post-canine Afghan hound
Bettany, S. and Daly, R. 2008. Figuring companion-species consumption: a multi-site ethnography of the post-canine Afghan hound. Journal of Business Research. 61 (5), pp. 408-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.08.010

Progressing a taxonomy of possible reflexivities: guidelines for reflexive practice in consumer research
Bettany, S. and Woodruffe-Burton, H. 2007. Progressing a taxonomy of possible reflexivities: guidelines for reflexive practice in consumer research. Advances in Consumer Research. 34.

The material-semiotics of consumption: or where (and what) are the objects in consumer culture theory?
Bettany, S. 2007. The material-semiotics of consumption: or where (and what) are the objects in consumer culture theory? in: Belk, R.W., Sherry Jr, J.F. and Sherry Jr., J.F. (ed.) Research in consumer behavior, volume 11: consumer culture theory Elsevier.

Local accounts: authoring the critical marketing thesis
Bettany, S. 2007. Local accounts: authoring the critical marketing thesis. in: Saren, M., Maclaran, P., Goulding, C., Elliott, R., Shankar, A. and Catterall, M. (ed.) Critical marketing: defining the field Butterworth Heinemann. pp. 69-82

Steps towards transformative consumer research practice: a taxonomy of possible reflexivities
Bettany, S. and Woodruffe-Burton, H. 2006. Steps towards transformative consumer research practice: a taxonomy of possible reflexivities. Advances in Consumer Research. 33 (1), pp. 227-234.

The material-semiotics of consumption: or where (and what) are the objects in consumer culture theory?
Bettany, S. 2006. The material-semiotics of consumption: or where (and what) are the objects in consumer culture theory? 1st Consumer Culture Theory Conference. Chicago

Feminist epistemology meets the masculinity of marketing and consumer knowledge: a contemporary rendering of a decade-long debate
Bettany, S. 2006. Feminist epistemology meets the masculinity of marketing and consumer knowledge: a contemporary rendering of a decade-long debate. Association for Consumer Research Conference on Gender, Marketing and Consumer Behaviour. Edinburgh June 2006

Living with ambivalence: a case study of a critical management education encounter
Bettany, S. 2005. Living with ambivalence: a case study of a critical management education encounter. EURAM Conference 2005. Munich May 2005

Enculturation and student performance: a critical work in progress
Bettany, S., Chapman, A. and Bloxham, S. 2004. Enculturation and student performance: a critical work in progress. BEST LTSN conference. Reflection on teaching: the impact on learning. Edinburgh April 14-16

Mapping industrial marketing knowledge: a study of an IMP conference
Easton, G., Zolkiewski, J. and Bettany, S. 2003. Mapping industrial marketing knowledge: a study of an IMP conference. Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing. 18 (6-7), pp. 529-544. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620310492400

An exploratory taxonomic study of IMP Group conference papers
Easton, G., Zolkiewski, J. and Bettany, S. 2002. An exploratory taxonomic study of IMP Group conference papers. 17th Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group Conference. Dijon, France September 2002

Conceptualising marketing theory as an empirical domain: a speculative taxonomy of research approaches to the practice of marketing theory and suggestions for feminist ethnographic interventions
Bettany, S. 2002. Conceptualising marketing theory as an empirical domain: a speculative taxonomy of research approaches to the practice of marketing theory and suggestions for feminist ethnographic interventions. Marketing Theory Stream, Academy of Marketing Conference. Nottingham

Negotiating the site for an ethnography of relationship marketing: boundaries, actors, texts
Bettany, S. 2001. Negotiating the site for an ethnography of relationship marketing: boundaries, actors, texts. 9th International Colloquium in Relationship Marketing. Montreal, Canada 24th-26th September

Shifting the discourse: feminist perspectives on consumer behaviour research
Hogg, M.K., Bettany, S. and Long, G. 2000. Shifting the discourse: feminist perspectives on consumer behaviour research. in: Catterall, M., Maclaran, P. and Stevens, L. (ed.) Marketing and feminism: current issues and research London Routledge. pp. 112-128

Doing feminist research in a masculine paradigm
Bettany, S. and Woodruffe-Burton, H. 1999. Doing feminist research in a masculine paradigm. 1st Critical Management Studies Conference UMIST. 4th July 1999

Transforming relationship marketing via subversive readings
Long, G., Hogg, M.K., Bettany, S. and Eccles, P. 1999. Transforming relationship marketing via subversive readings. 1st Critical Management Studies Conference UMIST. 4th July 1999

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/8zx25/disney-discourses-of-self-and-other-animality-primitivity-modernity-and-postmodernity


Share this

Usage statistics

125 total views
0 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.