VII Congresso Português de Sociologia

Contactos

VII CONGRESSO PORTUGUÊS DE SOCIOLOGIA

PARA O VII CONGRESSO PORTUGUÊS DE SOCIOLOGIA

Parceria:

Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto

Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto

Resultados da pesquisa por: «“Mcdonaldização” cultural»

PAP1103 - In-school marketing: between social responsibility and commercialism

PAP1103 - In-school marketing: between social responsibility and commercialism

Advertising has long been taboo in public education, but budget reductions and shortfalls have annulated schools as “commercial free zones” (Molnar, 2007:7). This study was built on an analysis about the state, market and society working together and demarcates one another to enhance a win-win relationship, a legitimacy/visibility one. One strand of my research uses the school as the unit of analysis (Feuerstein, 2001), trying to understand how in-school marketing activities are taking place according to the headteachers perceptions in the last 5 years in Portuguese public schools (10-15 year olds). The majority of studies have focused more on a passive type of marketing, that which children see, hear and read (Alves, 2002), rather than forms of interactive marketing (Moran, 2006). Therefore, this study developed a national survey to show that interactive in-school marketing includes activities to be carried out revolving a given company. Other strand looks deep in the position of directly or indirectly involved state, market and civil society players (26 semi-structured interviews were made to WFA's National Advertiser Association Member, Ministry of Education, teachers, parent/guardian representative, marketers and advertising agencies, consumer rights-related institutions, town councils, Federations) to illustrate the inherent paradoxes: How can a profit orientated commercial activity be distinguished by a social responsibility one? What are the general views of in-school marketing? Is it morally controversial? Which ethical and law safeguards are needed in a world of brands and globalised products? In fact, the verbal analysis shows different ideological viewpoints about the win-win effect of socially responsible in-school marketing vs commercialism itself. Another purpose was also testing a “Working with Schools-Best Practice Principles Checklists" as a business decision-making tool for schools and partners to ensure that both schools and their commercial and non-commercial partners can build an ethical and responsible relationship. We are able to say that headteachers have autonomy, although some in-school marketing activities remain an ideological or controversial issue. Also, the inclusion of any advertising messages necessarily implies the acquisition of consumer competencies by children and teachers, a way to decode commercial messages in today’s consumer society, and that acquisition of media literacy competencies can prevent the ‘manipulated child’. Finally, there were several messages from schools headteachers indicating that they wouldn´t participate in the survey because they are deontological and morally against it. Key Words: in-school marketing, school commercialism, child consumer, captive audience.

FARINHA, Isabel