Centre for Intercultural Studies at the Philosophical Faculty of Palacký University in Olomouc holds

3-day interna onal conference

Consumer Culture: between aesthetics, social distinction and ecological activism

October 7-9, 2010
Art Centre of Palacký University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

The conference will take place at the Art Centre of Palacký University, Univerzitní 3, 771 80 Olomouc,
Czech Republic from 7. – 9. October 2010.

The aim of the intern onal conference is to discuss key issues and themes of consumer culture as a
complex and controversial phenomenon. The thema framework of the conference will include not
only the inquiry of the symbolic dimension of consumer culture, its aesthe c aspects and its impact
on individual lifestyles, but also the broader social context of produc on and re on of consumer
culture and its social, economic and environmental consequences. The conference program will
consist of five main topics: aesthe cs of consumer culture, que of consumer culture,
consump on and social d n on, research in consumer behaviour, culture and marke ng
communica on, and associated program: poster session, film projec on, workshop led by experts in
marke ng and consumer behaviour research. Each topic will be introduced by an invited guest
speaker: Prof. Wolfgang Ullrich (Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe), Prof. Rainer Gries
(Universität Wien), Mgr. Jaroslav Cír (Unilever) and others.

Papers from broad areas of interest are welcomed (sociology, philosophy, psychology, cultural
anthropology, ecology, cultural studies, media studies, art history, aesthe commun on
studies, etc.) as well as listeners from the business world who are involved in the produ on,
innov on or research of consumer culture, students and others who are interested in these issues
and want to share their thoughts and insights. The aim of the conference is to enable an exchange of
knowledge between the academic and appli on spheres and to discuss this topic in public in order
to prevent the “shadow science” as a consequence of the priv z on of knowledge about
consumer culture and society in the commercial sector.
Invited are short CVs and abstracts up to 300 words on relevant topic (in English). Abstracts for
papers or poster session are welcomed. Speakers will receive 30 minutes for presentation. Selected
papers will be published in the conference proceedings. Confirmation of submission of the paper to
the program will be sent by the end of June to all accepted participants. Please send abstracts to
<pavel.zahradka@upmedia.cz> or <renata.sedlakova@upmedia.cz> by June 5 th 2010. For more
information please visit the conference website: http://oltk.upol.cz/consumerculture

Conference registration fees are divided into Academics, Student and Business fees. Academics 90
Euro (the whole conference), 30 Euro (one day). Students 30 Euro (the whole conference).
Participants from nonacademic institutions: 150 Euro (the whole conference), 50 Euro (one day). The
fee includes: refreshment for the duration of the conference, reception dinner on October 7th,
conference dinner on October 8th, conference kit, admission to film projection, admission to
workshop, conference proceedings in pdf version on DVD, and others. Accommodation and the
travel costs are not included in the conference fee. We kindly ask participants to pay the conference
fee at the reception desk upon arrival. Confirmation of payment will be issued there in return.