Action research: a methodological alternative in consumerism and marketing studies

Since the first half of the 2000s, researchers in the field of social theory have dedicated efforts to offer new theoretical bases for understanding social practices. The efforts of these researchers have greatly contributed to the development of academic research, which enables several changes in the field of knowledge. However, most of these researches are of positivist approaches, which are dominant in the marketing field. One methodological alternative is action research, which allows the researcher to approach and interfere in a social practice of consumption that can be harmful to the consumer. Consumer welfare has long been researched using positivist and interpretive approaches, but some researchers suggest that there is a need for research with different approaches. In this paper the objective is to present and describe aspects of Action Research that can contribute to consumer and marketing studies. To this end, a bibliographical survey was carried out about Action Research, its stages and limitations. Thus, it is expected to contribute to researchers in the area of consumer studies and marketing, with a methodological alternative for future research that emphasizes collective thinking and the well-being of society.