Assistant Professor

• Bachelor of Commerce (Honors) -   University of Adelaide (Australia), 2001
• PhD.  - University of Adelaide (Australia), 2010

Bio

After completing his PhD in 2010, Damien took a year off to backpack around the world. Fresh from his travels he joined the College of Business Sciences at Zayed University in September 2011 and is currently responsible for a number of marketing and research courses.

An entertaining and enthusiastic lecturer, Damien encourages marketing students to observe their own consumption behavior and everyday marketing activities as a way to grasp the significance of the theoretical concepts. Within these classes he utilizes discussion boards and other online tools to compliment face-to-face education. As the culmination of their degrees, Damien prepares his final-year research students to undertake a project of practical and theoretical significance.

Most of Damien’s academic research is related to the way young people use consumption to communicate symbolically. His PhD thesis examined symbolic consumption within a youth subculture and its relationship with one’s identity. Over four years he conducted an ethnography of the Australian Hip Hop culture collecting data via participant observation, in-depth interviews, and non-participatory observation online. Analysis of the data revealed a countercultural male enclave where members overcame race and locale and claimed authenticity through their consumption practices.

His research has been published in a number of international journals including Psychology and Marketing, Advances in Consumer Research, Young Consumers, Australasian Marketing Journal, and Qualitative Market Research. In addition, he is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Young Consumers journal, and is also a member of the International Centre for Anti-Consumption Research. He has also received a number of accolades including a University of Adelaide scholarship, a first class honors thesis, and an ANZMAC Monash Doctoral Colloquium Prize for the best PhD proposal.

As the director and founder of Youth Research Australia Damien previously provided research and consulting advice to a number of organizations looking to successfully engage and communicate with Australia’s young adults (e.g. Nike, Target, Fantastic Noodles). In addition, Damien worked closely with Lifelounge in the development of Australia’s premier youth research project, the Urban Market Report. 

Office: Abu Dhabi - Khalifa City, FF1-2-049

Email: Damien.Arthur@zu.ac.ae

Teaching Areas

Marketing Principles, Consumer Behavior, Senior Projects

Research and Professional Activities

Youth Research, Symbolic Consumption, Subcultures of Consumption,  Fear Appeals