Living in a Gender-Binary World: Implications for a Revised Model of Consumer Vulnerability

Baker, Gentry, and Rittenburg’s (2005) model of consumer vulnerability outlines the personal, social, and structural characteristics that frame consumers’ experiences of vulnerability in the marketplace. Later applications and enhancements have expanded consumer vulnerability theory. While the theory has been applied in numerous settings, to date it has not been used to examine the ways that gender identity may intersect with market factors to produce vulnerability. Application in this setting also allows for the integration of various model enhancements, and the examination of vulnerability using a more complete formulation of the theory. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews and collages, along with examples from current marketing practice, our research shows consumer vulnerability to be a useful lens for understanding gender variant consumers’ experiences and the ways in which marketing systems can be engaged to reshape those experiences.