I received my PhD from the University of British Columbia, where I studied the production and consumption of sustainable wines using ethnographic and mixed methods research.   

My research explores the social dynamics that unfold as individuals engage in markets and retailing experiences where products are complex and value is ambiguous, such as wine, fashion, and art. I am particularly interested in how consumers negotiate aesthetic, economic, and moral values in markets with high levels of social influence.

One of my key areas of research focuses on the (mis)understanding and co-optation of consumer movements and of sustainability concepts in contemporary marketplaces. Adopting a socio-cultural lens, I examine how interpretations of sustainability are formed and negotiated in consumption/production practices and discourses. I am interested in understanding how expertise, status, and social influence drive both markets and social mobilization.     

While my work is grounded in interpretivist approaches, I am an interdisciplinary researcher and use both qualitative and quantitative methods. This is evidenced in the range of approaches used in my articles and book chapters.