Dr Leighanne Higgins

Senior Lecturer

Profile

I am interested in the area of consumer behaviour, and teach many of the CB courses here at LUMS marketing department. My conusmer research interests lie within two core areas: Markeptlace Accessibility and Sacred Consumption.

Marketplace Accessibility: I am interested in understanding and challenging the barriers to marketplace and commercial settings for those living with disability. I began work in this area in 2016 and have built extensive insight and expertise into the access inequalities facing the disabled community in retail, healthcare, transportation, and tourism & hospitality. Since 2019, I have been working on the collaborative and art-based project: The Marketplace and I: Commercial Experiences of Disability Explored through Art (M&I). This project invited members of the disabled community to create artworks that represent their commercial experiences. To date the M&I has been publicly exhibited five times and engaged with over 1200+ stakeholders including companies, policymakers, politicians, charities, and the public. These public exhibitions have uncovered visitors to experience reflective and empathetic emotions towards the artworks, causing them to reflect deeply on their preconceptions towards disability. As such, since Autumn 2022, we have been using the project to engage with Lancashire based companies, using the artworks and wider M&I project we have developed a novel and innovative accessibility training workshop that permits companies to engage with accessibility scoring, accessibility planning and accessibility strategy building.

Sacred Consumption: I am interested in the complex relationship between religious and marketplace structures. My current research projects investigate religious consumptive behaviours within the context of pilgrimage with a particular focus on emotive and affectiveconsumption experiences.

Selected Publications

Faith hope and love: doing family through consuming pilgrimage
Higgins, L., Hamilton, K. 2014 In: Journal of Marketing Management. 30, 15-16, p. 1577-1596. 20 p.
Journal article

Is the crucifix sacred?: exploring the Catholic consumption of sacred vessels in building connection with the sacred
Higgins, L., Hamilton, K. 2011
Conference contribution/Paper

Sacred places: an exploratory investigation of consuming pilgrimage
Higgins, L., Hamilton, K. 2011
Conference contribution/Paper

Resisting bureau-medicalisation: The integration of ‘Spaces of Compassion’ with the Biomedical Healthcare Environment
01/10/2023 → 01/11/2026
Research

The Marketplace and I: A Videography
01/10/2022 → 31/03/2025
Research

The Marketplace and I: Understanding how art can positively change consumer perceptions towards disability
01/06/2022 → 31/12/2025
Research

The Marketplace and I: Understanding disabled consumer experiences of marketplace interaction through disabled art
01/01/2019 → 31/12/2019
Research

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
01/06/2016 → 01/06/2029
Consultancy

Marketing department PhD student workshop
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training - National Trust Inspiration Session
Business Course/Training

University of Birmingham
Visiting an external academic institution

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Business Course/Training

Department of Marketing: Inaugral Business Engagement Event
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Consultancy

Marketplace and I Accessibility Training
Business Course/Training

Lancaster City Council
Business Engagement

Marketplace and I Acessibility Training - Refresher Session
Consultancy

CCI Roundtable Session on The Cost of Living Crisis
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

CCI Roundtable Session on Halloween: History, Lore, & Consumption
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar

The Marketplace and I: Commerical Experiences of Disability Explored Through Art
Types of Public engagement and outreach - Festival/Exhibition

Therapeutic Servicescapes and Market-Mediated Performances of Emotional Suffering
Invited talk

Therapeutic Servicescapes and Market-Mediated Performances of Emotional Suffering
Invited talk

Therapeutic Servicescapes and Market-Mediated Performances of Emotional Suffering
Invited talk

Consuming Bondieuserie: Raising the Profile of Religious Kitsch Consumption
Invited talk

Consuming Bondieuserie: Raising the Profile of Religious Kitsch Consumption
Invited talk

Adjoa Ocran

Adjoa Ocran

PhD student

Centre for Consumption Insights

Ziyi Yang

Ziyi Yang

PhD student

  • Academy for Gender and Social Justice Research in Organisations
  • Centre for Consumption Insights