In recent years American and European societies have confronted increasing concerns over the effects of globalization, environmental degradation, and excessive consumption, as well as questions about the ability of civic society to address these concerns. As citizens are pushed to consume more and to celebrate the individual to the detriment of civic engagement, the interplay between consumption, markets, media, politics, and the citizen-consumer remains a complex and provocative topic. Has civil society declined in favor of consumer society? Can we separate civic culture from consumer culture? Some scholars argue that the rise of political consumerism or lifestyle politics - where socially conscious consumers support or boycott products and corporations in ways that demonstrate their political views - illustrates just how tightly interwoven consumption and civic duty have become. Furthermore, political campaigns as well as social movements and initiatives have become steeped in marketing tactics using branding, staged media events, and market segmentation strategies. What are the effects of socially conscious consumerism on civil society? In October 2006, an international conference titled "The Politics of Consumption/The Consumption of Politics" drew leading scholars from Europe and North America to discuss these challenging questions and issues. Using theory and research, the conference spurred lively discussion as well as the insightful papers included in this special volume of The ANNALS. Central themes included in this volume: The relations between consumers, citizens, and the state Consumer and citizen responses to the market The branding of politicians and social movements Political consumerism as a form of activism Scholars and students will find that while these essays address crucial issues, they also shed light on the levels of complexity of this important topic, serving as a springboard for further research on the politics of consumption. Drawing from a myriad of disciplines, including political science, sociology, communication, media studies, and economics, this volume is a must-have for scholars, professionals, and policymakers who want to better understand modern consumer society and its implications for the political and civic arena.
Introduction: The Politics of Consumption / The Consumption of Politics - Dhavan V. Shah, Douglas M. McLeod, Lewis Friedland, and Michelle R. Nelson In Defense of Consumer Critique: Revisiting the Consumption Debates of the Twentieth Century - Juliet B. Schor Capital, Consumption, Communication, and Citizenship: The Social Positioning of Taste and Civic Culture in the United States - Lewis Friedland, Dhavan V. Shah, Nam-Jin Lee, Mark A. Rademacher, Lucy Atkinson, and Thomas Hove Representing Citizens and Consumers in Media and Communications Regulation - Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt Consumers and the State since the Second World War - Matthew Hilton Buying into Downtown Revival: The Centrality of Retail to Postwar Urban Renewal in American Cities - Lizabeth Cohen Should Consumer Citizens Escape the Market? - Eric J. Arnould A Carnivalesque Approach to the Politics of Consumption (or) Grotesque Realism and the Analytics of the Excretory Economy - Craig J. Thompson Why Not Share Rather Than Own? - Russell Belk Downshifting Consumer = Upshifting Citizen? An Examination of a Local Freecycle Community - Michelle R. Nelson, Mark A. Rademacher, and Hye-Jin Paek Mobilizing Consumers to Take Responsibility for Global Social Justice - Michele Micheletti and Dietlind Stolle Political Brands and Consumer Citizens: The Rebranding of Tony Blair - Margaret Scammell Logo Logic: The Ups and Downs of Branded Political Communication - W. Lance Bennett and Taso Lagos Digital Renaissance: Young Consumer and Citizen? - Claes H. de Vreese Political Consumerism: How Communication and Consumption Orientations Drive "Lifestyle Politics" - Dhavan V. Shah, Douglas M. McLeod, Eunkyung Kim, Sun Young Lee, Melissa Gotlieb, Shirley S. Ho, and Hilde Brevik Citizens, Consumers, and the Good Society - Michael Schudson Quick Read Synopsis
