Political Consumerism: A New Phenomenon of Political Participation? (original) (raw)
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Reducing the participation gap in civic engagement: Political consumerism in Europe
Based on the analysis of the European Social Survey (2002), this study explores the nature of civic engagement and identifies three main dimensions: political activism (such as political party or political action group involvement or demonstrations), involvement in voluntary associations and political consumerism (boycotting, ‘buycotting’, and signing petitions). While political activism and associational involvement accords well with traditional studies of civic engagement, political consumerism points to a new pattern of political behaviour that has become popular in Europe in the past decade. Moreover, modelling the three dimensions of civic engagement demonstrates that the socio-demographic profile of these activists differ from each other. Particularly, political consumerism appeals more to people who have been traditionally regarded as less active, such as women, the young, and those living in urban areas. These findings suggest that political consumerism reduces the participation gap between different social groups and might carry important lessons for participative democracy.
Consumer choice as political participation
Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift, 2002
Political scientists are often rather surprised when they first hear that shopping can be participation in politics. We react this way because we are taught that the political system is the focus of citizen involvement in politics. Our definitions of political participation reflect this understanding: "those voluntary activities by which members of a society share in the selection of rulers and, directly or indirectly, in the formation of public policy" (McClosky 1968,252), and "politiskt deltagande innebär deltagande i aktiviteter som har till syfte eller resultat att utöva inflytande på de politiska myndigheternas beslut, antingen direkt genom att påverka beslutsprocessen inom ett bestämt område eller indirekt genom att påverka valet av politiska representanter" (Togeby 1997,219). These definitions form the basis of our empirical work on political participation (for an overview see Teorell 2001).
Political Consumerism: Its Motivations, Power, and Conditions in the Nordic Countries and Elsewhere
TemaNord
Workshop 24 "Emerging repertoires of political action: toward a systematic study of postconventional forms of participation." Ferrer-Fons, Mariona. 2004. Cross-National Variation on Political Consumerism in Europe: Exploring the Impact of Micro-Level Determinants and Its Political Dimension. Paper for ECPR Joint Sessions, Uppsala, Sweden. Workshop 24 "Emerging repertoires of political action: toward a systematic study of postconventional forms of participation"
2003
Abstract While some authors express concern about the decline of traditional forms of social capital and civic engagement in Western democracies, others are more sanguine about the rise of new forms of participation and social interaction, and about the challenge created by the emergence of a new generation of “critical citizens”. Still others argue that social capital and participation research has missed some important areas of civic engagement in which women have been traditionally very active.
Politics in the supermarket: political consumerism as a form of political participation
2005
Abstract Both anecdotal and case-study evidence have long suggested that consumer behavior such as the buying or boycotting of products and services for political and ethical reasons can take on political significance. Despite recent claims that such behavior has become more widespread in recent years, political consumerism has not been studied systematically in survey research on political participation.
On Measuring Political Consumerism: An Exploratory Study Among Young People in the UK and in Greece
Soc Indic Res, 2022
Political consumerism consists of buycotting and boycotting and refers to the conscious and consistent use of the market for ethical, environmental and eventually political considerations. Nevertheless, at present there is no academic consensus about how best to conceptualise and empirically measure this form of political participation. The aim of this article is to address this gap by constructing a comprehensive survey instrument to measure political consumerism, in the form of the 'Political Consumerism Index' (PCI). This PCI is tested for validity and reliability and applied to a primary sample of young people in the UK and Greece, to shed light on the differing underlying motivations of young political consumers in the two countries. A combination of linear regression analysis and a series of non-parametric tests reveal the distinct advantages of this PCI over the commonly-used dichotomous behavioural measures of political consumerism. Our analysis reveals that political consumerism in both the UK and Greece is driven by young people's conviction about the effectiveness of their consumer behaviour, their environmental motivations and their willingness to sign online petitions or join protests. There are also important differences across the two groups. Young UK political consumers are more likely to be female, relatively older, with a stronger local community outlook and postmaterialist sensitivities. Instead, young political consumers in Greece demonstrate both a generalised rejection of partisan politics and believe that market competition brings out the worst in people, while they perceive political consumerism as a means to support their national economy.
Embedding "Political Consumerism": A Conceptual Critique
This paper develops a theoretically and empirically founded critique of the concept of political consumerism. In the course of the last decade, political consumerism was "discovered" as a new form of political participation, revealing the politics behind products. Surveys show that individuals more and more often use their consumption to voice political concerns, boycotting products or explicitly buying products for a political reason (boycott). I first discuss this concept and its different dimensions. I then offer an encompassing critique thereof, focusing on four main aspects: the conceptualization of consumers and consumption, the question of whether political consumption is new, the universality of the notion, and the articulation between individual and collective forms of political consumption.
Political Consumerism and the Expansion of Political Participation in the US
There are several reasons to believe that political consumerism-the deliberate purchase or avoidance of products or brands for political or ethical reasons-constitutes an alternative form of participation, not another political tool people use to affect change. However, empirical work on this point is limited. The present paper tackles this problem by examining whether people who engage in political consumerism are more or less likely to engage in other forms of political action. Using an original, nationally-representative survey dataset, I find that political consumers are significantly more likely than non-political consumers to engage in electoral, individualistic, and civic forms of political participation. These results demonstrate that political consumerism represents another tool through which people strive to affect change, not a substitute for conventional participation.