A Brief History of Consumer Activism

2012 ◽  
pp. 39-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Lang ◽  
Yiannis Gabriel
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Activism ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Moralizing Postcolonial Consumer Society: Fair Trade in the Netherlands, 1964–1997

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter van Dam
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Fair Trade ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
The South ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Consumer Activism ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of ◽  
The 1960S

AbstractDecolonization challenged people across the globe to define their place in a new postcolonial order. This challenge was felt in international political and economic affairs, but it also affected daily lives across the globe. The history of fair trade activism as seen from the Netherlands highlights how citizens in the North grappled to position themselves in a postcolonial consumer society. Interventions by fair trade activists connected debates about the morals of their society to the consequences of decolonization. They reacted to the imbalances of the global market in the wake of decolonization, joining critics from the South in demanding more equitable global relations. It was around this issue of “fair trade” that a transnational coalition of moderate and more radical activists emerged after the 1960s. This coalition held widely dissimilar views regarding the politics of the left and the use of consumer activism. The analysis of their interventions demonstrates that during the postwar era attempts at transforming the global market were inextricably interwoven with visions of a postcolonial order.

Consumer Activism, Consumer Regimes, and the Consumer Movement: Rethinking the History of Consumer Politics in the United States

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence B. Glickman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Consumer Society ◽  
Mass Consumption ◽  
Postwar America ◽  
Consumer Activism ◽  
Consumer Movement ◽  
Core Elements ◽  
History Of ◽  
Paradigm Shifting

The historiography of consumer society in the United States has matured in the last decade. As David Steigerwald noted in an influential review essay in 2006, ‘consumer interpretations of American history have come of age’, interpretations that prominently emphasize the politics of consumption. Indeed, Steigerwald made his claim about the state of the field largely on the basis of an analysis of the paradigm-shifting books of T. H. Breen on ‘how consumer politics shaped independence’ (2005) and Lizabeth Cohen on ‘the politics of mass consumption in postwar America’ (2003). This article explores and disaggregates three core elements of consumer politics in America: what it calls consumer activism, the consumer movement, and consumer regimes.

Buying Power: A History of Consumer Activism in America (review)

2010 ◽  
Vol 51 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 138-140
Author(s):  
Robert N. Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Activism ◽  
History Of

Love is love is love is love: From flaktivism to consumer activism in LGBTQ+ communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-137
Author(s):  
Amy M. Corey
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Consumer Activism ◽  
Propaganda Model ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Consumption Practices ◽  
History Of ◽  
Key Issues

This article explores the complex intersections of visibility, identity and consumer activism in LGBTQ+ communities. While the purchase of consumer goods may serve important functions for identity construction and increasing awareness, it also raises concerns about commodification and the effectiveness of consumer activism. Beginning with a description of support for LGBTQ+ communities following the massacre at the Pulse nightclub, the discussion moves to a brief history of different modes of consumer activism. Next, Herman and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model (PM) is presented, adapted and then applied to LGBTQ+ consumer activist commodities with a focus on the role of flak. Distinct from other forms of consumer activism, flaktivism refers to the merging of flak with activism. Key issues surrounding identity formation and raising awareness are integrated into questions of LGBTQ+ visibility and the importance of symbolic values generated through consumption practices. The article concludes with a critique of the limitations of flaktivism and calls for the advancement of LGBTQ+ civil and human rights.

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