Consumer Activism: Promotional Culture and Resistance

257 Pages·2022·4.323 MB·English

by  Eleftheria J. Lekakis, Clare Inkson

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SAGE Publications Ltd  Eleftheria J. Lekakis 2022
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CONTENTS
Endorsements ix
About the Author xi
Acknowledgements xiii
1 Consumer Activism: An Introduction 1
The End of Consumerism as We Know It? 1
Promotional Cultures and Resistance: Activism against and
through Consumerism and Advertising 4
What This Book Does 8
Structure of the Book 11
Conclusion 14
2 Conceptualizing Consumer Activism 17
Introduction: Can Individuals Save the Planet or Ourselves? 17
Approaches to Consumer Activism 19
Political Science 20
International Development 21
Sociology 21
Cultural and Communication Studies 23
Critical Marketing Studies 24
Summarizing Approaches to Consumer Activism 24
Agencies of Consumer Activism 26
Citizens: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 26
Market Actors: From Brand Activism to Green/Pink/Woke/Carewashing 28
Celebrities: From Promoting Change to Promoting
Consumption and Vice Versa 30
Subvertisers: From Lone Jammers to Collective Movements 31
Media and Consumer Activism: Methods and Approaches 33
Ecologies 35
Publicities 37
Responsibilities 38
Conclusion 40
At SAGE we take sustainability seriously. Most of our products are printed in the UK using responsibly sourced
papers and boards. When we print overseas we ensure sustainable papers are used as measured by the
PREPS grading system. We undertake an annual audit to monitor our sustainability.
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vi CONTENTS
3 Nationalism, Race, Ethnicity, and Consumer Activism 45
Introduction: Can a Consumer Save the National Economy? 45
Key Concepts 46
Race and Ethnicity 47
Nations and Nationalism 48
Nationalism and Consumption: Key Theories 50
Banal Nationalism and Everyday Nationhood 52
Economic Nationalism 54
Consumer Nationalism 56
Nationalism, ‘Backlash Politics’, and Consumer Activism 57
There is Nothing Post-Racial about Consumer Activism 58
Critical Issues 60
The importance of history, especially social history, in relation to
race and ethnicity 60
The importance of nationalism as banal ideology 61
The importance of agency 61
The importance of justice 62
Researching Consumer Activism and Nationalism: Methodologies 62
Case Study: Consumer Activism in Hong Kong’s Yellow Economic Circle 64
Some Context about the Dispute between Hong Kong and China 64
Yellow Economic Circle 65
Analysing the Yellow Economic Circle through Consumer
Activism and Nationalism 66
The Hong Kong economy and the impact of the Yellow Economic Circle 67
Questions for Future Case Studies 67
Conclusion 68
4 Gender, Feminism and Consumer Activism 73
Introduction: Can Gender Justice Be Progressed through
Consumer Activism? 73
Key Concepts 74
Gender 74
From Feminism to Postfeminism? 76
Feminism and Consumption: Key Theories 78
Gender and Political Consumerism 79
Feminism and the Politics of Consumption 80
Critical Issues 85
Researching Consumer Activism and Feminism: Methodologies 87
Case Study: When a Chocolate Brand Sells Love and Diversity 89
Some Context about Feminism and LGBTQ Justice in Greece 89
Background on the Lacta Brand and Its Advertising History 90
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CONTENTS vii
The #ActForLove Campaign 91
Analysing #ActForLove as Commodity Activism 92
Questions for Future Case Studies 93
Conclusion 94
5 Consumer Activism in the Environment 97
Introduction: Can We Consume Ourselves out of the Climate Crisis? 97
Key Concepts 98
Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Alternatives 98
Sustainable Consumption, Green Consumerism and Alternatives 99
Theory: Environmentally Conscious Consumption as Consuming
Less and Differently 101
The Politics of Green Consumerism and Sustainable Consumption 102
Media Discourses, Technologies, and the Environmental Paradox 106
Critical Issues 108
Researching Consumer Activism and Environmentalism: Methodologies 110
Case Study: The Environmental Politics of Smartphone Consumption 112
What’s Behind the Screen? The Environmental Cost of
Smartphones and Obsolescence Injustice 112
What Can consumers Do? Environmental Consumer Activism
and Smartphones 114
Questions for Future Case Studies 116
Conclusion 117
6 Celebrity Advocacy and Consumer Activism 121
Introduction: Who Wants to be an… ‘Activist’? 121
Key Concepts 123
Celebrity 123
Media, Celebrity, and Ordinary People 123
Celebrity Advocacy and Celebrity Humanitarianism:
‘Charitainment’ and Beyond 125
Key Theories: Celebrities, Causes, and Consumption 126
From Band Aid to Brand Aid 126
Celebrity Authenticity vs Accountability 128
Simplified Causes and Consumer-Friendly Solutions 131
North/South Relations 133
Celebrity Advocacy in the South 135
Critical Issues 137
Researching Celebrity Advocacy and Consumer Activism: Methodologies 139
Case Study: Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver and Youth-Led Advocacy
for Healthy Eating in the UK 140
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viii CONTENTS
Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver and Health Advocacy in the UK 140
Appraising Jamie Oliver’s Celebrity Advocacy 142
Bite Back 2030: Celebrity-Backed, Youth-Led, and
Health-Related Advocacy Organization 143
Celebrity Chef and Bite Back 2030 Campaign for Advertising
Regulation and against Obesity 144
Campaign Impact 144
Questions for Future Case Studies 146
Conclusion 146
7 Subvertising as Anti-Consumerism 151
Introduction: Can We Protest Consumerism through Advertising? 151
Key Concepts 153
Culture Jamming 154
Subvertising 155
Key Theories 155
Anti-Consumerism and Ideology 155
Society of the Spectacle Past and Present: Ethical, Fascist,
Commercial Spectacles 156
Culture Jamming: Incorporation, Play, Participation and Pedagogy, Law 158
Critical Issues 167
Researching Anti-Consumerism and Subvertising: Methodologies 169
Case Study: Resistance is Female 171
Analysing Resistance is Female through Anti-Consumerism
and Culture Jamming 174
The Impact of Resistance is Female 176
Questions for Future Case Studies 178
Conclusion 178
8 Conclusion 183
So What? 183
Summary of Debates: Markets, Consumers, and Media Technologies 185
Consumer Activism and Beyond: Resistance Practices in
Promotional Culture 188
Activism and Consumption: Possibilities, Limitations, and Ambiguities 191
Appendix 195
References 197
Index 227
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ENDORSEMENTS
Consumer Activism discusses in an interesting way the complexities of and
dilemmas involved in using the market as an arena for politics. Eleftheria
Lekakis argues for putting more scholarly emphasis on the global South and
considering more systematically the role of nationalism, race, ethnicity,
gender, feminism, and environmentalism in this form of activism. Thought-
provoking examples on these topics are included in the book. Importantly,
the book focuses on the role of celebrity and corporate promotion, and even
anti-consumerist activism. The term ‘consumer solutionism’ is coined to
emphasize the limitations of consumer activism as a central means of
contemporary resistance today. This book adds additional perspectives to
the study of political consumerism.
Michele Micheletti, Professor Emerita in Political Science, Stockholm University
Consumers of the world, unite! Consumer Activism is both an excellent
intellectual reference and a savvy guide for educators and students.
Eleftheria Lekakis reminds us that as consumers, we can do much more
than just buy our way out of social or political problems. Through creative
and collective efforts, consumers can work to end unfair and inequitable
market practices and can promote concerted action on such major issues
as climate change, racial justice or women’s rights. Rich with key concepts,
contemporary themes, and provocative case studies, this book will foster
necessary conversations about power and politics in consumer culture.
Melissa Aronczyk, Associate Professor of Media Studies, Rutgers University
This book offers a crucial intervention to both critical studies of consumption
and action research into activism. It authoritatively explores the complex
and multiplying links between branding and neoliberal culture, consumer
practices and social justice, and calls for an urgent renegotiation of ethics in
response. Consumer Activism will be an indispensable resource for research and
pedagogy in the urgent years ahead, as humanity reckons with the effects of
climate change, deepening inequality, and increasingly feverish consumption.
Mehita Iqani, South African Research Chair in
Science Communication, Stellenbosch University
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