 Should Consumer Citizens Escape the Market?Eric J. Arnould
The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 2007, vol. 611, issue 1, 96-111 Abstract: This article uses a sociological perspective to question the validity of critiques of consumer culture. First, the author examines the debate over whether consumers possess true freedom of action, reviewing problems critics find in the notion of “agency.†Second, the author proposes that anticonsumption ideology is class-based, anachronistic, and sometimes confuses consumption with materiality. Third, the author examines what it may mean to “escape†from consumerism, using an example from a marginalized African community deprived of the means of consumption. The notions of “the market†and “marketing†are reviewed as institutions and practices with ancient roots that assume varying forms in different cultural contexts rather than as sources of pathology. Finally, the author suggests that marketing and consumerism may be enlisted for the practice of citizenship and engagement in progressive political action. Keywords: consumption; critical sociology; materiality; political action; Romantic utopia (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:611:y:2007:i:1:p:96-111 Access Statistics for this article More articles in The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |
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