Political Consumerism as Political Participation?

Abstract

Political participation has traditionally been considered an important indicator of democratic citizenship: think voting or being knowledgeable about relevant issues. But in an environment of declining participation, particularly among youth (Miller & Shanks, 1996), new ideas about citizenship are emerging. Inglehart claims that ‘elite-challenging forms of participation are becoming more widespread’ (1999, p. 236) and Dahlgren (2003) asks us to consider redefining what is political in order to examine new forms of engagement and participation. The focus has turned to single issues and lifestyle politics (Giddens, 1991), shaping ‘a society characterized by the rise of networks, issue associations, and lifestyle coalitions’ (Bennett, 1998, p. 745). Citizens are usually juxtaposed with consumers: the former are seen as being more conscious and active and the latter politically disinterested and passive.