Adversaries of Consumption: Consumer Movements, Activism, and Ideology

Journal of Consumer Research · 2004 · Volume 31 · Issue 3

Abstract

This article focuses on consumer movements that seek ideological and cultural change. Building from a basis in New Social Movement (NSM) theory, we study these movements among anti-advertising, anti-Nike, and anti-GE food activists. We find activists' collective identity linked to an evangelical identity related to U.S. activism's religious roots. Our findings elucidate the value of spiritual and religious identities to gaining commitment, warn of the perils of preaching to the unconverted, and highlight movements that seek to transform the ideology and culture of consumerism. Conceiving mainstream consumers as ideological opponents inverts conventional NSM theories that view them as activists' clients.

Keywords

Cultural Theories and Analysis, Sociological Theories/Analysis, Public Policy Issues, Depth/Long Interviews, Ethnography

Enable JavaScript for citation tools and additional paper interactions.