Varieties of Political Consumerism

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

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2. Revising Our Understanding of Political Consumerism

   • Carolin V. Zorell

   Pages 1-36

3. Perspectives on Political Consumerism

   • Carolin V. Zorell

   Pages 37-75

4. Explaining Political Consumerism

   • Carolin V. Zorell

   Pages 77-106

5. Political Consumerism at the Country Level

   • Carolin V. Zorell

   Pages 107-128

6. Political Consumerism at the Individual Level

   • Carolin V. Zorell

   Pages 129-164

7. Political Consumerism as a Multi-Layered Process

   • Carolin V. Zorell

   Pages 165-182

8. Back Matter

   Pages 183-188

   PDF

This book provides an analysis of the politics of consumption and how the ‘educated consumer’ plays a vital role in advancing responsible market practices and consumption. Based on a comprehensive interdisciplinary perspective, it explores the extent, drives and links of boycotting, buycotting, labelling schemes and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in 20 European countries. A central question addressed is whether macro-societal patterns of orientation concerning the roles of the state, companies and citizens can explain individual and cross-national differences in boycotting and buycotting. As the book shows, there is not one type of ‘political consumer’, but several, and their occurrence is directly connected to national variations of labelling schemes and Corporate Social Responsibility. Consumers need reference points and information on the political backgrounds of purchases, and policy makers must address that need through political measures which fit to the national patternsin views about cooperation and market relationships.

• political consumerism
• boycott
• buycott
• political participation
• consumer disaffection
• citizenship
• value orientations
• citizen-consumer hybrid
• Corporate Social Responsibility

“Dr. Zorell’s book focuses on the different types of political consumerism such as boycotts and buycotts. She elucidates the logic behind these consumer behaviors and the different factors that underpin these actions. Her book is based on comprehensive background research, original ideas, an innovative research design and uses a newly collected database. Ms. Zorell’s succinct and deep analyses contribute importantly to understanding market-based forms of political action.” (Dietlind Stolle, McGill University, Canada)“This diligent, innovative empirical study enriches our knowledge on the peculiarities of Consumerism in the changing world of civic engagement. Boycotting and buycotting are outlined as genuinely unique type of political behavior. Furthermore, their distribution, individual level and contextual determinants seem to be differently embedded in the systems of participation of European societies. This offers an insightful analysis for anyone interested in the drives and developments of political participation today.” (Oscar W. Gabriel, University of Stuttgart, Germany)

• University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany

  Carolin V. Zorell

Carolin V. Zorell is Researcher at the University of Mannheim, Germany. Her research interest lies especially in the political and socio-psychological background of social interaction, and the inquiry of how context and personal characteristics form political participation and social cooperation.

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