Political Consumerism in Northwestern Europe

J de Moor, P Balsiger - The Oxford handbook of political …, 2019 - books.google.com
The Oxford handbook of political consumerism, 2019books.google.com
Northwestern Europe (NWE) has long been identified as one of the main regions for the
development of political consumerism (Stolle, Micheletti, & Crépault, 2013). 1 This is not
surprising considering that NWE is one of the most affluent regions in the world. On average,
its citizens are characterized by high degrees of postmaterial values and high levels of
education (Inglehart, 2008), which are all seen as part of the typical profile of political
consumerists (Stolle & Micheletti, 2013, chap. 3). This chapter takes a closer look at the …
Northwestern Europe (NWE) has long been identified as one of the main regions for the development of political consumerism (Stolle, Micheletti, & Crépault, 2013). 1 This is not surprising considering that NWE is one of the most affluent regions in the world. On average, its citizens are characterized by high degrees of postmaterial values and high levels of education (Inglehart, 2008), which are all seen as part of the typical profile of political consumerists (Stolle & Micheletti, 2013, chap. 3). This chapter takes a closer look at the patterns underlying this more general observation. Firstly, the chapter looks at sales of “ethical products,” describing how NWE compares to other regions in Europe and around the world as well as key differences within the region. Secondly, there is a comparison of the commonality of political consumerism in NWE to other regions and an assessment of the main differences within the region. While both approaches offer a sense of the spread of political consumerism, they tell little about the exact forms of behaviour underlying these general patterns. The second half of the chapter, therefore, shifts attention to more detailed descriptions of the forms political consumerism takes. In examining the demand side, there is a description of how various collectives have incorporated political consumerism into their repertoires of action. In examining the supply side, the chapter outlines the widely differing types of products, certifications, and standards advanced by civil society, governments, and companies. This overview demonstrates that political consumerism is not only very common in NWE but also takes a wide range of forms that have varying implications for the sociopolitical meaning of political consumerism. Methodological and analytical problems stem from the information gap that exists between “thin” knowledge of the spread of political consumerism and the limited knowledge of the commonality of diverse patterns of political consumerism within the region, thus limiting an assessment of the widespread nature of political consumerism in NWE. Does it imply a generally deep and meaningful
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