Consumption, lifestyle and social movements

Abstract

In this editorial, we contemplate how the politics of the everyday in consumption and consumer lifestyles emerge. Foundational here is the overarching question why, how and where do people come to share common spaces, meaning, identity, practice and goals in dispersed lifestyles aiming for (social) change. This special issue is an original endeavour to generate an understanding of the issues, problems and potential for change emerging from individual and collective efforts in and around consumption and lifestyles. The editorial presents principles and commonalities of the intersectional study of consumption, lifestyle and social movements. We connect these principles with the papers that make up the special issue and conclude with an outlook for future research.

How does a local initiative contribute to social inclusion and promote sustainable food practices? Focus on the example of social cooking workshops

“…Nevertheless, this approach has to be related to an economic, political and socio‐historic understanding of poverty (Blocker et al ., ; Gorge et al ., ). Our final conclusion would be that this study informs thinking on ‘how particular initiatives are opposing market logic and alternative lifestyles’, and how such initiatives can mobilize consumers in their everyday life, especially when they target the ‘less literate or capable on the market, or those living in less advantaged communities and societies’ (Wahlen and Laamanen, ). Likewise, this work asks under which circumstances education plays the role of cohesion factor dealing with individual diversity (Delors, ).…”

“I think the middle class is disappearing”: Crisis perceptions and consumption patterns in Spain

“…The debate presented here also offers interesting insights when discussing the implications of the so‐called politics of consumption. While the current notion of political consumerism has been linked to new consumption strategies (Wahlen & Laamanen, ) that emphasize in one way or another the idea of a lifestyle choice—“we have no choice but to choose,” as Giddens () put it—with options such as green consumerism, fair trade, etc., this article shows that there is a relevant political dimension that has remained largely unexplored. We are referring here to the emergence of new social imaginaries where the experience of the lack of choice—due to the constraints of the crisis and austerity, but also due to an economic model incapable of redistributing wealth—ends up having an impact on politics itself.…”

Consumption within a soft total institution: Discursive inculcation in the Tablighi Jamaat

“…In this article, we also answer an earlier call to understand "contents and contexts of consumption" (Wahlen & Laamanen, 2015), or how consumption is exercised under certain social conditions. We use the setting of a religious soft total institution to understand how consumption is guided discursively within the confines of a space constituted by traditional authority.…”

“…We use the setting of a religious soft total institution to understand how consumption is guided discursively within the confines of a space constituted by traditional authority. Being an apparently apolitical organization, TJ participants are found to be indifferent to market dynamics, unlike social movement followers who purposefully maneuver politics through their market behavior as depicted by previous writings in this journal (Coelho, 2015;Dubuisson-Quellier, 2015;Holzer, 2006;Wahlen & Laamanen, 2015). In the TJ case, consumption-of which specific forms are themselves considered religious-serves a different purpose.…”

“…Our study offers three contributions. First, the study heeds the call to better understand the context of consumption (Wahlen & Laamanen, ). This article moves against the current of the extant consumption literature by illuminating how, under the conditions of a soft total institution, consumption practices allow subjects to exhibit, what may be considered, “regressive” (read: anti‐progressive) behaviors in social life (see Odrowaz‐Coates, , p. 237).…”