Journalism 614:Opinion & Political Consumerism

Citizens and Consumers

Michael Schudson’s “post-moralist” position Mistake to identify political action with public-spirited

motives and consumer behavior with self-interested motives Both political behavior and consumer behavior can be either

public-spirited or self-interested. – Consumer opinions can be expressly political and public-spirited

• Boycotting Walmart, Buying Ben & Jerry’s, or Dumping French Wine

– Consumer behavior can create contexts that serve democracy• Talk: Coffee houses in 18th c. London

• Informal Networks: Harley Riders, Mac Enthusiasts

– Political behavior often is not public-spirited but egocentric • Voting for policies that benefit one’s own pocketbook or personal circle

Bourdieu & Cultural Capital

The economy of cultural goods - cultural capital– Food, drink, sports, fashion, manners, home décor, art,

music, and literature - all have the ability to define

Cultural goods circulate as a form of power or capital, as markers of distinction among classes – Class status is gained and lost through consumption

We can acquire access to social circle by displaying appropriate taste, manners, culture– Consumption maintains patterns of power and inequality

Bourdieu’s Distinction

Great innovation was connecting cultural capital with the social practices of establishing hierarchies, maintaining distances, and legitimating class differences

– “Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier. Social subjects, classified by their classifications, distinguish themselves by the distinctions they make” - Distinction, 1979/1984

But do these insights hold in 21st Century America? What insights does blurring the line between citizen and

consumer provide for research on media and opinion? How can opinion research help illustrate these links and

clarify the connections between consumption and politics?

Cultural Capital in America

France in the 1960s - relatively stable class structure / stratified system of institutions

US in the 2000s - consumption is less clearly the outcome of intersection of class and culture – Rather consumption actively shapes culture

– Climate of opinion focuses on consumption

– Media consumption particularly important

Goal of project:– Map the consumption and politics in US based on

occupation, media use, buying behavior, media preferences, and indicators of civic engagement

Mapping the Social Space

A relational approach to consumption– Each choice is seen as a difference, a distinction, a

property existing only through its gap with other choices

The social space– Relative status positions people perceive themselves to

occupy, along perceptions of positions that others occupy

Typically two dimensions– Overall volume of the capital they possess

• (high vs. low quantities of capital)

– The composition of their capital • (relative proportion of economic vs. cultural capital)

Established ProfessionalsHighly Educated

Prestige News MediaHigh Culture and ArtInternational Travel

Check and Letter ActivismEnvironmental

Community Work

Service WorkersBroadcast News Media

Urban SophisticatesVolunteerism & Membership

Ideological ModeratesSocial Dramas & Info TV

Executives and SalesHigh Income

Mainstream PaperFashion and High-End Retail

Stay at Luxury HotelsSkiing, Golf, and TennisLittle Civic Engagement

TechniciansYouthful

Sports & DrinkHyper-Technological

Highly SexualizedCar Magazines - SUV

Low IncomeLow EducationLive at HomeSoap Operas Print Tabloids

Few Civic Practices

OlderConservative

Female HomemakersChurch AttendanceReligious Programs

Moralist / Justice DramasLocal News Viewing

UrbanWorking Class

Police Reality TVBlack Sitcoms

Discount ShoppingLow-No Church

Anti-CivicGambling

YoungerExurban

Industry & ServiceRock n’ RollYouth MediaOutdoor Life

GearheadNASCAR

Porn

Social Space in America

Many similarities to Bourdieu’s France

– Especially upper right quadrant,

Communal-individual continuum forms the horizontal axis

– Raw v. cooked, competitive v. nurturing, genteel v. aggressive

Importance of Gender and Age in US

– Reveals elements missing from Bourdieu, who focused on men

– Gender and age help define opinion, consumption, politics in US

Clear correspondence between civic behavior, political

ideology, and the social positioning of taste cultures

Blurring Lines: The Consumer-Citizen

Growing alignment among consumptive and civic• Human Rights and anti-sweatshop

• Unfair labor practices and fair trade coffee

• Environmentalism and hybrid cars

• Economic equality and discount designers

• Patriotism and buying American

• Localism and boycotting chain retailers

• Anti-globalism and fast food retailers

• Global poverty and health and “Red” campaign

– Not less, just different - new form of participation

Political Consumers

Who is a socially conscious consumer and why? Is this at odds with civic participation? Is it

contradictory to status conscious consumption? What is the role of media and talk in political

consumerism? What about the Internet? Is political consumerism really increasing, and if

so, what explains change over time?

“Lifestyle” Politics

Find direct and indirect connections of dispositional, communication, and consumption orientations

Conventional and online news encourage political consumption through opinions and actions– Environmental concerns

– Political talk

Explains cross-sectional links and over time change– Strong evidence of a meaningful relationship