Kuluttajakansalaisten poliittinen voimaantuminen : verkon korporaatiovastaisen kampanjoinnin mahdollisuksia ja ongelmia

Authors

• Sigrid Baringhost

Abstract

In this article, I will first describe general characteristics of political consumerism and then look at the politicisation of consumption as a new form of political participation. The third and main part of the paper discusses the Internet in terms of political empowerment. On the one hand, it has provided companies with sophisticated means of online branding and mass customization, leading to an illusion of participation and of the empowerment of consumers. On the other hand, the Internet has provided consumers with efficient means for the collective production of knowl­edge. This can enhance the market power of consumers and their influence as civil society actors. Although the Internet allows for many-to-many communication and can thus strengthen network-based participatory politics, it is argued that the logic of political campaigning limits the full re­alisation of this potential.