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Will the fair trade revolution be marketised? Commodification, decommodification and the political intensity of consumer politics
This paper brings to the fore a scrutiny of the politicisation of commodities in an exploration of the political promises and potential of ethical or political consumerism and specifically the case of fair trade. The analysis is informed by interviews with ethically consuming citizens which illuminate their concerns, certainties and confusions. I discuss consumer agency in relation to decommodification and branding as detrimental to the political qualities of the movement where the selling of fair trade is viewed through the prism of brand trust and the symbolised political quality of the commodity. Similarly, there is a corporate ‘veiling’ of consumer politics where the commercial sense which mainstream fair trade commodities enjoy is being manipulated through strategies of co-branding, thus signalling further distance from the older radical character of fair trade political consumerism. Thus, the decommodification of fair trade products is perhaps at the expense of the commodification of fair trade consumer politics.
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Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Culture and OrganizationISSN
1475-9551Publisher
Taylor & FrancisExternal DOI
Issue
5Volume
18Page range
345-358Department affiliated with
- Media and Film Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2013-09-16First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2013-09-13Usage metrics
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