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19

Political Consumerism: An

Extension of Social Conflict

or a Renewed Form of

Economic Collaboration?

Marco Silvestro

INTRODUCTION social economy develops alternative enter-
prises to meet particular needs. Barter sys-
A significant proportion of collective protest tems and social currency allow people to
action is currently assuming renewed forms, exchange goods and services outside of the
sometimes innovative and often politically rules of the market. Free software and alter-
ambiguous. The use of the economic market native rules for intellectual property pose a
as an arena for protest and venue for social major challenge to the capitalist system
change (as a place to present social demands) through contesting its very foundation,
is an example of this renewal of forms. private property and patents. Voluntary sim-
Through various economic phenomena, we plicity and the Slow Food movement offer a
can glimpse political propositions aimed at radical critique of the foundations of the con-
regulating the economic field using tools sumer society and an improvement in the
specific to this domain. quality of life through breaking away from
The following examples illustrate these the logic of capitalist consumer society.
trends. Fair trade and ethical finance seek to Finally, advertising campaigns and the mass
modify the rules of commerce and interna- media, such as the anti-sweatshops campaign
tional investment. Sustainable or organic and direct action against certain companies,
agriculture, forestry and fish breeding seek to denounce the practices of multinationals
protect the soil, territories, populations and (Jensen, 2003; Klein, 2000).
cultures. Community-supported agriculture The shared goal of actors in this vast
(CSA) links consumers and producers in an ‘movement’ is to develop ways of producing,
innovative local agro-food system. The ‘new’ distributing, selling and consuming which