TY - JOUR

T1 - Futureless Vicissitudes

T2 - Gestural Anti-consumption and the Reflexively Impotent (Anti-)Consumer

AU - Hoang Ngoc , Quynh

AU - Cronin, James

AU - Skandalis, Alexandros

PY - 2023/12/31

Y1 - 2023/12/31

N2 - In this paper, we challenge the prevalent idea that anti-consumption functions as an ideological act of antagonism. We enlist the work of the late cultural theorist Mark Fisher to account for the reflexively impotent (anti-)consumer, a politically hollowed-out and knowingly helpless subject endemic to the futureless vicissitudes of semiocapitalist consumer culture. Drawing on netnographic data and interviews with “digital detoxers”, we explore how gestural – rather than transformational – anti-consumption emerges through individuals’ reflexive awareness of their political inertia, the lack of collective spirit to bring about improved conditions, and their perpetual attachment to market-based comforts and conveniences. Our analyses reveal three features that underpin the reflexively impotent (anti-)consumer’s resigned acceptance of the reigning political-ideological status quo: magical voluntarism, pragmatism, and self-indulgence. In the absence of any unifying and politically-centred solidarity projects, mere gestures of resistance are undertaken towards managing personal dissatisfactions with – instead of collectively transforming – their structural conditions.

AB - In this paper, we challenge the prevalent idea that anti-consumption functions as an ideological act of antagonism. We enlist the work of the late cultural theorist Mark Fisher to account for the reflexively impotent (anti-)consumer, a politically hollowed-out and knowingly helpless subject endemic to the futureless vicissitudes of semiocapitalist consumer culture. Drawing on netnographic data and interviews with “digital detoxers”, we explore how gestural – rather than transformational – anti-consumption emerges through individuals’ reflexive awareness of their political inertia, the lack of collective spirit to bring about improved conditions, and their perpetual attachment to market-based comforts and conveniences. Our analyses reveal three features that underpin the reflexively impotent (anti-)consumer’s resigned acceptance of the reigning political-ideological status quo: magical voluntarism, pragmatism, and self-indulgence. In the absence of any unifying and politically-centred solidarity projects, mere gestures of resistance are undertaken towards managing personal dissatisfactions with – instead of collectively transforming – their structural conditions.

KW - Anti-consumption

KW - Fisher

KW - Terminal Marketing

KW - digital detox

KW - futurelessness

KW - reflexive impotence

KW - semiocapitalism

KW - technology

U2 - 10.1177/14705931231153193

DO - 10.1177/14705931231153193

M3 - Journal article

VL - 23

SP - 585

EP - 606

JO - Marketing Theory

JF - Marketing Theory

SN - 1470-5931

IS - 4

ER -