Consumers And Citizens

This work offers a critical examination of the interplay between consumerism, globalization, and political power, highlighting how urban development and global markets reshape citizenship and identity in contemporary society.

Consumers and Citizens by Néstor García Canclini provides a thoughtful examination of the interplay between consumerism, globalization, and political power. As a prominent figure in cultural studies within Latin America, García Canclini explores how urban development and the influence of global media and commodity markets impact citizens. He argues that these dynamics not only lead to a reduction in certain traditional rights, particularly those associated with the welfare state, but also create new opportunities for the expansion of citizenship.

García Canclini delves into the ways democratic societies acknowledge diverse markets of citizen opinions, especially in the realms of fashion and entertainment. He highlights the complexities of identity that arise from the merging of citizenship and consumption, suggesting that these issues cannot be confined to geographical or national boundaries. Instead, he presents the modern citizen-consumer as existing within a transterritorial and multilingual context, where market forces often take precedence over state structures.

In defining this new landscape, García Canclini advocates for a participatory and critical approach to consumption. He posits that national culture does not vanish but is instead redefined through transnational cultural interactions. This work is a significant contribution to the fields of social theory and Latin American studies, inviting readers to reconsider the implications of consumer culture on citizenship and identity in an increasingly globalized world.