Political participation via consumption: the historical links between the associative, fair trade and cooperative movements and consumerism

Abstract

The rise of different discourses and practices on new modes and models of consumption, such as political consumerism, has prompted an analysis that sees them as proposals that seek to politicize in different ways consumer practices, highlighting them as potential new spaces for political participation. In this sense, the article seeks to discuss the historical relationship and linkages between consumption practices as a form of political action and associativism and cooperativism, along with the fair trade movement. Moreover, the paper seeks to identify how these movements have used consumption for their agendas and how, today, the fair trade initiatives perceive consumers as potential political actors.

Key words: consumerism, cooperativism, fair trade.