LE3 .A278 2020

2020

Brickner, Rachel

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Political Science

Politics

Political participation is considered a foundation for an operational democracy, yet, voting numbers in both Canada and the United States are on the decline, which some attribute to a lack of political involvement by citizens. However, as our understanding of political participation expands, internet use, including social media, can also be included in this expanding form of participation, and because of this, many argue that participation is not in decline, but has instead only taken new forms. Social media use (sharing pictures,videos, and information) has created a way for consumers to interact and voice their opinions and concerns with the brands directly. The political consumer is an individual who uses their money to either support (buycott) or to punish (boycott) companies because of their company policies or practices. Through the interaction of companies and political consumers on social media, this thesis argues that that on a social media platform that is strictly visual, as Instagram is, the political consumer is more interested in their own views than attempting to mobilize others to engage in boycotts or buycotts. This research incorporates the theory of political consumerism to understand the role of the political consumer on Instagram and investigates the relationship between the consumer and outdoor and athletic wear brands–Nike, adidas, Patagonia, The North Face, and Fjallraven.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3378