When Did Consumers Discover Their Power, Mr Trentmann?

Trentmann spent years researching for his book on the history of consumption “Empire of Things”. It was at the end of the 19th century that things got political, it reveals. Citizens started to identify themselves as consumers; discovered that they can influence the market and bear responsibility for the common good. “In the cities of Europe and America, citizens got together in consumers’ leagues and co-ops, and launched campaigns,” says Trentmann. “Their motto was: living is buying, buying is power, power is responsibility.” They drew up blacklists, for example, of companies that exploited their workforce. In the 1970s, however, it became widely accepted that the market and competition guaranteed consumer interests best – not organised consumer councils. But up to then, consumers had largely focused on domestic producers; it was only later that the conditions in distant countries sparked people’s interest. Although today’s consumers are rediscovering their power, “it’s limited,” says Trentmann. “Politics and business are powerful, too. Only if they do their bit, if the topic of consumption is given greater weight in education, and financial incentives and new structures for a different way of life are created, will we succeed in making the transition to a sustainable consumer society.”

aus Humboldt Kosmos 109/2018