Call for Papers

The Journal of Consumer Affairs (JCA) and the International Centre for Anti-Consumption Research (ICAR) announce a Special Issue and Symposium on

 “Anti-consumption and Consumer Wellbeing”

 Special issue editors:     

 In the last two decades of the new millennia, we have seen consumer wellbeing affected in two vastly opposing ways. On the one hand, we see an ever increasing conglomeration of corporations, leading to larger, more ubiquitous, and hegemonic companies; often resulting in a reduction of consumer wellbeing. On the other hand, with the advent of Web 2.0 and the increasing use and proliferation of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and numerous consumer advocacy and review websites; we see an augmentation of consumers’ abilities to fight back, and in many cases, increase their well-being.

 These two diametrically opposing developments (larger and more powerful companies versus increasingly empowered and connected consumers) are in a constant battle, and consumer wellbeing is the issue at the core. Anti-consumption as one lens by which scholars, practitioners, and policy makers can look at these current and on-going events. Anti-consumption is the study of reasons against consumption; relevant topics include, but are not limited to: boycotting, consumer resistance, activism, culture-jamming, dissatisfaction, complaining behavior, undesired self, organizational dis-identification, voluntary simplification, and brand avoidance. When consumer wellbeing is negatively impacted by markets, corporations, or brands, anti-consumption may occur as one consequence. Likewise, when instances of anti-consumption occur, researchers should look at the possible causes from the consumers’ points of view.

ICAR is seeking articles on these themes to be presented at the 5th ICAR symposium, hosted by the University of Kiel, Germany, on July 4-5th 2014; JCA is seeking articles on these themes for a special issue to be published in 2015.

Submission process for JCA special issue: Deadline August 30th 2014

Please submit an electronic copy of the manuscript in Microsoft Word format through the JCA online submission system found at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/joca. All manuscripts will be subject to a double-blind peer review process. Manuscripts not submitted to or presented at ICAR may be submitted for the special issue.