Consuming Crisis: Commodifying Care and COVID-19 (Social Science for Social Justice) [9781529793970]

Overview

"Trenchant and moving. This book offers critical hope." - Dr Naya Jones, University of California Santa Cruz

Consuming Crisis is a crucial account of how consumer culture capitalized on Coronavirus (COVID-19). Sobande explores how brands claim to care while they encourage people to ‘keep calm and consume’. This critical analysis of the power and politics of marketing examines an eclectic mix of campaigns, content, and experiences. Such work outlines the societal significance of fast-fashion adverts, banana bread’s pandemic ‘moment’, university social media strategies, and how digital technology mediates memories and work. Based on the belief that brands cannot be activists, Sobande creatively considers how brands construct care, camaraderie, culture, and so-called ‘normal’ life during times of crisis.

Francesca Sobande is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Media Studies at Cardiff University 

The Social Science for Social Justice series challenges the Ivory Tower of academia, providing a platform for academics, journalists, and activists of color to respond to pressing social issues.