The Politics of Goods: A Case Study of Consumer Nationalism and Media Discourse in Contemporary China

Abstract

This study advances the concept of consumer nationalism in the international marketplace. It examines the complex role of the media in its formation and expressive practices through a case study of an incident involving Toshiba Corporation in China. The concept rests upon three key arguments of self-definition through consumption, globalization, and symbolic national unification. In their encounter with the global brand Toshiba, the Chinese media and consumers re-discovered and evoked a strong nationalistic sentiment underlined by Japan’s past aggression and atrocities in China. The media discourse of national pride and dignity in the case study represents the complex confluence of China’s continuing ambivalence towards Japan, sponsor activities by key advocacy groups, and the changing Chinese media practices. Further research is called for to consider the concept of consumer nationalism, its processes, participants, and consequences.