Theorizing the consumerized: CCT beyond Maslow and towards post-anthropocentrism

This invited commentary reflects on the theoretical (and empirical) accomplishments of consumer culture theorizing a quarter into the twenty-first century as well as a reflection on paths forwards for the discipline. Consumer culture theorizing has contributed quite substantially to our joint understanding of the inner dynamics of consumer culture, its meanings, practices and materialities. These insights constitute a solid argument against Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. While this from an insider CCT and critical marketing perspective is akin to kicking in open doors, it is hardly ever represented as an explicit accomplishment: Maslow keeps being a central part of much marketing theory. It is time to claim that not just economic anthropology but also Consumer Culture Theory has refuted the hierarchy of needs. This reflection on the advances ends with a revisit to a former discussion in Marketing Theory of the “consumer/consumption” tropes and introduces the neologism “the consumerized.” Pointing forwards, the commentary suggests three extensions or rather realizations (since they were implied initially) of the context of context already discussed in Marketing Theory: Consumer culture theorizing and its missing dialogues with 1) The political economy and its value chains. 2) The role of the state in contemporary capitalism and consumer culture formation. And 3) the insertion of consumer culture in a post-anthropocentric ecological Earth-system.