Political consumption in times of social movement abeyance: The case of Hong Kong

While much research has been conducted about political consumption as a social movement tactic, the transformation, persistence, or decline of political consumption after the end of a failed protest campaign has seldom been examined. This study examines how political consumption evolves when a prominent movement featuring the protest tactic is suppressed and the movement sector enters abeyance. It argues that, while shifting opportunities and constraints can influence the persistence of political consumption, the impact is partly mediated by social perceptions and cultural ideas. The empirical analysis focuses on Hong Kong, which has been undergoing post-protest autocratization. Analysis of 10 focus group discussions shows that political consumption, while not having totally disappeared, has become sporadic, fragmented, and individualized. The trend applies to both pro-democracy political consumption and political consumption in general. Hong Kong people make sense of their continual practice of or withdrawal from political consumption by referring to perceptions of the political economic landscape, ideas about “Hongkongers,” and conceptions of “the consumer.” Implications of the findings are discussed.