Faculty Mentor: Dr. Carolyn Hardin, Associate Professor, Media & Communication and American Studies; Associate Director, The Humanities Center

Abstract

Lifestyle politics is “the broader tendency to see political meaning in recreational experiences, entertainment choices, fashion decisions, and other personal happenings” or, more broadly, “the politicization of the day-to-day” (Shah et al. 219-220). This phenomenon has become more widespread as social sorting and political saturation have become more entrenched in the fabric of American society. Although the economic impacts of political consumption have been studied at length, prior research is lacking in the area of how the concept of social policing can inform citizen-consumers' identity presentations and, thus, their lifestyle politics choices. Within Michel Foucault’s framework of power, all humans are ‘subjects’ that “are ‘disciplined’ and made ‘normal,’... through various techniques, among the most important of which is surveillance, or the use of the gaze” (Deloria & Olson 222). The gaze is derived from the Panopticon concept, and the construction of self within the confines of these social structures and the constant possibility of being surveilled leads individuals to “internalize the gaze, in other words, and perform self-surveillance” (Deloria & Olson 225). Within Foucault's framework of social policing, my research question was: "What if lifestyle politics are enacted for social reasons, and if so, what are the political implications of this?" In relation to consumer behavior and political participation, citizen-consumers would thus act as both ‘surveillers’ and ‘surveilled’ to inform their individual purchasing decisions through an ideological lens. To test this, I conducted 10 semi-structured interviews, using the Bud Light x Dylan Mulvaney controversy as a case study, and applied thematic analysis and inductive research throughout the coding process. This resulted in my key findings: 1. Social sorting does, in fact, lead to similar consumption choices, 2. Social policing does play a role in identity presentation through consumption choices, and 3. The affective components of boycotting and political saturation can result in stronger affective polarization. These findings could have broader implications, as they open a path for further research into whether social policing has additional political implications. 

Career Readiness Skills (NACE Competencies)

1. Communication

2. Critical Thinking

3. Leadership

4. Technology