Beyond Acculturation: Multiculturalism and the Institutional Shaping of an Ethnic Consumer Subject

The discourse of cultural appreciation constitutes the ethnic consumer subject, who is hailed to embrace differences through consumption.

“This prevailing discourse of cultural appreciation constitutes the ethnic consumer subject, who is hailed to 'embrace differences through consumption' (Veresiu and Giesler 2018, 556).”

Countervailing discourses of cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation fuel a tension between the ethnic consumer subject and the responsibilized consumer subject.

“Countervailing discourses of cultural appreciation versus cultural appropriation are fueling a tension between the ethnic consumer subject, who views the consumption of cultural difference as a valorized identity project, and the responsibilized consumer subject, who is tasked with considering the societal impacts of such consumption.”

The Western neoliberal idyll of market-based inclusion and diversity that calls the ethnic consumer subject to appreciate other cultures is being undercut by the countervailing discourse that calls the responsibilized consumer subject to engage with cultural appropriation.

“Consequently, the 'Western neoliberal idyll of market-based inclusion and diversity' (Veresiu and Giesler 2018, 554) that calls the ethnic consumer subject to appreciate other cultures is being undercut by this countervailing discourse that calls the responsibilized consumer subject to engage with issues of cultural appropriation.”

A prevailing ideology of neoliberal multiculturalism institutionalized a desire to appreciate cultural difference as a valorized consumer identity project.

“For the past decades, a prevailing ideology of neoliberal multiculturalism suited to the demands of transnational capitalism institutionalized a desire to appreciate cultural difference as a valorized consumer identity project (Coskuner-Balli and Ertimur 2017; Thompson and Tambyah 1999; Veresiu and Giesler 2018).”

The cultural appreciation discourse is rooted in neoliberal multiculturalism and foregrounds consuming cultural difference as a desirable and depoliticized consumer identity project.

“The discourse of cultural appreciation , rooted in the ideology of neoliberal multiculturalism, foregrounds moral interpretations of consuming cultural difference as a desirable and depoliticized consumer identity project.”

The ethnic consumer subject views the consumption of cultural difference as a valorized identity project.

“the ethnic consumer subject, who views the consumption of cultural difference as a valorized identity project”

By drawing on the neoliberal multicultural tenets embedded in the cultural appreciation discourse, Jeff's reflection articulates an affirmative cosmopolitan vision of global interconnection and intermingling wherein such cultural inequities are rendered irrelevant.

“By drawing on the neoliberal multicultural tenets (Veresiu and Giesler 2018) embedded in the cultural appreciation discourse, Jeff's reflection articulates an affirmative cosmopolitan vision of global interconnection and intermingling wherein such cultural inequities are rendered irrelevant.”

Prior research described how ideologies such as neoliberal multiculturalism push forward a depoliticized approach to consuming cultural difference, especially at the level of the individual consumer.

“First, prior research described how ideologies such as neoliberal multiculturalism push forward a depoliticized approach to consuming cultural difference, especially at the level of the individual consumer (Cayla and Eckhardt 2008; Thompson and Tambyah 1999; Veresiu and Giesler 2018).”

The hegemonic ethnic consumer subject systematically discourages other ethnic subjectivities from surfacing and materializing.

“As highlighted by Veresiu and Giesler (2018, 565), the hegemonic ethnic consumer subject 'systematically discourages other ethnic subjectivities from surfacing and materializing.'”