Blog Week 7: Economics, Nationalism and Consumerism



Blog Week 7 – Economics, Nationalism and Consumerism

            On Tuesday October 18th, Jian Ghomeshi, the host of CBC's Radio Q, interviewed Sasha Houston Brown. The topic of the interview was Houston Brown’s reaction to Urban Outfitter’s new line of “"Navajo" themed products.” At the time of their interview, Urban Outfitters had released a statement exclaiming that they would not change the name of these products, but the next day the word Navajo was removed from the products and replaced with "printed." Thus, "Navajo Hipster Underwear," is now described as "Printed Hipster Underwear." On Columbus Day (irony fully intended), Houston Brown wrote an open letter to Glen Senk, the CEO of Urban Outfitters. Her letter articulated the cultural disrespect and legal issues regarding the appropriation of Navajo culture into mass consumer goods. She explained how these products belittle the Navajo Nation, as their cheap and tacky representation of the Navajo culture is "racially demeaning" and ignorant. Her letter outlines how the use of the word “Navajo” is illegal for Urban Outfitters use in describing their products, as this word is patented and only the Navajo Nation or those with express permission may use it. The Navajo inspired product line and the response it evoked is a clear demonstration of the way consumerism, nationalism and the global political economy are inherently linked. By examining Kristen Ghodsee’s “Potions, Lotions and Lipstick: The Gendered Consumption of Cosmetics and Perfumery in Socialist and Post-Socialist Urban Bulgaria” and Dibyesh Anand’s “Nationalism,” I will discuss how these articles illustrate the gendered nature of consumption. Furthermore, these articles highlight the significant role the state plays in shaping national, consumerist identities.

           

Ghodsee’s article traces the consumption of health and beauty aids (HBAs) in socialist Bulgaria through to the introduction of capitalism, within the wider realm of globalization. She demonstrates how the socialist state created a producerist identity and the way this shifted to a consumerist identity after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This notion of consumerist identities is gendered, as women were overwhelmingly the consumers of new products in Bulgaria. The sexualisation of women through HBAs is also discussed in this article, as she points to how women expressed their desire for cosmetics as a way to look “young” and “attractive.” Physical appearance was also understood by some women as part of their resume; one of the women interviewed stated “[y]ou have to be good looking to get a job.” Thus, this article reminds us to study consumerism and capitalism with a gendered lens.

           

Anand’s chapter outlines the dominant discourse of nationalism and the way women and notions of gender are silent within it. She argues that nationalism is not “natural,” but instead is constructed everyday through the lives and actions of its subjects. The concept of Orientalism is also present in this chapter and Anand discusses the way the dichotomy of Self and Other is strengthened during times of stress and conflict. She reminds us of the gendered construction of the Self and the Other, in which the Self is masculine and the Other is feminine.

           

By considering these two readings in relation to the Navajo products, several themes and connections emerge. First, all these texts reveal the gendered nature of consumption and how this shapes an envy and sexualisation of the Other. This is demonstrated through one of Ghodsee’s interviews, as the interviewee recalls how younger Bulgarian women would use Western deodorants rather than the state produced rose scented perfume. Deodorants were preferred because these women considered Western products to be “prestigious.” For these women, having Western products were a marker of status and women judged one another according to how “they smelled.” Ironically, these women later discovered that the deodorants to be “supermarket brands, like Rexona and Nivea.” Thus, their sense of Self and Other was convoluted by state control and their resistance. The gendered character of consumption is also evident in the recent popularity of Indigenous trends in fashion. Moccasins, feather earrings and Navajo Hispter underwear are a few examples of this. These products are marketed towards women and they also reveal an underlying notion of Othering. The corporate appropriation of Navajo culture is a misrepresentation of Indigenous peoples and Indigenous women. It demonstrates state interest in shaping consumer identities and the tension involved in this process. The Houston Brown’s demand that Urban Outfitters remove the word Navajo from these products is an example of resistance to this top-down state constructed nationalism.

            Another key theme that emerges in this analysis is the gendered layers of consumption, international relations and the global political economy. As the economy becomes more global, the production of goods becomes cheaper and labour conditions worsen. This is examined in Ghodsee’s article in her discussion of the consumer surplus, which contributes to availability of HBAs ready for women to purchase. In Houston Brown’s letter she notes the role the globalized economy has played in the creation of the “cheap knock-off trinkets made in factories overseas,” which supposedly represents the culture of the Navajo Nation. She continues in her criticism by stating that “[S]elling imported plastic and nylon dreamcatchers disrespects our history and undermines our sovereignty as Tribal Nations.” Many women are employed by transnational companies and Export Processing Zones and it is likely that many of these Navajo products were produced under these conditions. Thus, the global political economy and consumer identities reinforce one another.

             

Bibliography

Anand, Dibyesh. “Nationalism” In Gender Matters in Global Politics: A Feminist Introduction to International Relations. Edited by Laura J. Shepherd. Routledge: Oxen: 2010, 280-291.

Ghodsee, Kristen. “Potions, Lotions and Lipstick: The Gendered Consumption of Cosmetics and Perfumery in Socialist and Post-Socialist Urban Bulgaria.” Women Studies International Forum 30:1 (2007), 26-39. 

“Houston Brown, Sasha. “An Open Letter to Urban Outfitters on Columbus Day,” October 10, 2011. Indian Country Today Media Network.< http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/an-open-letter-to-urban-outfitters-on-columbus-day/> Accessed October 20, 2011.

“Is this a Fashion Crime?,” Tuesday October 18, 2011. Q Blog: CBC Radio.< http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/> Accessed October 20, 2011.

“So-Called Navajo Products Vanish from Urban Outfitters Website, October 19, 2011.” Indian Country Today Media Network.< http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/so-called-navajo-products-vanish-from-urban-outfitters-website/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=so-called-navajo-products-vanish-from-urban-outfitters-website&utm_campaign=fb-posts> Accessed October 20, 2011.