The transformation of consumer movements through democratization and the development of civil society in Taiwan

Abstract

Using the transformation of the Taiwanese consumer movement as a case study, this article examines how the development of civil society shapes different relationships between consumer organizations and other social movements. The article analyzes the influence of democratization in the 1990s on consumer attempts to seek policy protection and how following Taiwan`s embracing of market deregulation in the 2000s consumers turned towards the promotion of ethical practices. The case highlights how the consumer organizations’ emergence, their policy contentions and co-operation with women`s, student and environmental movements developed alongside the fermentation of social movement organization, their institutionalization and diversification. The article argues that by relating the consumer to other socioeconomic groups, the consumer movement developed more critical perspectives and formed alliances to take more effective action in addressing market conditions and their social consequences.