The Exotic States of Americana

Call for Papers

Special Issue: The Exotic States of Americana

Journal: Consumption Markets & Culture

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group

Manuscript Deadline: 31 August 2026

About the Special Issue

The journal Consumption Markets & Culture invites submissions for its Special Issue titled "The Exotic States of Americana."

This Special Issue critically examines the global influence of American consumer culture and its enduring role in shaping markets, identities, ideologies, and cultural practices worldwide. Rather than treating American consumer culture as the universal norm, the issue seeks to reverse the analytical gaze by exploring Americana itself as an "exotic" cultural phenomenon worthy of critical examination.

The editors invite interdisciplinary contributions that investigate how American capitalism, consumer culture, branding, media, celebrity culture, and neoliberal ideologies have functioned as forms of cultural power and global soft power. Authors are encouraged to move beyond conventional globalization narratives and instead explore the symbolic, affective, political, and ideological dimensions of Americana, its contradictions, its global diffusion, and its contemporary transformations.

The Special Issue particularly welcomes innovative, provocative, interdisciplinary, and theoretically rich contributions that challenge dominant assumptions about consumer culture while offering fresh perspectives on American cultural hegemony and its global consequences.

Scope and Topics of Interest

Submissions may address, but are not limited to:

• Histories of consumer culture as American soft power

• Global reproduction and imitation of Americana

• American cultural hegemony in marketing and consumer research

• Consumer Culture Theory (CCT) and American academic dominance

• Anthropological perspectives on contemporary American consumer culture

• American capitalism, neoliberalism, and global consumerism

• Cultural imperialism and symbolic power

• Commodification, hyper-consumerism, and resistance movements

• Alternative consumer cultures challenging American models

• Political economy of consumption

• Branding, media, celebrity culture, and ideological production

• Experimental, polemical, interdisciplinary, and stylistically innovative contributions inspired by critical theory, cultural studies, and postmodern thought

Submission Guidelines

• Manuscripts should follow the Consumption Markets & Culture author guidelines.

• Papers should present original theoretical or empirical contributions relevant to the Special Issue theme.

• Interdisciplinary perspectives from marketing, sociology, cultural studies, anthropology, media studies, political economy, and related disciplines are strongly encouraged.

• All submissions must be made through the journal's official online submission system.

Guest Editors

Alan Bradshaw
Royal Holloway, University of London

Joel Hietanen
University of Helsinki

For queries regarding the Special Issue, authors may contact:

Alan Bradshaw: alan.bradshaw@rhul.ac.uk

Joel Hietanen: joel.hietanen@helsinki.fi

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