Many of us buy trainers, clothes, mobile phones, computers, books and food despite the fact that they are manufactured and sold by brands which use cheap labour, sweatshops, and conflict minerals. Most of the World’s largest brands fail to address issues including human rights, animal rights, tax avoidance and environmental concerns. Consumers and citizens quite often ignore these issues to fulfil personal needs, desires and aspirations.

Too often we try to categorize people into all good or all bad, ethical or unethical. We all do this to some extent. But the reality is that people are complex. We often see only a small slice of their nature at any one. There are layers upon layers upon layers of complexity to all of us. Quite often, when we discuss complex issues we do so as citizens, yet as consumers, we behave very differently. As well as trying to use our intellect, we are seduced by the desire to own shiny new things. As cultural theorist Lauren Berlant states, citizenship is best understood not as one form of sovereignty but as a collection (or perhaps a collision) of many different relational forms, pointing to the constellation of rights, laws, obligations, interests, fantasies, dreams, aspirations, desires, fears and expectations that shape the modern scene of citizenship.

The Citizen Consumer Bank project seeks to provide an opportunity to combine this complex mix of contradictory emotions and responses. Each customer is provided with a Plus Card Account and a Minus Card Account. Each card can be used accordingly, depending on whether you are in agreement or disagreement with the company’s business and ethical conduct. Every time you buy something with the Plus Card Account, the payment has a positive impact on the company’s share value and corporate image. However, if you decide to use the Minus Card Account, the payment has a negative impact on the company’s stock price, affecting also the corporate image.

It is hoped that by using the two cards, the citizen consumer can influence corporate responsibility in the short, medium and long term.

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