Choice and Choicelessness in Consumer Practice

Embedded deeply, semi-unconsciously, and ideologically in commonplace practices – be they in marketplaces or political arenas – is the idea of the goodness and salubriousness of choice. Notions of the probity of plentiful choice are also abundant in theories in social sciences and in applied fields such as marketing. The availability and abundance of choice are regarded as unequivocally good and are readily conflated with the celebrated ideas of freedom and democracy ( Amadae, 2003 ; Riker, 1982 ), and (for many) with the idea of unfettered capitalism ( Friedman & Friedman, 1990 ). The opposite idea – of choicelessness – is associated with totalitarianism and tyranny, and is shunned and rejected ( Amadae, 2003 ). Indeed, the value and worth of individuals, groups, and nations are measured by the amount of choice they have. While for the vast majority, the degree of choice is the metric for assessing their socioeconomic and politico-cultural status and success, choicelessness is often a stark reality for the underprivileged and marginal groups within the same society ( Holme, 2002 ; Nathan, 1998 ).