Mainstream discourses and practices of investing are in many ways problematic from the perspectives of equality and sustainable development. This project examines whether and how consumers participating in digital spaces, such as social networking and crowdfunding platforms, can drive shifts in investment culture. Our point of departure is that digital spaces provide novel possibilities for consumers to engage in investment practices and to participate in discussions about the values and meanings related to investing. We trace shifts in investment discourse through analyzing big data of social and news media texts; examine the formation of investor and consumer roles in crowdfunding platforms through discourse analysis; and use online ethnography to analyze how specific online investor communities justify their investment practices. The aim is to identify, analyze, and envision digital spaces where consumers can participate in the economy in meaningful and socially sustainable ways.

2021

2025