New Books in Critical Theory Jessica Martin, "Feminisms and Domesticity in Times of Crisis: The Rise of the Austerity Celebrity" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
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Feb 21, 2026 Jessica Martin, Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds, studies gender, austerity, and popular culture. She traces how postfeminist and austerity-era celebrities repackaged domesticity and nostalgia. Short case studies look at thrift, blogging, Mumsnet, and how activist or sustainable figures are reframed by media.
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Celebrities As Political Symbols
- Celebrities act as symbolic resources that shape political consent during crises.
- Jessica Martin argues austerity-era celebrities reveal who defines the moment and its politics.
Austerity's Gendered Domestic Impact
- UK austerity cut council budgets and welfare, hitting women hardest due to care roles.
- Martin links these policy impacts to why domesticity became central in cultural responses.
Nostalgia Meets Domestic Femininity
- Nostalgia and domestic femininity were mobilized together to manage crisis culture.
- Shows like The Great Bake Off fused nationalism with cosy domestic practices as ideological work.
