Moral and ethical consumer Flashcards
Consumers make a difference
- We are all consumers.
- We cannot avoid consuming and we all play an important role or roles, in the marking process as consumers (Saren, 2006)
- The important thing to note is that the consumer’s role is not pasive, but active (Saren, 2006)
Different types of the ethical consumer
- Patriotic consumption
- Green consumption
- Socially aware consumption
- Responsible consumption
- Mindful consumption
- Conscious consumption
- ## Anticonsumption
Mindful mindset
Caring about the implications and consequences of your own consumption
1. Desire to preserve, conserve and the middle ground
2. Balance in the priority given to consumption over other goals
3. Collective well-being achieved through vibrant local communities, and others you can rely on
In summary the mindful mindset consists of:
1. Nature
2. Self
3. Community
Mindful behaviour
Temperance refers to achieving a balanced approach to consumption, ensuring that it aligns with an individual’s well-being and values. It involves avoiding excessive or harmful consumption habits
Three types of Excessive consumption:
1. Repetitive consumption:
- This is the continuous cycle of buying, discarding, and rebuying goods, often driven by technological or psychological obsolescence.
- Example: Upgrading to the latest smartphone even though the current one still works
- Constantly replacing fashion items because they are out of trend.
2. Acquisitive Consumption:
- Refers to acquiring goods beyond what is necessary to meet one’s needs.
- Examples:
- Owning multiple cars when only one is required.
- Stockpiling luxury items that are rarely used
3. Aspirational Consumption:
- Involves conspicuous consumption driven by competition or aspiration to appear wealthy, successful, or trendy.
- Examples:
- Buying expensive branded clothing to signal social status.
- Purchasing items solely because they are associated with prestige.
Mindful consumption
(Sheth et al., 2011)
“Mindful consumption connotes temperance in repetitive, acquisitive and aspirational consumption at the behaviour level. It stems from and is reinforced by a mindset of care and responsibility toward oneself, the community, and the environment
Problems with the 3 typologies of temperance
- No one really fits categories appropriately
- Issues with whether people might actually view themselves in those ways
- Issues with putting the focus on the consumer rather than acts of consumption
- Complete focus on the individual and on individual psychology
What is ethical consumption?
- Ethical consumption is a consumer preference for products involving minimal social and environmental exploitation (Soper, 2016)
- Using goods and services that bring a better quality of life, while minimising the use of natural resources, toxic materials and waste over the life cycle to avoid jeopardising the needs of future generations.
Characteristics of ethical consumption
- Making deliberate and conscious decisions
- Consumer choices that go beyond economic criteria and consider animal, people and environmental welfare
- A more sustainable relationship
About acting not just for self but for others, future generations, people in other parts of the world, or conserve species and habitats. - Can include a focus on consumer misbehaviour (Shoplifting, buying counterfeit productions etc)
Dimensions of ethical consumption
(Carrington et al)
1. Self orientation (my own benefit)
- Motivation is inward facing
- Self as solution (responsibilised consumer)
- Can include elements of performativity
-Linked to Deontology principle and Kantian Categorical imperatives
- Others (for the greater good)
- Motivation is outward facing
- Linked to Utilitarianism and Ethics of Care
Criticisms of ethical consumption
- An essentially middle class activity that relieves middle class guilt
- Substituted for, perhaps even undermined, more collective forms of change, solidarity and public action
- Attitude behaviour gap
Key differences between ethical and mindful consumption
- Scope:
- Ethical consumption is broader and more outward-looking, focusing on systemic issues like labor rights and environmental sustainability.
- Mindful consumption is more inward-focused, emphasizing personal well-being and sustainable behaviors that align with individual values.
- Motivation:
- Ethical consumption centers on the greater good, driven by care for others, future generations, and the planet.
- Mindful consumption prioritizes self-awareness and maintaining balance in life.
- Behavioral Focus:
- Ethical consumption often involves choosing products or brands that align with ethical principles (e.g., Fairtrade, cruelty-free).
- Mindful consumption emphasizes reducing excessive consumption (acquisitive, repetitive, and aspirational) regardless of the ethical stance of a product.
