Ethical living and consumerism

Is ethical shopping becoming a signifier of social status for the middle classes who can afford to buy hundreds of eco-gadgets? And will ethical consumerism actually translate into political action on climate change?

I think it is Natalie. I think its also becoming more accepted/prominent as a way of people taking action. This prompts a question about how VCOs can convert these individual consumer actions into a collective, as Stella Creasy discussed at the recent NCVO research conference

Have just come across this article which asks some really thought-provoking questions about ethical consumerism. It is written by Necla Acik-Toprak who is working on a PhD project on civic engagement at University of Manchester in cooperation with Unlock Democracy.

Basically: Where do you place such low-type activities within the discussion of civic and political engagement and how much weight should be given to them in the discourse of political participation? Can ethical consumerism replace traditional forms of political activities or are they just artefacts of an individualistic post-materialist consumer society with no real political substance?

In the article, Necla highlights the current lack of research evidence and understanding: “Most of the cross-national surveys (including the ESS) do not investigate ethical consumerism in detail. Without more information it is hard to distinguish whether buycotting and boycotting is a sporadic or a persistent type of engagement. In order to group this activity as a clearly political activity, there needs to be more research to establish how much ethical consumers act as ‘political consumers’ and to what extent they use this behaviour as an instrument to bring about political and social change?”

There’s a bit of both out there, I believe, Veronique. There are some (and a growing number) for whom ethical shopping is integral to their political life – is part of the same way of living as signing a petition about human rights in Tibet or campaigning for trade justice. I think of these people as striving to be good ‘global citizens.’ See Flexibility, Honesty, Collaboration for more on what their efforts mean for the voluntary sector.

Amongst these are people for whom it’s a real investment of time and commitment; they will take the time and trouble to make careful choices for good ethical reasons. There are plenty more who don’t have – or don’t give – the time to do their own research on what’s right and why; they rely on charities, campaigners or fairtrade businesses to grab their attention, and are looking for a quick way to ‘get it right’ on the basis of what they’ve heard and then get on with their lives.

Some of the commentary above is a little snide about these people for my liking. It doesn’t worry me too much if they’re not devoting large parts of their lives to making their choices – as long as they’re making them. It’s the job of the ethical trading sector, charities, etc to make sure the information they receive is attractive, easy to understand and reliable, so that a quick take is all it needs to do the right thing. And then let’s cheer them on!

You’re absolutely right, Richard. I’m really interested in considering how organisations could tap into the enthusiasm and motivation of ethical consumers. Ethical consumerism is clearly a fantastic opportunity for organisations in the sector, even though many people who buy fair-trade or organic products may not want to engage more. I guess for me it’s about linking individualised forms of action to more collective ones.