Consumption governance toward more sustainable consumption

Stefan Wahlen (1) , Sophie Dubuisson-Quellier (2)

1 WUR - Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen]
2 CSO - Centre de sociologie des organisations (Sciences Po, CNRS)

This article deliberates on strategies of consumption governance toward more sustainable consumption. We discuss theoretical concepts stemming from various social science perspectives to (1) promote more sustainable consumption, (2) compare strategies stemming from individualist understanding of consumer behavior, and (3) call for a mix of strategies acknowledging collective dimensions of consumption to change consumer behavior in order to advance sustainable consumption. We thereby criticize overtly individualistic approaches and plea for acknowledging the collective dimensions of consumption that should be recognized in order to promote more sustainable consumption. We outline possible contributions of the collective dimensions in lifestyle movements and a mix of stakeholders that assist in achieving more sustainable consumption.

Keywords: communication; sustainable consumption; consumer behavior

Domains: Sociology

Stefan Wahlen, Sophie Dubuisson-Quellier. Consumption governance toward more sustainable consumption. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2018, 10 (1), pp.7 - 12. ⟨10.14307/JFCS110.1.7⟩. ⟨hal-01892589⟩