Consumerism, Self-Creation and the Prospects for a New Ecological Consciousness

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    Abstract

    The shift from production-based to consumption-based societies has seen consumption transformedfrom a means of meeting material needs to a method of creating a personal identity. Citizens of affluentcountries increasingly seek a sense of self from their consumption activity instead of their workplace,class or community. Environmental appeals to change consumption behaviour implicitly ask people notmerely to change their behaviour but to change their sense of personal identity. This can be threateningand makes more difficult the emergence of a new ecological consciousness, although the phenomenon ofdownshifting provides some grounds for optimism.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)571-575
    Number of pages5
    JournalJournal of Cleaner Production
    Volume18
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Apr 2010

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