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Constructing and mobilizing ‘the consumer’: Responsibility, consumption and the politics of sustainability

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  • David Evans
  • Daniel Welch
  • Joanne Swaffield

Abstract

This paper advances critical perspectives on the governance of sustainable consumption by exploring the ways in which ‘the consumer’ is constructed and mobilized by strategic actors and organizations. Existing approaches draw on theories of practice to emphasize the limitations of governing through behaviour change. Whilst this provides a welcome corrective to the overemphasis on individual responsibility in sustainability research and policy, fundamental questions concerning changes over time, variation across substantive domains, and the mechanisms through which authorities and intermediaries responsibilize ‘the consumer’ are neglected. By way of rejoinder, we suggest that attention should be paid to the project of sustainable consumption and – following Clive Barnett, Nick Clarke and colleagues’ analysis of ethical consumption campaigning – the ways in which it engages consuming subjects and mobilizes the rhetorical figure of ‘the consumer’. To illustrate, we present the findings from an empirical study – drawing on documentary sources as well as 38 key informant interviews – of how the challenge of food waste reduction has been framed, interpreted and responded to in the UK. Our analysis suggests that initial responses to the issue made claims on the responsibilities of individuals as consumers, but that this quickly gave way to an emergent sense of shared and distributed responsibility. To conclude we argue for the importance of exploring specific instances of sustainable consumption governance and their underlying political rationalities, as well as periodizing these accounts.

Suggested Citation

  • David Evans & Daniel Welch & Joanne Swaffield, 2017. "Constructing and mobilizing ‘the consumer’: Responsibility, consumption and the politics of sustainability," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 49(6), pages 1396-1412, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:49:y:2017:i:6:p:1396-1412
    DOI: 10.1177/0308518X17694030
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael F. Maniates, 2001. "Individualization: Plant a Tree, Buy a Bike, Save the World?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 1(3), pages 31-52, August.
    2. Michael K Goodman & Damian Maye & Lewis Holloway, 2010. "Ethical Foodscapes?: Premises, Promises, and Possibilities," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(8), pages 1782-1796, August.
    3. repec:elg:eechap:15612_5 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Giana M. Eckhardt & Susan Dobscha, 2019. "The Consumer Experience of Responsibilization: The Case of Panera Cares," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 651-663, October.
    2. Morley, Janine, 2018. "Rethinking energy services: The concept of ‘meta-service’ and implications for demand reduction and servicizing policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 563-569.
    3. Choudhary, Sonal & Nayak, Rakesh & Kumari, Sushma & Choudhury, Homagni, 2019. "Analysing acculturation to sustainable food consumption behaviour in the social media through the lens of information diffusion," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 481-492.
    4. Reynolds, Christian & Goucher, Liam & Quested, Tom & Bromley, Sarah & Gillick, Sam & Wells, Victoria K. & Evans, David & Koh, Lenny & Carlsson Kanyama, Annika & Katzeff, Cecilia & Svenfelt, Åsa & Jack, 2019. "Review: Consumption-stage food waste reduction interventions – What works and how to design better interventions," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 7-27.

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