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Creating sustainable identities: the significance of the financially affluent self

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  • Victoria Hurth

    (Exeter University, UK)

Abstract

This paper uses identity theory and postmodern identity perspectives to analyse why high-income groups often have values, attitudes and intentions to consume sustainably, yet tend to have the highest energy consumption of any group. Two key arguments are presented. The first is that the affluent identity is opposed to the environmentalist identity and is more salient, desirable and likely to result in more social support and self-esteem rewards. Therefore, where both identities are held the affluent identity is likely to be more dominant and invoked in more circumstances. Second, the invocation of the affluent identity is liable to result in high-energy consumption. Despite some evidence of affluent identities being successfully connected by marketing with low-energy 'green' consumption, there is stronger evidence of the affluent identity being consistently embedded symbolically within high-energy consumption choices. Recommendations for marketing and social marketing are made and a matrix to guide sustainable identity strategies is proposed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria Hurth, 2010. "Creating sustainable identities: the significance of the financially affluent self," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(3), pages 123-134.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:18:y:2010:i:3:p:123-134
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.453
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    Cited by:

    1. Robert Hay, 2010. "The relevance of ecocentrism, personal development and transformational leadership to sustainability and identity," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(3), pages 163-171.
    2. Jean-Noël Kapferer & Anne Michaut-Denizeau, 2020. "Are millennials really more sensitive to sustainable luxury? A cross-generational international comparison of sustainability consciousness when buying luxury," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 27(1), pages 35-47, January.
    3. Hongwu Zhang & Lequan Zhang & Keying Wang & Xunpeng Shi, 2019. "Unveiling Key Drivers of Indirect Carbon Emissions of Chinese Older Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Buechs, Milena & Schnepf, Sylke V., 2013. "UK Households' Carbon Footprint: A Comparison of the Association between Household Characteristics and Emissions from Home Energy, Transport and Other Goods and Services," IZA Discussion Papers 7204, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Coral M. Bruni & P. Wesley Schultz & Anna Woodcock, 2021. "The Balanced Structure of Environmental Identity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    6. Pasi Heikkurinen & Tarja Ketola, 2012. "Corporate Responsibility and Identity: from a Stakeholder to an Awareness Approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(5), pages 326-337, July.
    7. Anna Claudelin & Ville Uusitalo & Ilona Hintukainen & Anna Kuokkanen & Paavo Tertsunen & Maija Leino & Lassi Linnanen, 2020. "Increasing positive climate impact by combining anti‐consumption and consumption changes with impact investing," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(6), pages 1689-1701, November.
    8. Jiří Pospíšil & Helena Pospíšilová & Ludmila Trochtová, 2022. "The Catalogue of Leisure Activities: A New Structured Values and Content Based Instrument for Leisure Research Usable for Social Development and Community Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, February.
    9. Büchs, Milena & Schnepf, Sylke V., 2013. "Who emits most? Associations between socio-economic factors and UK households' home energy, transport, indirect and total CO2 emissions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 114-123.
    10. Lars Strannegård & Peter Dobers, 2010. "Unstable identities: stable unsustainability," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 18(3), pages 119-122.
    11. Bina, Olivia & Vaz, Sofia Guedes, 2011. "Humans, environment and economies: From vicious relationships to virtuous responsibility," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 170-178.
    12. Peterval E. Ozougwu & Christian N. Madu & Johnbosco C. Chukwuorji & Augustine O. Ozougwu & Stella U. Ozougwu, 2023. "Environmental Identities and Attitude towards Crude Oil Pipeline Vandalism in Niger Delta Oil-Producing Communities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Font Vivanco, David & Kemp, René & van der Voet, Ester, 2016. "How to deal with the rebound effect? A policy-oriented approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 114-125.
    14. Dorota Domalewska, 2021. "A Longitudinal Analysis of the Creation of Environmental Identity and Attitudes towards Energy Sustainability Using the Framework of Identity Theory and Big Data Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-12, January.

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