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The civic identity of the ethical consumer

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  • Roberts, Jonathan
  • Chandra, Gauri

Abstract

Ethical consumerism describes market transactions where consumers’ preferences stretch beyond immediate self-interest to prosocial objectives. How such activities relate to more traditional forms of civic engagement (such as giving or activism) remains unclear; as a market-situated activity, ethical consumerism is often omitted from accounts of civic engagement or predicted to erode commitment to civic action. This paper reports findings from an empirical study of the civic identity of the ethical consumer. Using an online survey instrument, the study explores statistical relationships between individuals’ actual participation in ethical consumerism at three sites (Fairtrade, TOMS Shoes and (RED)) and the extent of individuals’ wider civic engagement—both philanthropic (giving, volunteering) and activist (campaigning). It finds evidence of a consistent civic identity that stretches across traditional civic engagement activities and ethical consumerism: the greater an individual’s civic engagement, the more likely they are to engage in ethical consumerism. The current analytic separation of ethical consumerism and civic engagement, therefore, does not capture the experience of individuals who are expanding their prosocial repertoire from the civic sphere to the market sphere; civic engagement cuts across sectors.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberts, Jonathan & Chandra, Gauri, 2024. "The civic identity of the ethical consumer," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122573, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:122573
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/122573/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Corinne Gendron & Véronique Bisaillon & Ana Rance, 2009. "The Institutionalization of Fair Trade: More than Just a Degraded Form of Social Action," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 86(1), pages 63-79, April.
    2. Michele Micheletti & Dietlind Stolle, 2012. "Sustainable Citizenship and the New Politics of Consumption," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 644(1), pages 88-120, November.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    civic engagement; ethical consumerism; philanthropy; volunteering; activism; identity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce

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