Public acceptability of low consumption lifestyles: understanding consumer experience, policy support and behaviour change
Year: 2021
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This thesis is a critical realist mixed methods exploration of low consumption lifestyles \nusing deliberative focus groups and experimental paradigms. A rationale connected \nliterature from political ecology, ecological economics, sociology, and climate modelling \nwith social psychology of environmental consumption behaviour. The thematic analysis \nin the qualitative phase illustrated the relevance of social norms and fairness, guilt and \ncognitive dissonance, self-interest and co-benefits of lifestyle change, and the limitations \nplaced upon individual agency by structural neoliberalism. These themes are discussed \nin reference to understanding public acceptability of low consumption and the potential \nfor the integration of degrowth ideals in future imaginaries and pathways to carbon \nemissions reduction targets. A sequential quantitative phase then employs two \nexperimental paradigm design studies by operationalising key qualitative findings to \nexplore the efficacy of social norms framing and hypocrisy inducement upon preferences \nfor social policies and their governance pathways, and influences on individual \nbehavioural intentions. Social norms are not found to be significantly effective, but the \nactivation of hypocrisy significantly reduces behavioural intention to consume. The \nresearch also finds evidence to support the provision of information in order to increase \npolicy support for radical policy change and to foster forms of grassroots community \ngovernance. Preferences were found for government regulation on production and \nconsumption of goods, and community development for sharing economy and reduced \nwork hours, over the deregulation of individual and market freedoms. Taken together, \nthe research phases offer understandings of agency where acquiescence appears to \noverwhelm action and suggests that behaviour change models focusing on consumer \nbehaviour rather than citizenship might reinforce this. It is found that social \npsychological models of behaviour change could instead be geared towards policy \nsupport, in order to create a social mandate for new ways of living. The drive for self-interest in a neoliberal society might be co-opted towards low consumption by \nhighlighting the greater potential for co-benefits such as self-fulfilment and life-satisfaction or geared towards experiential and utilitarian forms of consumption. \nImplications for policy development and behaviour change programs are discussed.
Author: Daniel Thorman
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3201565228