Personal values associated with political consumption: an exploratory study with university students in Brazil

Abstract

Emerging countries have witnessed an incredible change in their societal structure in the last few years. In Brazil, the economical rise of the middle class brought more that 100 million people to the marketplace. This stimulus to consumerism (i.e. the social and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in ever‐greater amounts) is accompanied by a notable growth in social movements and mobilization of citizen‐consumers, which indicates changes in the values of individuals and concerns with the direction the society is taking. Conscious and political consumption consequently arises as an alternative way. Especially among young consumers such issues are interesting to address from a theoretical and social point of view, as this new generation will shape the future of the nation. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to analyse socially conscious and political consumption in terms of consumers’ civic engagement as political citizens. We argue that the young political consumer is value‐oriented. The study relied on quantitative research, conducted through an internet‐based survey where 458 valid questionnaires were obtained. Schwartz's Portrait Values Questionnaire was used to measure personal values of the interviewees. Conscious and political consumption were measured through eight questions addressing alter‐ and anti‐consumption actions. The results indicated significant differences among the personal values of the university students that were classified as political consumers. Universalism and benevolence stood out among the core values of this group, with prominence of self‐transcendence, appreciation for equality and concerns for the well‐being of others. However, a gap was observed between the discourse and action of interviewees, once only one‐third of the sample undertook some form of political consumption. The conclusion was that most of the university students interviewed show the will to change society with individual actions, but demonstrate very little political commitment, and currently do not act politically in their purchases.

Clustering consumers who engage in boycotting: New insights into the relationship between political consumerism and institutional trust

“…Political consumption is generally understood as a form of self-expressive participation with a more individualized and advocatory format, when compared to traditional political participation (Baek 2010). However, some authors indicate that those who engage in political consumption practices are more likely to also engage in political activism (Willis and Schor 2012;De Barcellos et al 2014).…”

“…Responding to De Barcellos' et al (2014) call for research that using cluster analysis could characterize political consumers, in order to improve the understanding of their profile, the objectives of this study are to present a possible segmentation model for European boycotters and to examine each segment's level of institutional trust.…”

Affect as a driver to religious‐based consumer boycotts: Evidence from qualitative and quantitative research in the United States

“…Consumers may boycott a brand because of animosity felt toward the country of origin due to political or military reasons or the belief that purchasing foreign-made products is unpatriotic (Baumann, Engman, & Johnston, 2015;Shimp & Sharma, 1987). Moreover, consumers may avoid a brand because the brand may represent an undesired self-image (Barcellos, Teixeira, & Venturini, 2014;Hogg & Banister, 2001;Sen, 1996) or a group with which consumers do not want to be associated (i.e., avoiding a dissociative reference group; White & Dahl, 2007). Similarly, consumers may boycott brands because their social group is also boycotting a brand, thereby creating a social boycotting movement (Holzer, 2006).…”

Consumers’ evaluations of the efficiency of actions to improve environmental quality: A comparative study between Brazil and China

“…However, the nation still faces major social challenges, especially great inequality in the distribution of wealth. Along with the inclusion of 40 million people in the ranks of Brazil's middle class between 2003 and 2011 and consequently with the increase in consumption, there has been rampant use of natural resources and pollution, leading to growth OF environmental movements and the mobilization of civil society organizations (Barcellos, Teixeira, & Venturini, ). Politically, Brazil is a democratic country, where the principle of individual freedom prevails (Baer, ).…”