Sustainability as Cognitive “Friction”: A Narrative Approach to Understand the Moral Dissonance of Sustainability and Harmonization Strategies

Abstract

Narratives represent storied ways of knowing and communicating, thus, have always been a key feature in media and communication research. In our contribution, a concept to explain sustainability-related cognitive dissonances as well as a new version of a narrative inquiry is introduced to capture reflections on experiences of sustainability and individual assessments of (un)sustainable behavior over time. We perceive storytelling as an action, as act of problematization which uncovers cognitive dissonances and coping strategies. Using Rory's Story Cubes ® (dice with pictograms), we stimulated 35 interviewees from various cultural backgrounds (Asian, European, Anglo-American) to "story" sustainability-related life events into order and meaning. Our evaluation of the interviews 1 focused on the story as a whole, which was then linked to the individual biographical background to understand motives for and moral conflicts about (un)sustainable behavior. In the paper we discuss and critique this theoretical concept and the related innovative inquiry form in the area of environmental communication research to gain a better understanding of individual perceptions of sustainability, moral dissonances, and cognitive friction occurring in relation to sustainability-related issues.

Framing Sustainable Fashion Concepts on Social Media. An Analysis of #slowfashionaustralia Instagram Posts and Post-COVID Visions of the Future

“…It is a holistic approach to sustainability in fashion with opportunities for enhancing sustainability at every stage of the product life cycle, including individual practices and behavior. There is an increase in empirical research and literature on sustainable consumption [7][8][9][10] and, more generally, on sustainability as a principle, social norm, and therefore, a moral compass, which influences individual (pro-environmental or pro-social) behavior [11], and consumer behavior, in particular [12,13]. The awareness for "slow fashion" as a framework for certain practices has increased; however, it has to be stated that consumers still prefer to follow fast and cheap fashion trends [14][15][16].…”

“…Indeed, sustainable fashion is a trending topic represented in the media-at least, on social media. Here, the communication presents lifestyles, looks, and therefore, a high level of consumption [21,22], and recently, how COVID-19 made us more sustainable [11]. Orminski et al [23] studied sustainable fashion from an environmental communication perspective.…”

“…Thus, in the study at hand, we dug deeper to understand the interpretations, framing, and therefore, arguments that are communicated to explain and justify the idea of sustainable fashion and advocate specifically for slow fashion. We bring in framing theory and related storytelling concepts of sustainability communication [11,27,28] to understand which moral values are used to problematize and validate the practices of slow fashion and which specific practices are offered as remedies for issues related to fashion after experiencing COVID-19 and lockdown times.…”

A Synergy Effect of Consumer Orientation and Disruptive Information on Choice in Remanufactured Products

“…Cognitive dissonance theory posits that individuals experience psychological discomfort when holding contradictory beliefs and attitudes or engaging in behaviors conflicting with their values [10]. Cognitive dissonance theory is relevant to sustainability by shedding light on the psychological processes influencing consumers' attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable practices [27]. For example, when individuals are aware of the importance of sustainable actions [28,29] (e.g., reducing emission gas) but engage in unsustainable behaviors (such as not considering this in their purchasing decisions), cognitive dissonance arises due to the inconsistency between their beliefs and actions.…”

Sustainability Problematization and Modeling Opportunities

“…Challenging the existing assumptions may consist in dissociating from them and formulating an alternative assumption ground for theory development. Problematization includes constructive and deconstructive perspectives as a process of critical thinking regarding issues, involving deconstruction of common knowledge taken for granted and construction of new viewpoints [17].…”