Sustainable consumption and governance: reflecting on a research agenda for Ireland

Davies, Anna; Fahy, Frances; Rau, Henrike; Pape, Jessica

doi:10.1080/00750771003732664

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…While many of the reviewed articles apply a three‐element model, others take a looser conceptual approach to examine relationships between everyday actions and various socio‐cultural and material developments. For example, Davies et al (2014, p. 7) conceptualizes practices as activities that are “mediated by complex and evolving social and material elements, including infrastructures of provision, technologies, regulatory measures, commercial forces and socio‐cultural norms.” Whether using a three‐element model or a broader approach, social practice research repositions water use as a collective outcome of multiple developments in society, rather than being determined by water users, which sets social practice research apart from most behavioral research. Watson et al (2020), following Schatzki (2002), describes how the distinct ontological position of practice theories, where “practices” are the primary focus, provides a substantial contribution to understanding mundane consumption as it emphasizes that practices can and do change, and so efforts to affect change require engagement with the “distributed relations, interactions and interdependencies” that shape the actions of concern (Watson et al, 2020, p. 6).…”

Section: Scope Of Social Practice Research In Water Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social practice theory and household water demand: A review of literature and research evidence

Cahill,

Hoolohan,

Browne

2024

WIREs Water

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The changing climate, rapid increases in global consumption, and shock events are increasing stress on water resources globally. For policy makers and water sector stakeholders tasked with reducing demand, and for academic researchers interested in understanding how these complex issues intertwine to create current and future water demand profiles, the shortcomings of individualized behavior change approaches driven by psycho‐econometric understandings of resource consumption is increasingly evident. Since the early 2000s, social practice theory has been increasingly recognized as deepening understandings of the complex ways water is consumed and the dynamic factors that influence household demands. This review examines evidence of how social practice ideas are deployed in academic research in scope (theory; geographical; practices entities/performances; sites, locations, and temporality of practices; infrastructural configurations); methods (historical; talk—interviews, focus groups; diaries; ethnography and home tours; surveys; living labs, experiments, design methods; mixed methods); and implications (co‐production; materiality; diversity; disruption and insecurity; inequalities) including for policy and practice. Emerging from the review is a set of ideas that demonstrate how to apply insights from social practice more effectively in water studies and in water management, aiding the exploration of new areas of enquiry, policies and mechanisms to enable less intensive patterns of water use. This review points to a need for increased collaboration across the water sector and wider stakeholders to enact deep and meaningful change to how water is supplied and consumed in society.This article is categorized under: Human Water > Water Governance Human Water > Methods Human Water > Value of Water

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Section: Scope Of Social Practice Research In Water Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social practice theory and household water demand: A review of literature and research evidence

Cahill,

Hoolohan,

Browne

2024

WIREs Water

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“…It includes factors beyond the control of individuals such as infrastructures or social norms (Evans et al, 2012). While SPT is no catch-all-theory, it enables a sociological and contextual approach to consumption behavior and lifestyles (Spaargaren, 2003) and provides fresh insights into the basis of human behavior and its transformation over time (Davies et al, 2014).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifestyles of enough exploring sufficiency-oriented consumption behavior from a social practice theory perspective

Kropfeld

2022

Journal of Consumer Culture

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Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement requires absolute reductions of consumption levels, which implies changing consumption behavior toward more sufficiency-oriented practices. So far, these practices have mostly been researched in the areas of mobility and household-related activities. Therefore, this paper reviews sufficiency-oriented practices in other areas of consumption. A configurative literature review rendered eight relevant studies investigating nine different sufficiency-oriented consumption practices, seven of which related to clothing consumption. By aggregating and structuring the practices’ elements, insights into the materials, competences, meanings, and rules connected to sufficiency-oriented lifestyles could be made. In the area of clothing especially, high quality, durable, and repairable products as well as the ability to reflect critically on one’s consumption behavior are the basis for engaging in sufficiency-oriented practices. Tools and shared spaces as well as community events facilitate practices that encourage modal shifts of consumption or contribute to product longevity. The meanings behind these practices stretch from altruistic, environmentally conscious motivations such as a great concern for the environment to more egoistic or economic-related motives such as saving money. First implications of using social practice theory as a heuristic to research consumption behavior indicate that sufficiency-oriented practices offer various angles and opportunities, not only through consumer education but also by providing the right materials, spaces, and skills, to support more environmentally friendly “Lifestyles of Enough”.

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“…We think this controversy strengthens the value of our study. Most consumption behaviors are so-called wicked problems and the assessment of their environmental, social, economic and health impacts is uncertain (Davies et al, 2010). For this reason, different scholars (e.g., di Giulio et al, 2014;Fischer et al, 2017;Geiger et al, 2018) have suggested distinguishing between the impact of consumption behaviors and their underlying intentions as criteria of their sustainability.…”

Section: Limitations and Implications For Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can guided introspection help avoid rationalization of meat consumption? Mixed-methods results of a pilot experimental study

Frank

Heimann²,

Kolbe³

et al. 2022

Cleaner and Responsible Consumption

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Sustainable consumption and governance: reflecting on a research agenda for Ireland

Cited by 11 publications

References 60 publications

Social practice theory and household water demand: A review of literature and research evidence

Social practice theory and household water demand: A review of literature and research evidence

Lifestyles of enough exploring sufficiency-oriented consumption behavior from a social practice theory perspective

Can guided introspection help avoid rationalization of meat consumption? Mixed-methods results of a pilot experimental study

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