Voluntary simplifiers as political consumers: Individuals practicing                     politics through reduced consumption

Zamwel, Einat; Sasson‐Levy, Orna; Ben‐Porat, Guy

doi:10.1177/1469540514526277

Cited by 45 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…From a consumer perspective, research suggests that a distinction needs elucidating between luxury consumers who choose to consume less and those who choose to refine their product choices (e.g. recycled or 'pre-loved' luxury, vintage, or both) to enact their sustainable credentials (Lynas 2010;Ryding et al 2018;Zamwel et al 2014). The first of these is portrayed as 'consumer citizenship' (Gabriel and Lang 2006).…”

Section: Bringing Together Sustainability and Luxurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Luxury Marketing: A Synthesis and Research Agenda

Athwal

Wells

Carrigan

et al. 2019

Int J Management Reviews

194

141

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Sustainability has become a pervasive issue for the luxury sector, gaining traction with brand managers, scholars, policy‐makers, the media, and academia. The purpose of this paper is to examine the state of sustainable luxury research in marketing and consumer behaviour by critically reviewing and synthesizing the growing but fragmented body of scholarly work on sustainable‐luxury marketing. The paper critically assesses where, how and by whom research on sustainable luxury is being conducted, and it identifies gaps for future investigation. The paper reviews research published between 2007 and 2018 within major peer‐reviewed English‐language scholarly publications in business, marketing, ethics, fashion, food and tourism journals. The research is identified using the keywords sustainable luxury, green luxury, eco‐luxury and organic luxury. Three core themes emerge from this review: (1) consumer concerns and practices; (2) organizational concerns and practices; and (3) international and cross‐cultural issues. The review confirms that research on sustainable luxury is significantly underdeveloped. This paper provides the first critical and comprehensive assessment and categorization of the emergent literature streams on sustainable luxury. The authors argue for a broader, deeper and more critical research agenda on the relationship between sustainability and luxury. Potential avenues for future research on sustainable luxury are proposed, with calls for theoretical and cross‐cultural reflections that tackle broader systemic and institutional issues within the field.

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Section: Bringing Together Sustainability and Luxurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Luxury Marketing: A Synthesis and Research Agenda

Athwal

Wells

Carrigan

et al. 2019

Int J Management Reviews

194

141

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some scholars consider voluntary simplifiers to be trailblazers who are changing the dominant consumer culture, and they regard voluntary simplicity as 'lifestyle activism' [Hatfield 2011] within a movement of like-minded people 5 [e.g. Zamwel et al 2014]. Other scholars emphasise individual forms of the simple lifestyle in which seeking satisfaction through non-material aspects of life plays a key role [see Huneke 2005: 528;Cherrier 2009: 188].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While some authors attribute the adoption of this lifestyle to ideological calls to change the system towards a more sustainable one [e.g. Zamwel et al 2014], others stress the individualistic aspects of choosing simplicity. For instance, Mary Grigsby [2004: 134] associates people's rejection of the consumerist lifestyle with the personal responsibility of those simplifiers who do not want to be blamed for environmental degradation and who want to have more control over the impact of their lifestyle.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Narratives and Practices of Voluntary Simplicity in the Czech Post-Socialist Context

Kala¹,

Galčanová²,

Pelikán³

2017

Czech Sociological Review

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Voluntary simplicity is usually seen as an alternative social movement that is responding to the current social and environmental crisis within affluent societies. Many scholars draw on Inglehart's concept of post-materialism and consider voluntary simplicity to be a way of limiting one's consumption in order to free oneself and seek satisfaction in the non-material aspects of life. These scholars assume that the values associated with simplicity emerge out of over-saturation with consumption. This article discusses the results of research conducted among Czech households who voluntarily reduce consumption and who do so in a post-socialist context, without having first lived in affluence. Theoretically and methodologically, the article builds on the work of Hana Librová [1994 and is rooted in three main concepts: the concepts of post-materialism [Inglehart 1977], 'new luxury' [Enzensberger 1996], and the normative ethical theories of motivation [Pelikán and Librová 2015]. The findings of the study call into question Inglehart's structural assumption that non-consumption lifestyles like voluntary simplicity only develop in affluent societies and suggest that the Czech socialist past created conditions suitable for the emergence of a non-ideological and primarily self-oriented version of voluntary simplicity. The roots of simple lifestyles may also lie in people's dissatisfaction with the promise of modernity, a promise suggesting that it is possible to attain and lead the good life through material abundance. Prior experience with an affluent lifestyle did not play a role in the decision of participants in this study to live a nonconsumption lifestyle. This study in a post-socialist country therefore has the potential to provide a deeper understanding of the motivations for choosing voluntary simplicity.

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“…Such a response does not necessarily entail selfdenial of material pleasure (Princen, 2006), but reflects a desire for a "a slower pace of life with more time for family and community relationships" (Kennedy et al, 2013, p. 769). Whilst these may manifest for some in voluntary simplicity (Zamwel et al, 2014) and downshifting (Kennedy et al, 2013), these findings suggest that there are individuals increasingly prepared to migrate overseas in an attempt to achieve such a lifestyle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In search of the good life

Garry

Hall

2015

International Marketing Review

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Purpose -Implicit within much of the migrant literature is an assumption that migrant flows are primarily motivated by economic differences. However, such an assumption raises three interesting questions. First, why would people wish to leave a country where income levels are relatively high, public services are extensive and the standard of living is well above global averages? Second, what are the socio-cultural attributes that might attract such potential migrant to a new domicile state? Third, how might this be reflected in consumptive attitudes and behaviours within their new domicile state? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach -In order to investigate the answer to these questions, a two-stage qualitative research methodology incorporating photographic self-records and in-depth interviews is used to examine UK migrants' decisions to migrate to New Zealand. Subsequently, the authors examine the celebration of Christmas in New Zealand by UK migrants to better understand meaning creation and re-creation of consumption activities within a new socio-cultural context informed by their decisions to migrate. Findings -Findings suggest that with some lifestyle migrant groups, individualistic values and belief systems appear to play a significant role in determining consumptive attitudes and behaviours in their domicile states. Originality/value -This research identifies how some migrant groups may adopt a more reflexive approach by undertaking a complex and sophisticated process of self and social identity construction reflective of their individualistic values and belief systems rather than the acceptance or rejection of their domicile culture.

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Voluntary simplifiers as political consumers: Individuals practicing politics through reduced consumption

Cited by 45 publications

References 30 publications

Sustainable Luxury Marketing: A Synthesis and Research Agenda

Sustainable Luxury Marketing: A Synthesis and Research Agenda

Narratives and Practices of Voluntary Simplicity in the Czech Post-Socialist Context

In search of the good life

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