TY - JOUR
T1 - Socially responsible consumption
T2 - Between social welfare and degrowth
AU - Baranowski, Mariusz
AU - Kopnina, Helen
N1 - Funding Information: Mariusz Baranowski’s contribution to this article was supported by a grant from the National Science Centre, Poland (no. 2021/05/X/HS6/00067).
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - The main objective of this study is to characterize socially responsible consumption (SRC) through the lens of social welfare and degrowth proposals. The central research questions are (i) whether SRC can contribute to the realization of the foundations of a degrowth society and (ii) whether SRC fits into the critique of the economic growth paradigm. These are essential questions because SRC is often treated as an “invention” of affluent societies that seek more sophisticated methods of consumption (such as conspicuous, green, and ethical consumption) due to the prevailing cultural system. We challenge this viewpoint by drawing on studies from the intersection of social and environmental sciences. For this purpose, Talcott Parsons’ extended AGIL paradigm is introduced, referred to as AGIL+DE, as is our proposal of nature-based social welfare. Although this study is preliminary, its task is to develop new interpretative possibilities for the sociology of degrowth and innovative approaches to consumption in particular. The results suggest a change of approach in the study of the consumption phenomenon from the side of redefined social welfare, with a focus on moderate (SRC) and more radical (degrowth) solutions respecting the environmental impact. This change of approach to consumption requires rethinking and incorporating new empirical indicators.
AB - The main objective of this study is to characterize socially responsible consumption (SRC) through the lens of social welfare and degrowth proposals. The central research questions are (i) whether SRC can contribute to the realization of the foundations of a degrowth society and (ii) whether SRC fits into the critique of the economic growth paradigm. These are essential questions because SRC is often treated as an “invention” of affluent societies that seek more sophisticated methods of consumption (such as conspicuous, green, and ethical consumption) due to the prevailing cultural system. We challenge this viewpoint by drawing on studies from the intersection of social and environmental sciences. For this purpose, Talcott Parsons’ extended AGIL paradigm is introduced, referred to as AGIL+DE, as is our proposal of nature-based social welfare. Although this study is preliminary, its task is to develop new interpretative possibilities for the sociology of degrowth and innovative approaches to consumption in particular. The results suggest a change of approach in the study of the consumption phenomenon from the side of redefined social welfare, with a focus on moderate (SRC) and more radical (degrowth) solutions respecting the environmental impact. This change of approach to consumption requires rethinking and incorporating new empirical indicators.
KW - AGIL+DE paradigm
KW - degrowth
KW - nature-based social welfare
KW - social welfare
KW - Socially Responsible Consumption
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85139465593&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.14254/2071-789X.2022/15-3/18
DO - 10.14254/2071-789X.2022/15-3/18
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85139465593
SN - 2071-789X
VL - 15
SP - 319
EP - 335
JO - Economics and Sociology
JF - Economics and Sociology
IS - 3
ER -