Green Consumption and Social Status

• In Event: 3172 - Conceptual Frameworks and New Frontiers in Energy Justice: From Macro to Micro Levels

Abstract

Green consumption (purchasing products such as energy efficient appliances or rooftop solar panels) and green behavior (actions that reduce energy consumption and waste) are two strategies for reducing household environmental impact. We argue that because green consumption requires more material resources than green behavior, households that engage in green consumption will be accorded higher status. We tested our predictions using a U.S. population-based vignette experiment. Then, to further explore the considerations underlying people’s status judgments and expectations, we conducted semi-structured interviews with individuals who varied in social class. Our experimental and qualitative results provide evidence that green consumption is accorded higher status than green behavior. Further, our interview data suggest that status attributions reflect not only perceptions of wealth, but also moral commitments. Failure to engage in green consumption is seen as an indicator of people’s ignorance and lack of concern about the environment. Thus low-income households receive little credit for their small footprints.

Authors

• Christine Horne, Washington State University

• Emily Huddart Kennedy, Washington State University