Distinction in Ethical Consumption: A Bourdieusian Analysis of Tastes Among Zero Waste Consumers

• In Event: 2429 - Open Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Roundtable 13

Abstract

Ethical consumption has emerged as a prominent alternative consumption strategy designed to address the negative impacts of mass consumerism. The zero waste movement has been observed to be a distinct segment of this trend. While there has been research to address the context and motivations of the zero waste movement, there is a gap in our knowledge concerning the impact of socioeconomic class. Alternative consumption trends have been criticized on the basis that the cost of consuming alternative products is prohibitive, yet the zero waste movement emphasizes restraint from consumption, making it an ideal example by which cultural boundaries can be analyzed. Using a mixed methodological approach, this research aims to investigate how economic and cultural factors shape the tastes of zero waste consumers. Analysis of the data shows the presence of a class boundary evident through the varying tastes displayed: those with higher levels of cultural capital prioritize a clean and minimalist lifestyle while those with lower levels of cultural capital prioritize a practical and durable environmentalism. While the tastes of the high cultural capital consumers are often used to brand the zero waste movement, the data reveal those with lower levels of cultural capital displayed a habitus that favored waste-saving actions while those with higher levels of cultural capital had more difficulty. This counters previous claims of ethical consumption being exclusive to those with more cultural resources and suggests a more complicated class conflict: those who hold the habitus that prioritizes zero waste living are not the same people who use the lifestyle to display moral and social distinction. By analyzing the dynamics of zero waste consumption empirically through this study, we can better understand how cultural and economic factors impact consumption practices and the development of moral markets.

Author

• Anna Lisa VanRemoortel