A March 16th article from the Daily Telegraph reports that researchers have found that many people buy green in public and then choose luxury when they shop online. The study found that being green relates to status so many people choose a Green public persona in order to be seen as altruistic. The study sites the Toyota Prius as a product that acts as a public "billboard" announcing its owner is an environmentally responsible, caring, altruistic person leading a green life.
Researchers Vladas Griskevicius, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and co-authors call this Conspicuous Conservation in their paper, "Going Green to Be Seen: Status, Reputation, and Conspicuous Conservation". This is the consumer equivalent of "green washing". Interesting that the appearance of being green has equal cultural capital from all sides.
Are you practicing Conspicuous Conservation or are you truly Green?
4 comments:
I am very interested in the concept of both conspicuous and inconspicuous consumption, and I have been interested to know how those roles would play out in the "green" industry. I do believe that no matter what, inconspicuous consumption is something that will be around forever, fashion has always indicated status and will continue to do so. Taking a step towards the green movement is a status symbol of not only education and highest civilization, but or income as well. Green products tend to be costlier, so consumer purchases of those items automatically link the purchaser with a higher disposable income. However, I like to believe that whether it is being done with the best motives, going green is going green. It is better that some our doing it for status than not doing it at all. So even if they are still being ecologically irresponsible through internet purchases, at lest half of their purchases are eco-friendly. Half is better than nothing at all, and we have to start somewhere.
I think many people try to purchase green items whenever they can, but sometimes the green product that we are looking for does not exist yet. I think this is when people choose luxury when purchasing over the internet, because the product they want may not exist yet in the green market. As more and more brands start to become green and offer eco friendly goods, these people may realize that buying green is just as good as luxury. And like Anjelica said, is better to be purchasing half green that nothing at all.
It is sad that people cannot make the full commitment to being green. I am sort of like this. I try to be green as much as I can, but sometimes it doesn't completely fit into my lifestyle as a poor college student. I still think that anything that anyone can do to help the environment is good, no matter how small because ultimately it all adds up.
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