Ethical Consumption

A Critical Introduction

Edited by Tania Lewis, Emily Potter

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About the Book

Supermarkets selling 'guilt free' products; 'eco-makeover' shows exhorting us to buy local and go green; action groups bent on 'swopping not shopping'. A not so quiet revolution is occurring in wealthy capitalist societies. This 'revolution' is happening not at the margins of society but at its heart' in the shopping centres, neighbourhoods and homes of ordinary citizens. This exciting collection of essays written by leading international humanities scholars argues that we are seeing a mainstreaming of ethical concerns around consumption and lifestyle practices, reflecting a growing awareness of the risks and excesses of contemporary lifestyles in the West. Written in a lively and accessible manner, the book offers case studies of ethical consumption across a range of cultural and media sites, providing a range of critical tools for understanding the recent emergence of this phenomenon. This collection is a must-read for anyone interested in the relationship between consumer culture and contemporary social life.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction 1. Introduction Part 2: Politics 2. What’s Wrong with Ethical Consumption? 3. From Ethical Consumption to Contesting Consumerism, 4. Green Calculations and the Politics of the Footprint 5. Obesity and the Politics of Consumption Part 3: Commodities and Materiality 6. Placing Alternative Consumption: Commodity Fetishism in Borough Fine Foods Market, London 7. Global Food 8. Plastics 9. Electronics 10. Wine 11. Fashion Part 4: Practices, Sites and Representations 12. Second Hand Shopping 13. Ethical Investment 14. Slow Living 15. Recycling: Gender and Everyday Environmentalism 16. Renovating the Green House 17. Downshifting and New Rural Lifestyles 18. Green Consumption on Lifestyle Television