Refusal to consume
Refusal to consume describes the behavior of consciously avoiding the consumption of available goods. It ranges from frugality to asceticism . It can extend to the entire lifestyle, but it can also be limited to certain goods (food, clothing, living comfort, etc.).
Justifications
Accordingly, there are personal, social, religious , ethical , ecological , organizational, economic , but also socially critical (political) reasons for refusing to consume ; the latter are currently often expressed as a criticism of a consumer-fixated society .
economic aspects
Economic aspects
In economic terms, refusal to consume is consumer reluctance to buy in response to certain events or situations, such as prices that are perceived as being too high, fear of the future (e.g. in view of a rising unemployment rate ) or uncertainty about the quality of the offers ( e.g. due to a food scandal ). Also, deflation can lead to consumerism, as consumers expect in the future falling prices and therefore postpone purchases. A deflationary spiral can develop.
Business aspects
Due to the technological change in the procurement of information, greater media attention with regard to suspicious company activities and ultimately the growing interest of consumers in social, ethical and ecological aspects of the economy, dealing with refusal to consume has become increasingly important for companies.
The boycott is a special form . This can be directed against a single product, a brand or an entire company. In the past, Burger King and McDonald's were criticized for environmentally damaging styrofoam packaging, and the Brent Spar affair hit the Shell group in the mid-1990s. The most recent example is the criticism by Greenpeace of the genetic feed used in the manufacture of dairy products from the Müller company .
Other points of criticism of companies have recently led to the deliberate avoidance of buying products from individual manufacturers, but not necessarily also to foregoing the same. The PC game “ Spore ” was particularly often illegally downloaded from the Internet because of its DRM measures, which were perceived by critics as unfair .
Practical manifestations
The phenomenon of refusal to consume exists in varying degrees, such as reluctance to consume, consumption restrictions and even refusal to consume. The strength of the reactance depends on the strength of the threat, restriction or the importance of individual freedom.
The effects can be limited to mental effects, but can also result in effects in the habitus of the consumer. In general it can be said that mental effects cause changes in attitude and attractiveness to the detriment of the reactance object. As a result, personal freedom or opinion is given greater importance and an inner appreciation by the consumer, usually accompanied by a deterioration in the supplier's image . In addition to the avoidance of the company of the reactance can behavioral effects occur, in the form of negative mouth if strong enough advertising , express resistance and protests.
The large variety of goods and barely transparent offers can also overwhelm customers. This can also lead to consumption restrictions, which then happens subconsciously and therefore no longer represents a “real” (conscious, willful) refusal to consume.
See also
- Anti-capitalism
- The Zeitgeist movement
- Simple life
- Freeganism or containers
- Home improvement
- Affluent society
- Business ethics
literature
- Markus Schweizer / Thomas Rudolph : When buyers go on strike. ISBN 3-409-12677-5 .
- Saral Sarkar: Ecosocialism or ecocapitalism? A critical analysis of humanity's fundamental choices. London / New York (Zed Books) 1999.