Ethical Behavior of Consumers - Coursework Example

Ethical behaviors in consumers Ethical behaviors in consumers Introduction Most of the findings in market research have indicated that most of the consumers believe that involving themselves in ethical issues while conducting their purchases of products is highly important. However, in contrast, the same research findings indicate that only a small fraction of the said consumers conduct their consumptions ethically. This means that they are not regular in relation to ethical consumption. When people buy Fair trade they are symbolically performing ethical consumption but this does not mean they are essentially ethical consumers. In this paper, the implication of this statement will be fully discussed while drawing into the relevant consumer behaviors to illustrate. Therefore, the main aim will be to evaluate the lives and the purchases of the consumers who are committed to ethical consumptions. It will show some of the complexities that are associated with ethical consumption and especially those that determine the elusive nature of ethical consumption. The Elusive consumer There is sufficient data to prove that the ethical consumer is one of the figures that can be said to be elusive. They make constant efforts to evade the attempts by market researchers to quantify and classify. A number of notions exist currently about the nature of the ethical customer. It mostly does not matter but ranges from the middle class elitist, those who are well educated and the over emotional individuals. There are a number of ethical consumers who operate ethically based on a number of reasons. It may be as a result of several areas of interest that lead to the consumer ethical behaviors (Belk 2009, p. 140). Consumer behaviors and their ethical relevance Fair trade involves the ethical or political consumption that is defined by the concept of the consumer being a private and economic hedonist that involves both the emerging and the negating aspects that take into account the granted legitimacy of the capitalist society in the contemporary world (Johnstone 2002, p. 40). It works in and out of the market since it involves the need to play using moral assumptions that are considered in the market practices. Therefore, fair trade articulates the various notions of equitability and recognition, which are developed in everyday exchanges in the consumer and labor markets in the form of morality for exchange. In this regard, it is rooted in a form of justice practice that forms beyond the practice itself. It is therefore a dissenting yet highly valued ethical concept. It has undergone rapid growth in the recent past especially in the UK since it is the current biggest market that is involved in Fair trade. It is as a result of this that the consumer or the citizen has been said to be politicized. In this sense, they view themselves as political voters (Fridell 2003, pp. 56-123). Consequently, a number of questions have been raised regarding the remaining hedonistic or egoistic motives as opposed to the altruistic or moral motivations of the consumers. However, all the questions that pertain to egoism or altruism create the issue on whether it would be more appropriate to discuss the new form of alternative altruism and hedonism. In the last category, an individual may consider various elements that constitute a number of motives such as the desire for a warm glow, the need to find joy and to confirm our own humanity. It is additionally influenced by the desire to feel good and the desire to find the positive identity (Crouch & Maquand 2003, p. 94). Barnett, Clive, Phillip and Terry (2002, p. 20) show that, in the past, the relevance of self identity as the determining factor in ethical consumption has been identified. However, the same findings indicate that most of the practices around the consumptions that are related to fair trade must be considered to be functional in the construction and expression of self identity that tends to have a moral dimension. This kind of self making is usually expressed in terms of consumption that is morally conscious. It indicates that even the self expression that takes place through the actions and characters of the individual cannot take place without the element of being conspicuous. The individual needs social affirmation in the same way that Veblen (1994, p. 58) highlights the conspicuous consumption. Therefore, it can be well related to the aspect of superiority in one’s life when compared to that of others. Nonetheless, the essential aspect of this seems to be the self reassurance about the need to be a morally acceptable person. This is one element that most of the consumers usually want to be identified with. It is for this reason that during fair trade consumption, they can be considered to be ethically committed while in real sense they are not (Levi & Linton 2003, p. 420). Subsequently, under the usual consumption periods, they engage in activities that do not give much thought to ethical responsibility of the moral component of the individuals. In essence, the differences in ethical practices among consumers during fair trade and other normal sessions is the need to incorporate the good reasons with which the actors tend to give for their own win and the practices of the person. They also involve the kind of persons that the consumers want to be and also the kind of people that they would like to interact with (Barratt 1993, p. 79). There is a broad range of areas where ethical consumerism can be exercised by the consumers. One of these is the green consumerism that involves being mindful of the environment and making the purchase of the products that fall under those that are environmentally friendly. The other forms of ethical consumerism practices and behaviors include fair relations and justice among manufacturers and consumers (Barnett et al., 2005, p. 40). Most of the consumers are aware of the importance and the needs to engage in ethical forms of consumerism. It is because of the fact that it benefits the consumers in terms of the benefits to the environment and the individuals who live within the surroundings and form part of the other consumers. It shows that there are a number of factors that influence how much consumers are engaged in ethical behaviors of consumption (Hilton 2003, 243). Some of these include the surroundings within which they were raised as they observed other people going about the same businesses, individual beliefs and the nature of exposure that is exposed from the different business and financial courses. In addition, certain courses that also teach the need to be mindful of the environment as well as general health also play a great role in determining the extent to which ethical behavior in consumption will be applied. Thus, ethical consumerism is a product of both the educational and ideological bases. The different ways with which consumers behave in relation to their ethics while making their consumption is broadly the result of the gaps that are available in terms of the gaps that are available in knowledge and their relation to ethical consumers and the entire practice of ethical consumerism (Campbell 2000, pp. 37-48). Most of the consumers are not involved and committed to consumer power (Dewey 1922, pp. 13-50). It is a challenge that even most of those consumers who are involved and exposed to certain behavior which involve ethical standards and behavior do not abide by them. For instance, it has been realized that even the consumers who are exposed to such information for instance while pursuing courses such as environmental studies are not committed towards making the purchase of goods and products that are environmentally friendly (Auerbach 2002, p. 20). When consumers are involved in this form of consumption, then at most times they are considered to perform it in an ethical manner. However, most of the time, it cannot be said that consumers who are engaged in fair trade are ethical in their business operations. This is because over time it has been noted that most consumers are focused towards consumer change. Research shows that consumers will only be involved in ethical forms of consumption only when they are forced or composed to do so. Although they are aware of these practices in business, they find it difficult to hold onto them out of their own free will. There are a few channels that are available to continually make the consumers aware and to act as a constant reminder of the need to observe various measures of ethical consumerism. Therefore, despite the fact that they are involved in fair-trade, some of them are still not committed to green consumer habits. This is not because of the lack of knowledge but the inability to fully take part in ethical consumerism. A number of them are environmentally aware of the effects and repercussions of such actions. However, they still continue to take animal produce that are farmed in the farm and find it impossible to try and follow the carnivorous diet that has so passionately been farmed. It has been shown that most consumers are readily more committed to fair trade as opposed to how they are in the cases of voluntary practice of ethical consumer behavior (Krier 2005, p. 90). It is also common knowledge that most of these consumers are engaged in ethical practices due to the fact that they are following practicality and not on the basis of ideologies. It shows that none of these ideas are fully represented in the mind. It is in this sense that the activities of fair-trade that involve justice and fairness are easier to adhere it as opposed to the other open activities which involve ethical measures to be followed by consumers. For this reason, it only shows that the individual consumers are only able to be essentially ethical when they are committed to it. Some of the factors that contribute to this position include the serious exposure to information that enable the consumers to get sufficient idealism and energy that enables them to make the commitment towards changing the world (Gould 2003, p. 342). According to Fisher (1997, p. 112), it is a great challenge to address the varied components that are related to ethical consumer behaviors. He indicates the barriers that are made available for example under the international environmental; solutions that have for a long time been difficult to find solutions for. These have become quite impossible to find. Mainly, the individuals find it difficult to address them in the short term, which leads to the setting in of fatalities in the long run. At the end of it, the consumer finds him or herself reconciled to the apocalypse and find themselves in a unique area where the hopes related to the need to practice ethical behaviors as a consumer are pinned. At times, it could either involve the element of cycling or recycling (Warde 2005, p. 135). A number of the consumers are not aware of which of the gaps that are present in consumer ethics should be filled in. There are numerous gaps that are related to ethical consumers and the practices related to ethical consumerism. Most of these are associated with the manufacturers, products and varied issues, which are concerned with the environment (Esping-Andersen 2000, p. 67). One of the other reasons why there is a great disparity in the way that consumers feel about ethical consumption is because of the consumer movements that have been formed lately as a result of the diverse shared social contexts. It follows that most of the consumers will only relate to what is ethical in an ethical way. For instance, those consumers that are committed to ethical practices will find that other consumers will also relate to them in the same way. However, once they are in the usual consumption activities they will tend to let go of the ethical standards and continue with the normal practices that are related to consumerism (Sassatelli 2006, p. 420). Thus, it is the relationship or circumstance at hand that makes them to relate or respond the way they do. In this sense, they are not able to maintain their objectivity (Allahyari 2000, pp. 110-15). The element of ethical consumerism calls for the need for the consumers to be socially responsible. This is because consumption that is socially responsible forms a vital prerequisite for the successful formation of the voluntary programs that involve conservation. As indicated in various research findings, ethical consumption has a very essential part and integral part that deals with moral self hood. Alternatively, it is also considered as the moral serving. Being socially responsible contains a lot of implications that lead to the formation of the public policy. Consumers have been found to show certain planned behavior in the way that they deal with the aspect of being socially responsible and actions towards various policies. It is shown that the intentions to act in a particular way are driven by the motivations and attitudes to do so. It is mainly based on the theory of predicting behavior. In this case, the subjective norms, attitudes and the perceived control of behavior by the consumers relates to the appropriate sets of the salient behaviors, the control and the normal beliefs. However, their exact nature relates to an uncertain form of behavior. Conclusion Although the practice of fair-trade is found in most of the consumer capitalist societies in Europe, it can be assumed that the consumer capitalist itself provides a shared background. However, this can only be the case if the intentions and the attitudes of the consumers towards the actual behavior is driven by the same factors. It is because of this that the standards of justice that are set in fair trade practices can be strictly adhered to as opposed to when they are absent and the consumers continue to engage in consumption practices that lack the required ethical standards. Bibliography Allahyari, Rebecca Anne, 2000. Visions of Charity: Volunteer Workers and Moral Community. Berkley: University of California Press Auerbach, Jeffrey, 2002. ‘Art, Advertising, and the Legacy of Empire’, in: Journal of Popular Culture, Vol.35, No.4, pp.1-23. Barnett, Clive, Cafaro, Philip, Newholm, & Terry, 2005. ‘Philosophy and Ethical Consumption’, in: Rob Harrison/Terry Newholm/Deirdre Shaw (eds.): The Ethical Consumer, London: SAGE, pp.11-24. Barnett, Clive, Cloke, Paul, Clarke, Nick, Malpass, & Alice, 2005. ‘Consuming Ethics: Articulating the Subjects and Spaces of Ethical Consumption’, in: Antipode, Vol.37, No.1, pp.24-45. Barratt Brown, Michae, 1993. Fair Trade. Reform and Realities in the International Trading System, London/New Jersey: Zed Books. Belk, Russell, 2008. ‘Possessions and the Extended Self’, in: Journal of Consumer Research, Vol.15(2), pp.139-68. Campbell, Colin, 2000. ‘Character and Consumption: An Historical Action Theory Approach to the Understanding of Consumer Behaviour’. Culture & History Vol.7, pp.37-48. Crouch, Colin, & Marquand, David (eds.), 2003. Ethics and Markets. Co-operation and Competition within Capitalist Economies. Oxford: Blackwell. Dewey, John, 1922. Human Nature and Conduct: An Introduction to Social Psychology. New York: Holt. Esping-Andersen, Gøsta, 2000. The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press. Fisher, Emily, 1997. ‘Beekeepers in the Global “Fair Trade” Market: A Case from Tabora Region, Tanzania’ in: International Journal of Agriculture and Food, Vol.6, pp.109-159. Fridell, Gavin, 2003. ‘Fair Trade and the International Moral Economy: Within and Against the Market’, CERLAC Working Paper Series. Toronto: York University/Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean. Gould, Nicholas J., 2003. ‘Fair Trade and the Consumer Interest: A Personal Account’. International Journal of Consumer Studies, Vol.27, No.4, pp.341-345 Hilton, Matthew, 2001, ‘Consumer Politics in Post-war Britain’, in: Martin Daunton/Matthew Hilton (eds.): The Politics of Consumption: Material Culture and Citizenship in Europe and America, Oxford: Berg, pp.241-59 Johnston, Josée, 2002. ‘Consuming Global Justice: Fair Trade Shopping and Alternative Development’, in J. Goodman (ed.): Protest and Globalisation, Annandale, NSW: Pluto Press Australia, pp.38-56 Krier, Jean-Marie, 2005. Fair Trade in Europe 2005, Brussels: Fair Trade Advocacy Office. Levi, Margaret & Linton, 2003. ‘Fair Trade: A Cup at a Time?’ in: Politics & Society, Vol.31, No.3, pp.407-432. Sassatelli, Roberta, 2006. ‘Virtue, Responsibility and Consumer Choice’, in: John Brewer/Frank Trentmann (eds.): Consuming Cultures, Global Perspectives: Historical Trajectories, Transnational Exchanges, Oxford: Berg, pp.219-504. Veblen, Thorstein, 1994. The Theory of the Leisure Class. Harmondsworth: Penguin. Warde, Alan, 2005. ‘Consumption and Theories of Practice’, in: Journal of Consumer Culture, Vol.5, (2), pp.131-55. Read More