CARLOS BALLESTEROS

Individual people´s relationships with their

consumer goods

Consumption becomes what gives the final sense to human activity, because of it depends to meet oneself

life project.

Alfonso Rebollo, 2001 Estructura del Consumo en España

We have more food, more clothes, more cars, larger houses and fewer days of work per week, better work and, above all, better health. And, in spite of this, we are not more happy (...). If we want people to be happy, we need to know what conditions generate happiness and how to grow them Richard Layard, 2005Hapiness

Easterlin Paradox

Consumption phenomena explains our Society fundamentals

…is spread all over the world..

…is on the hand of a few...

..and measures exclusion in terms of the contribution to it

8 % of Europeans were severely materially deprived (Eustat 2012)

AROPE: cannot afford 4 out of 9

i) to pay rent or utility bills ii) keep home adequately warmiii) face unexpected expensesiv) eat protein every second dayv) a week holiday away from homevi) a car vii) a washing machineviii) a colour TV ix) a telephone

1.700 Million CONSUMERS

for ONLY ONE PLANET

Final consumption of food and drink, private transportation and housing lead to 70-80% of Europe’s environmental impacts. Meat and dairy consumption alone account for almost one quarter (24%) of all final consumption impacts. Domestic heating, water consumption, appliances and electronics account for 40% of Europe’s total energy consumption (with 67% of EU-27 household energy consumption linked to space heating

Car ownership in the EU-27 increased by 35% between 1990 and 2007.

EU-drivers own over one third of the world’s 750 million automobiles.

In the EU-27, approximately 60% of adults and over 20% of children are overweight or obese.

Veblen 1899 Aspirational consumption

Katona 1968 Improving social scale

Baudrillard, 1970 (Marcuse) Objects are meanings

Maslow 1975 Consumption to satisfy infinite needs

Bordieau 1988 Consumption builds self identity

Bauman 2000 Consumption builds sense (a culture)

Cortina 2002 Consumption builds citizenship

Micheletti 2003 Consumption transforms society

Almost everything we buy is not bought because what it can do, but because what it means for us.

Helps to build my identity

Links with my past (Nostalgia)

Comfortability (part of daily routines)

Provokes intense emotions

WE BUY MEANINGS

GlobalLocal

How do (are) you

• part of ?• feel part of?• take part in?• have part?

Liberal

Responsible

Reformer

Radical

Evasive

Europeans are satisfied with their personal life and believe they have control over how their lives develop.

They identify with their town, region and country and, the majority, with Europe also.

The family plays a vital role for Europeans• it is the most

important thing in their lives and also the group they trust most.

• They also express considerable trust in other close groups like friends, work colleagues and neighbors.

Europeans attach considerable importance to income, work and free time. Religion and political involvement come further down their list of life priorities.

Some emerging lifestyles & trends (1)

Some emerging lifestyles & trends (2)

Consumers

have a growing

interest in personal

health

increasingly appearance-

conscious

want healthy food that is also easy to

prepareIn a complex market

environment, look for

responsible brands they

can trust

Connected (SOLOMO)Smart Shoppers

(maximize individual ROI)

Ecocool

Working poor Dinkys &Sinkies Lohas

BOBOs Sharing Golden Senior

Adulteens (kidults) a Women B men

Some emerging lifestyles & trends (3)

Some emerging lifestyles & trends (4)

The rise of collaborative consumption (sharing, swapping, trading)• ownership of goods vs

access to goods and services

• passive consumers vs co-producers (prosumers)

More sustainable ways of utilizing products and services • efficient living (wasting

less)• different living (focus on

high quality goods and services)

• sufficient living (reducing consumption)

Community and city action that demonstrates the success of participatory approaches to sustainable living and mobility options• eco-towns,• sustainable city

initiatives• Transition Towns

Behaviour change at the household level shows

increasing willingness to invest in energy

efficiencies

The promotion of walking, cycling and public transport

at the municipal levels enables more healthy

living options

THANK YOU!