Explaining the green attitude-behavior gap. A research of sustainable consumption in Løs Market Costumers in Copenhagen
Authors
Phillips, Steven Michael ; Verot, Loïs Charles Barnabé
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-08-09
Pages
65
Abstract
This thesis examines the green attitude–behavior gap—the disconnect between consumers’ positive attitudes toward sustainability and their actual purchasing—through a case study of Løs Market, a Copenhagen-based package-free grocery concept. Framed by escalating climate and environmental concerns and the sizeable footprint of everyday consumption, the research question asks: How can the sustainable consumption attitude–behavior gap be exemplified by studying Løs Market and its customers? Adopting a techno-anthropological perspective, the study outlines an action research design (drawing on Lewin’s and spiral models) combined with in-depth open-ended interviews, semi-structured interviews, ethnographic surveys, and participant observation. The analysis is informed by Hartmut Rosa’s theory of social acceleration and Actor–Network Theory (including black boxes and the four moments of translation) to trace how people, artifacts, information, and practices co-produce green choices. Løs Market, which sells unpackaged, organic, and locally sourced goods in bulk and relies on reusable containers, serves as a suitable site to observe committed consumers’ practices. The aim is to reveal mechanisms that enable or hinder sustainable purchasing and to inform interventions to narrow the gap; specific empirical findings and recommendations lie beyond this excerpt and are presented in later chapters of the thesis.
Denne specialeundersøgelse adresserer den grønne attitude-adfærds-kløft – forskellen mellem forbrugeres positive holdninger til bæredygtighed og deres faktiske købsadfærd – med udgangspunkt i Løs Market, en københavnsk kæde for løsvare- og emballagefri dagligvarer. Med baggrund i klima- og miljøudfordringer samt forbrugeres betydelige miljøaftryk formuleres forskningsspørgsmålet: Hvordan kan den bæredygtige forbrugsklifts attitude-adfærds-kløft eksemplificeres ved at studere Løs Market og dets kunder? Studiet er teknno-antropologisk og anvender et aktionsforskningsdesign (inspireret af Lewins og spiralmodellen) kombineret med dybdegående, åbne interviews, semistrukturerede interviews, etnografiske spørgeskemaer og deltagerobservation. Teoretisk trækkes der på Hartmut Rosas teori om social acceleration og Actor-Network Theory (bl.a. black boxes og oversættelsens fire faser) for at kortlægge, hvordan mennesker, ting, information og praksisser sammen former grønne valg. Løs Market beskrives som en case, der tilbyder uemballerede, økologiske og lokale varer i bulk, hvor kunder bruger genanvendelige beholdere, hvilket gør butikken egnet til at studere engagerede forbrugeres praksisser. Formålet er at afdække mekanismer, der enten understøtter eller hindrer bæredygtige køb og at pege på mulige indsatser til at mindske kløften; konkrete resultater og anbefalinger ligger uden for dette uddrag og præsenteres i specialets senere kapitler.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]
Keywords
Other projects by the authors
Phillips, Steven Michael:
Verot, Loïs Charles Barnabé: