Ethics in Consumption: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

The proposed seminar programme connects with a series of important historic and contemporary concerns that relate to issues of individual, societal and environmental wellbeing. We focus on critical connections between consumption and ethics that are increasingly central to citizen and industry practice and government policy. Consumption and ethics have become central to how individuals and groups experience, interpret and respond to the marketplace and governmental policy and often in turn how these institutions respond to them.

The proposed seminar series is designed to create inter-disciplinary links nationally and internationally with leading scholars, early career researchers and scholars, and relevant user and stakeholder groups that are interested in critically engaging with the intersections between ethics and consumption. The series also aims to create a supportive forum and community of practice to foster good practice, encourage collaborative projects and explore solutions to environmental and human ethical concerns across consumption related activities.

This proposal supports ESRC's three strategic priorities: (1) the promotion of sustainable growth through consideration of the social, environmental, and economic impacts of consumption; (2) influencing societal behaviour through the engagement of a broad range of stakeholders and the dissemination of insight arising from the seminars; and (3) the promotion of a fair and vibrant society through cross-disciplinary and cross-industry focus on the ethics involved in consumption and the development of concrete strategies and actions - including recommendations for public policy - through the community of practice.

The seminar organisers have extensive experience in working with government bodies, consumer organisations, industry and consumer groups. As such, this significant body of users are critical to the seminar series and their needs have been considered from project conception, e.g., through the consideration of topic areas and dissemination strategy. Existing established relationships will be critical to the co-production of knowledge, best dissemination practice throughout the seminar series and to further increase the proposed seminar series user network. Existing relationships that will be critical to the series include those with, Scottish Natural Heritage, Glasgow City Council, Ethical Consumer Research Association, Ethical Consumer Group, Consumer's Association, The Ethical Network, Retail Forum, Syngenta, One World Shops, Unilever, Co-operative Group, Princes Trust and Day Chocolate Company. We consider that consumers, industry, government and NGOs will benefit both directly and indirectly from the proposed seminar series and are our direct target audience in addition to the academic community outlined previously. Through our planned dissemination and dialogue strategy, awareness and understanding of ethics in consumption will be raised more generally among our target audiences. This is important given the challenges to addressing ethical concerns amidst often conflicting and complex information and frequently a deficit of information and practical advice. The critical conversations that result from the seminar series will be valuable in contributing evidence based insights that can inform and influence government policy. The international nature of the seminar series affords the potential for such influence to be wielded at local levels internationally, offering greater potential for impact and consideration at a global level. This is vital given variations in approach to ethical concerns in consumption and policy internationally. The interdisciplinary nature of the seminar conversations increases the potential for innovation and insights restricted by previously held disciplinary boundaries. Combined with practitioner engagement, such dialogue has the potential for significant knowledge co-production and the translation of this insight into policy, strategy and action. For industry colleagues, such an approach has the potential to spawn new product and service innovations that address increasing ethical challenges which in the longer term could contribute to improved economic performance, competitiveness and prosperity as well as environmental sustainability and global equality. Such changes, in the longer term, have the potential to alter industry and consumer culture and practices, leading to more sustained and stable impacts. At a direct level the seminar series will provide significant training opportunities for early career researchers, many of whom will go into industry, government or third sector positions. More generally the seminar series will, we believe, contribute to enhancing the research capacity, knowledge and skills of all participants, thus, among researchers, business and NGO's. At its broadest we view the seminar series as making a contribution, if modest, to society more generally in relation to environmental and human health and well-being, enhancing social cohesion and quality of life. In light of these intended contributions, the seminar series and network proposed aligns with the ESRC's 3 strategic priorities: 1. promotion of sustainable growth through consideration of social, environmental and economic impacts of consumption; 2. influencing societal behaviour through engagement of a broad range of stakeholders and dissemination of insight arising from the seminars; 3. promotion of a fair and vibrant society through cross-disciplinary and cross-industry focus on the ethics involved in consumption and the development of concrete strategies and actions, including recommendations for public policy.