MetaTOC stay on top of your field, easily

Political Consumerism in Context: An Experiment on Status and Information in Ethical Consumption Decisions

, ,

American Journal of Economics and Sociology

Published online on

Abstract

This article investigates two possible explanations for willingness to engage in ethical consumption: increased status and improved information about the benefits of ethical consumption for producers and for nature. We approach our hypotheses through an experimental method in which people are asked, under varying conditions, to choose between fair trade and “conventional” coffee. Unexpectedly, status and information provision did not significantly affect consumption decisions. Implications of our findings for the ethical consumption literature and strategies aimed at increasing ethical consumption are discussed.