There are at least two ways to answer this question. From a conventional perspective, responsible consumption is a liberatory identity project based around an increased awareness of the impact of our consumption decisions on the environment, on consumer health, and on society in general. Community-supported agriculture consumers, for instance, do not tolerate corporate food. Rather, they care for their communities and passionately tailor their food choices in relation to a broader palette of concerns, such as ecological sustainability, biodiversity, energy conservation, worker safety, living wages, and, most important, the preservation of small farms and a rural way of life. The second, more troubling perspective on responsible consumption understands the responsible consumer not as a natural of the capitalist market but as functional to its development and stability. In order for capitalism to operate effectively, its constraints must be reflected in the moral capacity of individuals, who must then adhere to norms that reinforce the structures upon which it is built. From this perspective, Gerberding’s urge to “encourage people to think about their health as a sustainable resource” is not on the outside of governmental control, at its limits, but rather presents an integral part of its strategy to morally reshape the choice sets that mediate individual consumer behavior in relation to changing historical conditions. Responsible consumption indicates a significant shift in the political economy. Social problems are no longer the exclusive affair of democratic institutions but are increasingly handled by a globally operating moral-industrial complex. No organization renders this global government of competence and ethics more visible than the World Economic Forum.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 14:14:40 +0000
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