This introductory article of the special issue compares different conceptual underpinnings of efforts to make the everyday activities of consumers more sustainable. As social practice theory (SPT) is the main theoretical foundation of the articles collected here, we outline its strengths and limitations, when compared with the dominant individual-oriented behaviour change approach, and we focus on theories of planned behaviour, social marketing as well as 'choice architecture', based on behavioural economics. This article analyses SPT's usefulness, particularly from the applied point of view for policy-makers and social change programme designers. In the final section we provide some recommendations. These consider the need for greater reflexivity and experimentation with the practices of policy-and programme-making and the building of coalitions of 'distributed interveners'. They also relate to the need for more focus on consumers' workplace practices alongside domestic practices and analysis of and intervention in the material environments and objects in which social practices are embedded. Finally, they are concerned with the identification of moments of transition in consumers' lives and they focus on the 'transition practices' that familiarize people with their new life situations.
ABSI'R ACTRecent sociological theories of consuniption and lifestyles usually argue that consumption plays a n essential role in the creation and maintenance of personal identities. For the consumers, the identity sustaining process operates through playing with tlie lifestyles that are fraginented. flcsiblc and fluid. The consuniers of tlie 'digital crii' tire argued to be unpredictable, indi\fidualistic, cspressive and also highly competent in their spending patterns. This kind of approiich is questionable. It is doubtful that people niakc ii conscious decision to use consumption as a means of playing with identities. Economic restraints. social regulation. conventions. routines. socialization in peer groups arc (still) likely to restrict the freedom of the coiisunicr. In this study, the importance of consumption for identity-formation iviis examined empirically by ;inalysing a data sct derived from a lifestyle survcy, 'Finland 1999'. The findings suggest that most 1:innish consiimers may not consciously consider consumption to be ii niajor part of thcir identities. Athough some materialist and hedonist lifestylcs were found. many consumption styles were nlso chnrnctcrizcd by niodest and rational spending patterns. Saving money was important for most consunicrs. and many also undcrestimatcd their consumption. Socio-economic and dcniographic factors. particularly gender. age, class position and income had also a strong cffect on consumption and lifestyles. Hence, on the basis of this data. most 1:innish consiiiners sccni rather 'ordinary' and not quite as individualistic iis postmodern theories argue.
The aim of this paper is to study 18‐ to 29‐year‐old Finnish consumers' use of instant small loans (i.e. SMS loan) and other consumer credit services that have increased notably in the past few years. We examine what kind of expenditures instant credit is used for and focus also on young consumers' financial situation and their perceptions of themselves as money handlers. The research method is quantitative, and data are derived from an open online survey (n = 1610). Our results reveal that consumer credit is used by young people in all income brackets and employment positions. However, there is a clear connection between certain life‐course stages (young, single parent), financial positions (low income), employment situations (marginal) and the propensity to take instant loans and consumer credit. The young people who take an instant loan once are likely to do it again. Typical purposes of use included buying alcohol, cigarettes and partying. For some consumers, the use of small loans is part of controlled and economical use of money. However, particularly in the low‐income brackets, it is also common to buy food and to repay credit or interest. Young people, who use instant loans recognize flaws in their money management and see themselves as ‘wasteful’ consumers more often than those who do not use instant loans. On the basis of this empirical study, it is unquestioned that young people's consumer education needs to be strengthened. In Finland, this need has already been recognized in both consumer policy and teacher education.
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