Development of the Voluntary Simplicity Engagement Scale: Measuring Low-Consumption Lifestyles

Rich, Stacey; Wright, Bradley J.; Bennett, Pauleen

doi:10.1007/s10603-018-9400-5

Cited by 25 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Voluntary simplicity has been measured as a set of behaviours (Leonard-Barton 1981) and values or attitudes (Iwata 1997). Rich et al (2020) developed the most recent scale for measuring voluntary simplicity based on the everyday life experiences of simplifiers. They consider material simplicity, a frugal approach to resources, local procurement, self-sufficient food production, giving back to the social community, and individually enacted work/life preferences.…”

Section: Three Anti-consumption Behavioursmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, people who voluntarily reduce their individual consumption experience obstacles such as a lack of product information or suitable employment for their lifestyle (Alexander and Ussher 2012;Ziesemer et al 2019). Consumer policy initiatives may help address these obstacles (Rich et al 2020). Additionally, sustainable and just economic structures must allow for the satisfaction of essential needs for all without limiting the freedom to access the means necessary to lead a good life (Soper 2007).…”

Section: Limitations and Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Young People as Drivers or Inhibitors of the Sustainability Movement: The Case of Anti-Consumption

Ziesemer

Balderjahn

2021

J Consum Policy

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As overconsumption has negative effects on ecological balance, social equality, and individual well-being, reducing consumption levels among the materially affluent is an emerging strategy for sustainable development. Today’s youth form a crucial target group for intervening in unsustainable overconsumption habits and for setting the path and ideas on responsible living. This article explores young people’s motivations for engaging in three behavioural patterns linked to anti-consumption (voluntary simplicity, collaborative consumption, and living within one’s means) in relation to sustainability. Applying a qualitative approach, laddering interviews reveal the consequences and values behind the anti-consumption behaviours of young people of ages 14 to 24 according to a means-end chains analysis. The findings highlight potential for and the challenges involved in motivating young people to reduce material levels of consumption for the sake of sustainability. Related consumer policy tools from the fields of education and communication are identified. This article provides practical implications for policy makers, activists, and educators. Consumer policies may strengthen anti-consumption among young people by addressing individual benefits, enabling reflection on personal values, and referencing credible narratives. The presented insights can help give a voice to young consumers, who struggle to establish themselves as key players in shaping the future consumption regime.

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Section: Three Anti-consumption Behavioursmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Limitations and Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young People as Drivers or Inhibitors of the Sustainability Movement: The Case of Anti-Consumption

Ziesemer

Balderjahn

2021

J Consum Policy

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“…Therefore, a frugal consumer resists the consumption of all products and services because (s)he feels pleasure in saving resources. Voluntary simplicity is adopted by individuals who reduce spending on goods and services to live a simple life and obtain satisfaction by cultivating non-materialistic values [37,38]. A simplifier resists consumption by acquiring only the minimum and living very modestly.…”

Section: Carmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following this definition, we consider voluntary simplicity, tightwadism, and frugality as three distinct anti-consumption lifestyles driven by a similar feeling of opposition toward consumption and operating under personal motivations that are specific to each one of them [20]. Voluntary simplicity is the degree to which one selects a simplified lifestyle intended to maximize direct control over daily activities, while minimizing consumption and dependency [37,38,55]. It is centered on the idea that personal satisfaction, fulfilment, and happiness result from a commitment to the nonmaterial aspects of life [48].…”

Section: Anti-consumptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Environmental Impact of Consumption Lifestyles: Ethically Minded Consumption vs. Tightwads

Touchette

Nepomuceno

2020

Sustainability

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This study investigates the environmental impact of anti-consumption lifestyles and compares it to environmental concern and ethically minded consumption. Environmental impact was measured in a sample of 357 individuals with a carbon footprint calculator capturing all greenhouse gases released by an individual’s activities. Three types of anti-consumption lifestyles were considered: frugality, voluntary simplicity, and tightwadism. Results suggest that tightwadism is negatively associated with environmental impact. This negative association is stronger when participants are knowledgeable about the emissions impact of their behaviors. These findings suggest that tightwadism can lead to positive outcomes to achieve sustainability. Surprisingly, frugality and voluntary simplicity, as well as environmental concern, are not significantly associated with environmental impact, whereas ethically minded consumption correlates positively with the latter. This study demonstrates that increasing consumers’ environmental and ethical concerns alone might not be an effective way to lead them towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Such findings have important implications for sustainability and public policy makers.

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“…Two papers contribute to research on citizen-consumers' willingness to change or to accept changes in their general lifestyle and consumption patterns to be more sustainable. Rich et al (2019) develop a validated tool to identify voluntary simplifiers, something that has been severely missed in research on voluntary simplicity. The tool is a 21-item Voluntary Simplicity Engagement Scale with sound psychometric qualities, which is based on the practices of contemporary simplifiers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Behaviour Change for Sustainable Consumption

2020

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The Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2100 translates into a carbon dioxide (CO 2) equivalent emission reduction from around 40 gigatons in 2020 to around 5 gigatons (Rockström et al. 2017). As part of a long-term strategy to achieve this goal, technological innovations are necessary, but not sufficient. Another necessary element is changes in consumer and household behaviours, which cannot wait for the long term. In the EU, for example, households account for nearly 20% of total CO 2 emissions (Eurostat 2017). Furthermore, there is a large variation in private households' consumption patterns, which shows that demand-side interventions targeted at private households are indeed promising (Dubois et al. 2019). The largest contributions to CO 2 emissions from private households come from personal transport, thermal energy use, electricity consumption, and accommodation as well as consumption of food and consumer goods and services (Kalbar et al. 2016; Steen-Olsen and Hertwich 2015). Private households can substantially reduce their CO 2 emissions by adopting new or altering the use of in-home and transportation-related technologies or changing consumption patterns related to food and other consumer goods (Gardner and Stern 2008). This special issue focuses on strategies to induce behaviour changes for sustainable consumption in private households and on key motivational and contextual prerequisites. The aim is to provide insights on instruments and prerequisites for radical behaviour changes, for which the included papers draw on a variety of theoretical and methodological angles and approaches. Content-wise, the papers focus on understanding motivational and contextual facilitators and impediments for changing both specific impactful behaviour and broader behaviour changes. The discussed policy interventions span from a broader policy framework

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Development of the Voluntary Simplicity Engagement Scale: Measuring Low-Consumption Lifestyles

Cited by 25 publications

References 24 publications

Young People as Drivers or Inhibitors of the Sustainability Movement: The Case of Anti-Consumption

Young People as Drivers or Inhibitors of the Sustainability Movement: The Case of Anti-Consumption

The Environmental Impact of Consumption Lifestyles: Ethically Minded Consumption vs. Tightwads

Behaviour Change for Sustainable Consumption

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