Energy consumption and working hours: a longitudinal study of developed and developing nations, 1990–2008

Abstract

This study advances sociological research on the environmental impacts of working hours. Proponents of economic degrowth propose that a reduction in working time slows economic growth, which yields both social and environmental benefits. Building on such arguments, the authors conduct longitudinal analyses of the effects of average annual working hours on total energy consumption for samples of both developed and developing nations, and assess the extent to which the effect of working hours on energy consumption changes through time. The results suggest that the effect of working hours on energy consumption has increased through time, and this trend is observed for the samples of both developed and developing nations. The authors conclude by discussing the theoretical and policy implications of the findings.

Domestic Inequality and Carbon Emissions in Comparative Perspective

“…The third theoretical approach suggests that growth in domestic income inequality may increase carbon emissions by increasing status‐based consumption (Schor 1996), prolonging working hours (Bowles and Park , Fitzgerald et al. , Knight et al. ), and impeding diffusion of green innovations to the mass market (Vona and Patriarca ).…”

“…From this perspective, rising income inequality can increase status‐based consumption as individuals spend more and more to emulate the standards set by the wealthier members of society in what we may call a Veblenian effect (Schor ; Veblen ). Average working hours have also been shown to increase with rising income inequality (Bowles and Park ), and recent cross‐national research indicates that longer working hours are associated with greater environmental impacts (Fitzgerald, Jorgenson, and Clark ; Knight, Rosa, and Schor ). A final mechanism concerns the diffusion of innovation.…”

Income Inequality and Residential Carbon Emissions in the United States: A Preliminary Analysis

“…Another approach argues that rising income inequality can increase statusbased consumption of goods and fossil fuels as individuals spend more and more to emulate the standards set by the "overconsuming" wealthier members of society in what we may call a Veblen effect (Schor, 1998;Veblen, 1934). Average working hours have also been shown to increase with rising income inequality (Bowles & Park, 2005), and recent cross-national research indicates that longer working hours are associated with greater environmental impacts, including growth in energy consumption and carbon emissions (Fitzgerald, Jorgenson, & Clark, 2015;Knight, Rosa, & Schor, 2013). Vona and Patriarca (2011) find that in wealthy countries, growth in income inequality reduces the development and diffusion of environmentally beneficial consumer products because it creates a larger gap between what wealthy early adopters are willing to pay and what the less wealthy can afford.…”

Income Inequality and Carbon Emissions in Post-soviet Nations, 1992–2009

“…The first, which is known as the Veblen Effect, is that inequality induces status consumption as households increase their spending to keep up with the visible lifestyles of higher-income households (Veblen 1934;Schor 1998). Second, income inequality has been shown to have a positive association with the level of working hours (Bowles and Park 2005), and recent studies have shown that increased working hours are drivers of energy consumption and CO 2 emissions via both their impacts on economic development and on the consumption choices of households (Fitzgerald et al 2015;Knight, Rosa, and Schor 2013).…”