Social Network Challenges to Reducing Consumption: The Problem of Gift Giving

Abstract

Social networks are typically associated with recruitment tactics. In this article, I offer an additional perspective on social networks as a constraint to social change and an under-recognized challenge to reducing consumption. I draw on 45 interviews with: voluntary simplifiers, religious environmentalists, and green home owners. Informants, failing to withdraw from gift-giving networks, instead (1) negotiate a reduction in gift giving, (2) green gift giving, and (3) attempt to transform gift giving into a tactic for lifestyle change. Rather than viewing social networks as channels for cultural cohesion, I argue that we need to better conceptualize the way culture and networks are co-constituted by tactics of influence within areas of contention.

The Influence of Religion on Sustainable Consumption: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

“…Indeed, these studies have examined the meaning-making practices of informants of their religious identity construct and its influence on SC outcomes. Religious identity [93], strongly influences environmental beliefs and practices of religious leaders [94] and religious environmentalists [95][96][97]. These studies show that caring for the environment is a religious calling so that their belief in the creation as sacred and the stewardship of the earth drives their everyday practices.…”

“…In doing so, informants try to make gradual, serial and controlled changes on their everyday actions to have a more intense and holistic SC [98]. In general, Christians and Muslims consumers intend to avoid over-consumption and extravagance following their religious principles like austerity and following their perceived association with socio-environmental injustices [96,97,99].…”

Could Vegans and Lycra Cyclists be Bad for the Planet? Theorizing the Role of Moralized Minority Practice Identities in Processes of Societal‐Level Change

“…For example, it may well be possible (albeit challenging) for someone to simply avoid talking about climate change or feminism with misogynist or climate skeptical family members at Christmas dinner. However, for someone who arrived to a family Christmas holiday as the only no‐flyer, vegan, or voluntary simplifier, and, as such, arrived a day late, refused to eat the turkey or to engage in communal materialist gift‐giving, the chances of avoiding social‐interactional trouble would be far slimmer (Lorenzen, )! Therefore, the adoption of behaviorally defined MMP identities becomes more socially consequential for potential new recruits than is the case for opinion‐based identities, such as “environmentalist.”…”

“…For example, plant‐based diets and cycling to work are activities engaged in by only a small fraction of the population in many industrialized nations (less than 5% in both cases in the UK/USA), despite them being promoted at various levels of governance as having environmental––as well as other personal and collective––benefits (Department for Transport, ; Wellesley, Happer, & Froggatt, ). For those engaging in these minority practices, this often constitutes more than merely an “activity.” Such practices can form part of individuals’ sense of identity and group membership, for example, as “vegetarians”/“vegans” (i.e., veg*ans) (Rosenfeld & Burrow, ), “cyclists” (Aldred, ; Hoekstra, Twisk, & Hagenzieker, ), “voluntary simplifiers” (Lorenzen, ), or “zero wasters” (Clark, ). These identities formed around environmentally consequential, potentially moralized, minority practices represent our current focus.…”

“…For those engaging in these minority practices, this often constitutes more than merely an "activity." Such practices can form part of individuals' sense of identity and group membership, for example, as "vegetarians"/"vegans" (i.e., veg*ans) (Rosenfeld & Burrow, 2017), "cyclists" (Aldred, 2013;Hoekstra, Twisk, & Hagenzieker, 2018), "voluntary simplifiers" (Lorenzen, 2018), or "zero wasters" (Clark, 2016). These identities formed around environmentally consequential, potentially moralized, minority practices represent our current focus.…”