Taking fun seriously in envisioning sustainable consumption

Abstract

Ultimately, consumption drives the global economy and high levels of consumption among the wealthiest fraction of the population are responsible for a disproportionate amount of carbon emissions. Many experiences that motivate overconsumption include the pursuit of fun, a term that cuts across other conventional categories like pleasure, entertainment, leisure and play. This article surveys the scattered literature on fun and finds the concept useful in framing issues of overconsumption. Consumer capitalism is constantly finding and marketing new ways of having fun. I suggest that we should carefully assess the potential of particular kinds of fun to increase or reduce carbon emissions and use social and policy measures to discourage one and promote the other.

Engaging “unusual suspects” in climate action: cultural affordances for diverse competences and improvised identities

“…Moreover, the present study emphasizes the engaging nature of embodied practices, such as that of construction and the making of things, as a way for new participants to engage in climate action through competent, socially acceptable forms of participation. And it integrates the notion of "fun" by Wilk (2022), while acknowledging that fun can mean different things to different people depending on their backgrounds and interests. Lucas and Warman (2018) emphasize the importance of sub-politics, i.e., associations between groups that cut across conventional political divides, in the resolution of environmental controversies.…”

“…This would imply seeking to transcend the confines of climate change as an 'environmental issue' to be seen as part of localized, everyday material concerns for community reinvestment, sustainable jobs, energy independence, more convenient transportation, reduced utility bills, or more comfortable homes. Wilk (2022) adds a further ingredient to a more popular (or populist) view on sustainability by calling for more research on "fun" in the context of sustainable consumption.…”

Look up! Five research proposals for rethinking marketing in a post-growth society

“…Certainly not the billions desirous of enjoying the fruits of consumer society. Fun, gaiety, and occasional creative explosions of excess are inherent to the human condition and should be considered when seeking a solution to a crisis (Wilk, 2022).…”

Look up! Cinq propositions de recherche pour repenser le marketing dans une société post-croissance

“…Certainement pas les milliards d’individus désireux de profiter des fruits de la société de consommation. Le plaisir, la gaieté et les excès occasionnels sont inhérents à la condition humaine et doivent être pris en compte dans la recherche d’une solution aux crises (Wilk, 2022).…”