Why this topic?
Definitions
Citizenship : Denotes the link between
a person and a state or an association of
states. Possession of citizenship is normally
associated with the right to work and live in
a country.
Consumerism : is a social and
economic order that encourages the
purchase of goods and services in evergreater amounts. Its unit is a consumer
who acquires goods and services for his or
her own personal wants or needs.
“Consumerism” Stands for??
Positive Side.
Man lives by an exchange.-Adam Smith
{Till 1970s}
Negative Side {Post 1970s}
“Informed decision making”
"high levels of consumption"
field of studying, regulating,
or interacting with the
marketplace.
force from the marketplace
which destroys individuality and
harms society.
Ensuring Socio-economic
Justice through Fair Economic
Practices & safety methods.
 selfish and frivolous collecting
of products, or economic
materialism.
History of Consumption
NOT totally new:
“Leisure classes”
Thorstein Veblen – 1899
-Aristocracies
-Vast wealth
-Large amounts of leisure time
Consumption as a way of life
e.g. Roman empire
– foreign foods and spices, exotic pets
“Conspicuous consumption”
Early consumerism:
Early Modernity
“Middle classes” in:
Late 18th century
Holland & Britain
Developing market in:
-Household furnishings
e.g. paintings, prints
-Personal ornaments
e.g. gloves, umbrellas
-Stimulants: coffee, tea, tobacco,
chocolate
MASS Consumption
A “consumer society”
High Modernity
Middle classes – from about 1860s
Increasing wealth  more money to
spend on consumer goods
Working classes
Increasing wealth
Higher aspirations
-in USA from 1920s
-in Western Europe from 1945
Historical & Philosophical
Perspective
Ancient Roots
Polis Citizenship
Origin of citizenry rooted in growth of slavery
Rome Citizenship
Political Agency, evolved as obligation toward
state.
Early Modern Ideas
Medieval Feudalism
Dutiful,passive, self directed religious zealot
Emerging Nation-States
Membership in Guilds, Rise of Republicanism.
Social- contract Theory: Rights & Responsibilities
MODERN TRANSITION
From “Subject” To “Citizen”
Jus Soli
Jus Sanguinis
Jure Matrimonii
Naturalization
POLITICAL ASPECTS:
CITIZENSHIP AND
CONSUMERISM
POLITICAL ASPECTS: RIGHTS
OF CITIZEN
FUNDAMENTAL:
• Right to Equality
• Right of Freedom of Speech and
Expression
• Right against Exploitation
• Right to freedom of religion
• Cultural and Educational rights
• Right of constitutional remedies
• Right to elementary education
OTHERS:
• Right to vote
• Right to property
• Right of Employment
ARE THERE ANY EXISTING
RIGHTS FOR COSUMERS ??
The Seven Basic Consumer Rights:
•The Right to Safety
•The Right to Information
•The Right to Choose (PCA, Concept of
Consumer Sovereignty)
•The Right to Representation
•The Right to Redress
•The Right to Consumer Education
•The Right to a Healthy Environment
HOW THE RIGHTS ARE
ENFORCED:
FOR CITIZEN:
• About 600 District Courts
• 24 High courts
• Supreme court at the apex
FOR CONSUMER:
• 629 District Forums
• 35 State Commissions
• National Consumer Disputes
Redressal Commission (NCDRC) at
the apex
TIME TAKEN:
• For Civil cases: 6 months – 3
years
• For Criminal cases: 2 – 5 years
WHO IS POWERFUL ?
ROLES OF CITIZEN AND
CONSUMER IN A POLITICAL
SYSTEM (DEMOCRACY)
CITIZEN:
• As a voter
• As a representative
• Political Party
• Pressure Group
• Interest Group
• Legislature
ROLES OF CITIZEN AND CONSUMER
IN A POLITICAL SYSTEM
(DEMOCRACY)
CONSUMER:
• For growth of Economy 
Revenue for the Government
 Bureaucracy
 Service provider
 Social expenditure
DEMOCRACY IS DRIVEN BY:
CITIZEN OR CONSUMER ?
ARE CONSUMERS IN
CONTROL OF THEMSELVES ?
Concept of CONSUMERCITIZENSHIP
• Consumer
Education
• Civic Education and Participation
• Anti-Consumerism
• Citizen Consumer-conscience (Citizen first, Consumer
later)
• Economy of care (Moral Economy)
• Global citizenship
• Sustainable Human Development
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
• Sustainable development – beginning of issue of
Consumerism
• Concept of Citizenship in Climate Change
• Capitalistic economy in Post Industrialisation
• Post 9/11, Bush said ‘go out and buy’
• Current understanding of Climate Change
•
•
•
•
•
Documentry by Al-Gore
350.org – CO2 PPM
Oil change international – Oil subsidy
Climate parents – Parents working for their children
Sierra Club – Coal plants
• Annie Leonard – Story of the Stuff
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
• Role of Consumer in Climate Change
– Causation of Climate Change – Industrialisation
• Citizen being proactive
– CFL, Local produce consumption, using cleaner fuels, using as few non renewable
resources, green practices, using public transport etc
• Connecting up with those who care
– Joining a green initiative – brings a sense of responsibility
• Government measures
–
–
–
–
–
–
Remove subsidies in fossil fuels
Promote use of renewable energy
Provide sustainable public transport
International climate negotiations
More local manufacturing
More public resources
Psychological Effects
• Treating people not as citizen but as
consumers/taxpayers
– Rail, air transport consumers of the service of transport
– Patients as consumers of healthcare
– Students as consumers of educations
•
•
•
•
Objectification of fellow citizen – Provider of service
No social interaction between producer and consumer
Buyers’ interest to buy at the lowest price
Taxpayer’s money funding any project – no collective
responsibility
Social Effects of the conflict
Social Effects of the conflict
The social nature of a man consists of the following
• Family
• Neighbors
• Work Culture
• Values and Beliefs
• Attitude towards the nation
Social Effects of the conflict
50 Years ago a citizen was not a mere consumer, but the things have
changed now…How?
The emergence of the concept of economic man
Social Effects of the conflict
•The economic man thought about his individual
preferences first rather than thinking about the nation. This
man was supported by the leaders too, who thought of
growth only in numerical terms
•With this the behavior of a man and as a result social
outcome of the whole society changed…
Social Effects of the conflict
•
•
•
In the New testament Paul says “who love God are all
one rather than individuals”
Initially we have societies where brotherhood was
thought to be a virtue .
But now there are consumers who owe nothing to
society.
For example: News papers write new policy of Government
will increase the burden on taxpayers (not citizens).
Social Effects of the conflict
More points to ponder
1) Visit to doctor is now for a medical care service.
2) Schools offer personal development packages/
services/ tours instead of making a good citizen.
3) In colleges the mind is towards the placement in US, a
big car, a big apartment etc
4) Government : Rights Vs. Duties, Is my vote necessary,
popular politics
Film Jaagriti (1960)…”Aao bacche tumhe dikhayen Jhanki.”
Film De Dana Dan (2009)..”Mai baarish kar dun paise ki .”
Social Effects of the conflict
More points to ponder (contd)
1) Family Structure: Emergence of Single Mothers, Live-in
relationships, divorces, (Breaking of the Joint family systems)
2) Groups: Consumer groups(bar groups, party groups, even FB
groups) rather than family groups.
“Facebook is also a part of consumerism”.
3) Literature: From the revolutions of Karmabhoomi (Premchand)
to the spices of Chetan Bhagat.
4) Loss in the period of earthquakes: example of Laxmi Nagar
colony.
5) Objectification of Women: Birla Cement, Axe Deo etc
Social Effects of the conflict
Major Effect :
Corruption
Role of Media
ROLE OF MEDIA
Role of Media
MODERN ADVERTISING TACTICS
•OLD WAY- RATIONAL APPEAL
• NEW- EMOTIONAL APPEAL
•DISCOURAGING LOGICAL CRITICAL THINKING
•DESIGNED TO MANUFACTURE DESIRE
•https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEomeDBNLx8
•BIASED- fairness products, lavish goods
•CONSUMER MINDSET: colonized and insecure, dependent on styles and ideas that
corporates want to sell, status conscious, trivial pursuit
Role of Media
•CORPORATISATION
•MOVIES AND SONGS
•PRINT
•SOCIAL MEDIA
•NEWS
•POLITICAL AGENDA
THROUGH MEDIA
•MULTINATIONAL
COMPANIES
Role of Media
ROLE OF MEDIA
A New Way Forward
Consumer Citizenship:
A Pathway to Sustainable
Development
SETTING PRIORITIES RIGHT….
CITIZEN CONSUMER
•Concerned with the environmental, economic, political,
•labour, personal, societal and spiritual impact of excessive, run away consumptIon
•CITIZEN FIRST
•ETHICAL CONSUMER
•The hybrid concept implies a social practice that can satisfy competing ideologies of
•consumerism (an idea rooted in individual self-interest) and citizenship (an ideal rooted
in collective responsibility to a social and ecological commons).
• "a responsible consumer, a socially-aware consumer, a consumer who thinks ahead
and tempers his or her desires by social awareness, a consumer whose actions must be
morally defensible and who must occasionally be prepared to sacrifice personal pleasure
to communal well-being"
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
CITIZEN CONSUMER HYBRID FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
•Combining political literacy
with consumer literacy
•INTRA & INTERGENERATIONAL
EQUITY
•Human rights and labor issues
•GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP rooted in
Personal Responsibility
•Participatory consumerism
•Social audit
EMPIRICAL BASIS
Key findings from the Edelman good purpose study:
•34 percent of Americans would "punish" a company that doesn't activity support a
good cause by criticizing it to others (multiple that by Facebook and Twitter)
•Consumers in emerging markets such as Brazil, Mexico, China and India) are more
likely than Americans to expect the brands they support to support a good cause
•67 percent of the respondents indicated that they would support legislation that
requires businesses to meet certain environmental standards
•79 percent of Americans believe it is OK for companies to make money AND
support good causes, simultaneously
•Approximately two-thirds of those polled for the book believe they would be
better off if they lived more simply..
TOWARDS CITIZEN PRODUCER
•shifts in corporate behavior are understood as
•responses to public, government, and media pressure
for reform, as well as a positive
•business opportunity that opens up new markets and
increases efficiency
•“triple bottom line” that provides for people, the
planet, and profits)
•to the mandate for “corporate social responsibility
•wake-up call suggesting that businesses need to start
thinking more about the 'purpose' behind their brand,
products and services.
•PRICING
•INNOVATION
•APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
A BEGINNING….
•RENEWABLE ENERGY
•MASS TRANSPORT
•BICYCLES
•ORGANIC INDUSTRY
•LOCAL FOODS
•PLASTICS
•FUEL, WATER AND ELECTRICITY USE
EFFICIENCY
•SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES COOPERATIVES
PRODUCTS
•PREFERNTIAL TRADE AND COMMERCE
POLICIES
•MERIT AND NONMERIT GOODS
Conclusion..
•Excessive consumerism is bad, Need must be the
basis rather than wants..
•Consumer citizenship,
•Think about the whole society if you want to give
your children a better neighborhood tomorrow
•For a healthy climate of future think green today,
• Develop again the feeling of being all but one,
•Lets say goodbye with a positive note….
-Thanks
Team Pravakta