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- Boström, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Eco-Standards, Product Labelling and Green Consumerism
- 2008
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Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This book provides the reader with a broad policy analysis of a main set of tools aimed at realising an increasingly appreciated aspect of late modern democracy: green political consumerism. The authors illustrate and explain how green labels and other eco-standards are created and negotiated within a broad continuum between science and politics, by addressing political, regulatory, discursive, and organizational ‘back-stage’ circumstances. How can ecological complexities along with diverging ideologies and knowledge claims be translated to a plain, trustworthy, and categorical label? Is there a general mismatch between the production and the consumption side of green labels? Is it possible to achieve broad public reflection, debate and participation on various environmental themes through green labeling? Does green labeling offer pathways toward a greening and democratization of society? The authors base their analyses on case studies from different sectors within two different policy contexts: Sweden (as part of Europe) and the USA.
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| 4. |
- Boström, Magnus, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Political Consumerism : its motivations, power, and conditions in the Nordic countries and elsewhere : Proceedings from the 2nd International Seminar on Political Consumerism, Oslo August 26-29, 2004
- 2005
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The concept of political consumerism draws on the observation that consumer choice and the rising politics of products is an increasingly important form of political participation, especially with regard to such issues as human rights, animal rights, global solidarity and environmental responsibility. The 2nd International Seminar on Political Consumerism was arranged to enhance our knowledge about political consumerism. This report includes revised versions of the papers that were presented and discussed at the seminar. Scholars from various disciplines presented papers that discussed and analyzed such topics as the characteristics of (especially Nordic) political consumers and their motivations to express their political concerns through market channels, how consumer power and individual choice can be linked to public influence, political and market conditions for the success, effectiveness, or failure of political consumerism as a regulatory tool, and the framing, mobilization, and organizational processes behind political consumerism
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| 6. |
- Boström, Magnus, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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State-centered versus nonstate-driven organic food standardization: A comparison of the US and Sweden
- 2006
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Ingår i: Agriculture and Human Values. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0889-048X .- 1572-8366. ; 23:2, s. 163-180
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organic food standardization is an increasingly important strategy for dealing with consumer concerns about the environment, animal welfare, health, and the economic structure of food production. But the ways in which this consumer-oriented strategy is introduced, organized, and debated vary considerably across countries. In Sweden, a nongovernmental organization [KRAV (Association for Control of Organic Production)] - consisting of social movement organizations, associations for conventional and organic farmers, and the food industry - has been quite successful in promoting organic food labeling as an eco-label. KRAV has developed a complementary position vis-a-vis the state and EU regulatory framework. In the US, the federal government controls standardization. The government frames the label as a "marketing label," thus rejecting the idea that organic food production would have any significant advantages for the environment or, indirectly, for human health. This framing is separate from the ones created by organic constituencies, leading to deeper controversies than in Sweden. The purpose of this paper is to examine why standardization has followed different patterns in the two settings. We analyze context factors (i.e., political culture, pre-regulatory arrangements, and organizational structures) and process factors (i.e., framing and organizing). What are the benefits of a state-centric versus a nonstate-driven approach regarding powerful standardization? The paper shows that both settings provide not only "threats of regulatory occupation" from actors not committed to organic principles but also avenues for substantial standardization in the future, albeit through different channels.
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| 7. |
- Boström, Magnus, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Studying political consumerism
- 2005
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Ingår i: Political Consumerism. - Copenhagen : Nordisk Ministerråd. - 9289311290 ; , s. 9-24
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 8. |
- Boström, Magnus, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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The green political consumer of food : a critical analysis of the research and policies
- 2009
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Ingår i: Anthropology of Food. - : International Commission on the Anthropology of Food. - 1609-9168. ; :Sept.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reviews the current literature on political and ethical consumers, and relates it to the topic of sustainable food consumption. A first aim is to problematise a somewhat simplistic view of the political and ethical consumer found in the literature. The paper sheds light on some of the dilemmas that confront green political consumers. We indicate that most existing studies say very little about consumers’ thoughts, assumptions, and reflections about green consumerism in general, and about green consumerist tools, such as green labels, more specifically. Based on a literature review, we draw a picture of the typical concerned consumer as reflective, uncertain and ambivalent. This is connected to a second aim of the paper: to discuss a gap or mismatch between the production side and consumption side of green (food) labels. We conclude the paper by suggesting that green and ethical information schemes could become much more in line with the reflective nature of green, political consumers. We relate this discussion to concepts such as sub-politics and meta-politics.
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| 9. |
- Klintman, Mikael
(författare)
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Ambiguous framings of political consumerism: means or end, product or process orientation?
- 2006
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Ingår i: International Journal of Consumer Studies. - : Wiley. - 1470-6431 .- 1470-6423. ; 30:5, s. 427-438
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For dealing with various societal problems, 'political'/'ethical'/'responsible' consumerism is often discussed as an effective democratic and participatory tool. However, political consumerism – along with its tools, such as product labelling – is often conceived and discussed in oversimplified ways. Instead, the tension between scientific complexity, knowledge uncertainty and a codified, standardized label involves extensive political strategy, interest conflicts and simplified framings of the consumers' roles as political decision makers. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how criteria for organic food labelling have been simplified, or framed, within various versions of political consumerism in policy debates. The more general purpose is to examine variations of what consumerism may entail theoretically and practically. Examples are chosen of organic food labelling in the US. The analysis is based on framing theory. The first distinction is made between framings surrounding the extrinsic and intrinsic values of consumerism (i.e. consumer empowerment towards an external goal, or as an overriding principle of democracy). The second distinction is between product- and process-oriented consumerism (i.e. consumer empowerment with regard to the purchased goods or concerning the 'invisible' production and disposal processes). These distinctions may facilitate critical examinations of criteria, processes and communication of consumer-related policies.
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| 10. |
- Klintman, Mikael, et al.
(författare)
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Editorial : for a special issue on ”Political and Ethical Consumerism Around the World”
- 2006
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Ingår i: International Journal of Consumer Studies. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1470-6423 .- 1470-6431. ; 30:5, s. 401-404
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This Special Issue of the International Journal of Consumer Studies focuses on ‘political and ethical consumerism around the world’. An increasingly debated consumer issue – both in academia and among various stakeholders – is whether, or how, the market can function in new ways as a political arena, and to what extent consumers can use the market to become (sub)politically active. ‘Political and ethical’ here denotes social, cultural, animal-related and environmental concerns that go beyond the immediate self-interests of the individual consumer or household.
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