Why do we consume so much? Research agenda for a political economy of abundance

Why do we consume so much? 
Research agenda for a political economy of abundance

(The presentation will be in french and the PowerPoint in english)

Tuesday 8 November 2022

12.30 - 2 pm

Sciences Po, Room Salle du Conseil, 
13 rue de l'Université , 75007 Paris and via Zoom*

In the context of the calls for sufficiency held by climate experts, consumption is a major lever of ecological transition. Following numerous social sciences studies, I suggest that the belief that such an ecological transition could rest on the shoulders of consumers alone is illusory. I highlight the strong interdependencies within a political economy of affluent consumption between public policies, corporate business models and consumer practices. Taking an economic sociological and Foucauldian perspective, I develop a research agenda to explore how affluent consumption becomes a legitimised and institutionalised norm. Affluent consumption, which is highly resource intensive, is structural in both economic policies of governments and business models of companies and is therefore constantly organised and governed. However, it is not imposed on individuals by force. The government of consumption is based on technologies of power that shape and orient consumers’ conduct, leading them to adopt the norms of affluent consumption by activating and playing on their dispositions acquired through market socialisation.

Speaker

Sophie Dubuisson-Quellier est directrice de recherche au CNRS et directrice adjointe du Centre de sociologie des organisations à Sciences Po. Ses travaux portent sur la fabrique sociale de l'action économique à l'articulation des interventions des politiques publiques, des mobilisations collectives et des organisations marchandes. Elle est co-directrice de la Revue française de sociologie, membre du Haut conseil pour le climat et présidente du Conseil scientifique de l'Ademe.