What conditions are required for becoming an ethical consumer?

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26381267
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Education on school subjects and activities
• Research Institution: Osaka Kyoiku University
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Mayuko 大阪教育大学, 教育学部, 教授 (60241197)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 消費者市民社会 / 倫理的消費者 / 消費文化 / 教材開発 / 評価

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research attempts to organize the conditions for becoming an “ethical consumer” in Japan through a review of previous research and interview research about the concepts underlying this phrase both domestically and internationally. Respondents were academics who have studied about consumer education and home economics, and participated in activities of the Conscious Consumer Network. National policy and life values form the background for the concept and behavior of the “ethical consumer”. It was found that people think deeply from an “ethical” viewpoint regarding aspects such as what and how they can change their daily lives. They discuss and assess their actions depending on their own situation. Furthermore, the requirement for people as individual citizens to have the capability to make changes to their behavior and general society, including poverty and disparities in economic power, was raised.

Free Research Field

消費者教育学