Abstract:
Anti-Consumption in the Sailing City Consumption today is an essential part of living. In almost every context, we are consumers. We fulfill our needs via consumption, we express our identities via consumption, we define our social status via consumption, and we regulate our emotions via consumption. Yet, most of us agree that there are good reasons to practice anti-consumption; the deliberate act of rejecting, reducing, or reclaiming consumption (Lee, Cherrier, Roux, and Cova 2011). For the most critical among us, consumption is a kind of alienation from natural living and these anti-consumers refrain from satisfying artificial needs, choosing instead to reconnect with their ‘roots’ by downgrading consumption. Of course most of us subscribe to the claim that humankind needs to diminish consumption to decrease environmental degradation. And often it is a moral obligation to - at least temporarily - abandon consumption of specific products and brands to stop supporting companies which act socially or environmentally irresponsibly (Hoffmann 2013). There are surely even more reasons why it might be a good idea for everyone to reject, reduce, or reclaim consumption in some or another way. Yet, there is one essential question that crosses every mind when we think about anti-consumption: Can we consume less and feel good? Given the many virtuous reasons for anti-consumption are simultaneously accompanied by a generally low willingness to actually reduce consumption, this question seems highly relevant. The International Center for Anti-consumption Research (ICAR) is the international forum for discussing relevant anti-consumption issues. This year in early July, when the ICAR network meets in Kiel, we jointly explore the link between anti-consumption and consumer well-being. Hopefully we will learn whether we can feel good although we practice anti-consumption. Or whether we feel good because we practice anti-consumption. The links between the different forms of anti-consumption practices (e.g., voluntary simplicity, boycotting, brand avoidance) and different aspects of well-being (e.g., social, financial, mental; Sirgy, Lee, and Rahtz 2007) are diverse, complex, and colorful. And it is fascinating to observe the evolution of new lifestyles and several new forms of (anti-)consumption that try to realize the positives of consumption reduction without imposing burdens for the individual. We are thinking for example of the carrotmob or the growing relevance of different sharing concepts (Belk 2010; Hutter and Hoffmann 2013). The ICAR symposium has historically been accompanied with a special issue in an internationally recognized journal. Dr Michael S W Lee, the founder and organizer of the ICAR network, has launched former special issues in the Journal of Business Research, Consumption Markets and Culture, the European Journal of Marketing, and the Journal of Macromarketing. This time, the Journal of Consumer Affairs (JOCA) has provided us with the opportunity to publish a special issue. We are very thankful to the editor in chief, Sharon Tennyson, who welcomed and enabled this cooperation to occur. We believe that there could not be a better match between JOCA and the symposium theme, since the JOCA focusses on consumer interests and well-being. One goal and characteristic of the ICAR network is the objective to jointly improve our work on anti-consumption, and to this end the ICAR symposium acts as a kind of paper clinic. We encouraged authors to submit their work early to get initial first feedback from the organizers. Authors then had the opportunity to make an early submission to JOCA to receive reviewer feedback before the ICAR symposium without the risk of being rejected at this early stage. At the ICAR symposium, the delegates again will receive more feedback from fellow delegates. After three pre-submission feedback loops the actual journal submission process starts, with the official deadline for the JOCA special issue being set for August the 30th 2014. We hope that this extensive improvement process originates impactful work in the field of anti-consumption. For us, the Marketing department of Kiel University, it is a great pleasure to host ICAR here in Kiel! You know that the heart of ICAR beats in Auckland (New Zealand), which is known as the City of Sails, interestingly Kiel is called the Sailing City. Therefore it is imperative that we go on a sailing trip during the ICAR symposium. We are looking forward to a good trip with you and it gives us great pleasure to warmly welcome everyone to jointly knit the ICAR net! Stefan Hoffmann, Kiel University Michael SW Lee, University of Auckland