Social (im)possibilities of the formation of ethical consumption: A comparative study of Sweden and Iran

ECIRSWE studies social (im)possibilities regarding the formation of ethical consumption considering social circumstances in Sweden and Iran. Ethical consumption is often shaped in response to various social and environmental problems in society, including inefficient policies. In western societies, this type of consumption has been studied systematically in recent decades. However, there is very limited research about this topic in the non-western communities and cultures. The aim of the project is to understand the potential influence(s) of the dominant social structure, norms and conventions in the formation of ethical consumption. Considering consumption as a social practice embedded in different social settings, the project will apply social practice theory (SPT) and multi-level perspective (MLP) to compare ethical consumption in two countries: Iran and Sweden. Data will be collected by in-depth semi structured interviews. Purposive sampling will be utilized to select a diverse sample of people in each context. By identifying differences and/or similarities of ethical consumption patterns in Iran and Sweden, the project will contribute to further theorizing about ethical consumerism.