It’s All about Distinction: The Lifestyle Embeddedness of Fair Trade Consumption

Social scientists have argued that ethical consumption is embedded into broader lifestyles running across various domains of social life. For instance, fair trade might be part a distinctive lifestyle, including behaviors such as going to fancy restaurants or the opera. We, therefore, investigate relationships main dimensions aspects consumption—from purchase frequency, visiting specialized stores, identification with trade. The analysis relies on data collected in Summer 2011 Zurich, Switzerland. Since per capita products this country was comparatively high level, results are also important for other societies experiencing only currently mainstreaming first dimension, distinctiveness lifestyles, denoting orientations and prestige society, emerges substantial determinant all included consumption. second modernity, correlated subset these aspects. These effects robust, even when taking political resource endowment account. Hence, differences between lifestyle groups do not simply reflect position high-status consumers their views. They orientations, mental representations routines specific groups. Broader are, relevant addition explanations