As with issues of citizenship and health, consumer education is a key cross-curricular theme for student learning. Traditionally, consumer education was seen as the study of prudent shopping habits, family budgeting, and ways of avoiding advertising and credit traps.
However, consumerism touches on all aspects of daily life in the modern world and might be seen as a core value in the North and, increasingly, throughout the South as well. Indeed, mass consumption is now entrenched as one of the key defining processes of economic and social life around the world in contrast with the values of sustainability that are characteristic of indigenous communities.
Chapter 4 of Agenda 21 identified unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, especially in industrialised countries, as 'the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment'. Agenda 21 goes on to say that this is 'a matter of grave concern' because 'the basic consumer needs of a large section of humanity are not being met' and 'the excessive demands and unsustainable lifestyles among the richer segments . . . place immense stress on the environment.'
Accordingly, Agenda 21 encourages governments in the North to take a leading role in promoting sustainable patterns of consumption through policies that:
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encourage efficiency in production patterns; |
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reduce wasteful consumption in the process of economic growth; and |
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encourage a shift to more sustainable patterns of production and consumption, taking into account the development needs of developing countries. |
In this way, Agenda 21 heralded a new approach to consumer education, aligning it with health, citizenship and environmental education as part of the reorientation of education towards sustainability.
This module explores key issues in consumerism as a part of contemporary life. It also analyses the issues of social, economic and ecological sustainability raised by consumerism, ways in which the impacts of consumption can be reduced, and ways in which issues such as these can be integrated across-the-curriculum.
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To analyse patterns, causes and impacts of global and personal patterns of consumption; |
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To appreciate the ethical dimension of reducing the social and ecological impacts of consumption; |
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To appreciate the importance of changing the patterns and impacts of consumption; |
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To identify principles of sustainable consumption; and |
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To analyse examples of educational activities and programmes aimed at encouraging sustainable consumption and identify ways of integrating principles and examples of education for sustainable consumption across the school curriculum. |
| Blower, M. and Leon, W. (1999) The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists, Three Rivers Press, New York. |
| Carley, M. and Spapens, P. (1998) Sharing the World: Sustainable Living and Global Equity in the 21st Century, Earthscan, London. |
| Chambers, N., Simmons, C. and Wackernagel, M. (2000) Sharing Nature's Interest: Ecological Footprints as an Indicator of Sustainability, Earthscan, London. |
| Durning, A. (1992) How Much is Enough?, W. W. Norton and Co., New York. |
| Mathews, E. (1999) Critical Consumption Trends and Implications: Degrading Earth's Ecosystems, World Resources Institute, Washington DC. |
| Miles, S. (1998) Consumerism - As a Way of Life, Sage, London. |
| Miller, D. (ed) (1995) Acknowledging Consumption: A Review of New Studies, Routledge, London. |
| Noorman, K. and Uiterkamp, T. (1998) Green Householders: Domestic Consumers, Environment and Sustainability, Earthscan, London. |
| OECD (1997) Sustainable Consumption and Production, OECD, Paris. |
| OECD (1997) Sustainable Consumption and Production: Clarifying the Concepts, OECD, Paris. |
| OECD (1998) Towards Sustainable Consumption Patterns: A Progress Report on Member Country Initiatives, OECD, Paris. |
| OECD (1999) Education and Learning for Sustainable Consumption, OECD, Paris. |
| Redclift, M. (1996) Wasted: Counting the Costs of Global Consumption, Earthscan, London. |
| Ryan, J. and Durning, A. (1997) Stuff: The Secret Life of Everyday Life Things, Northwest Environment Watch, Washington DC. |
| Schor, J. (1998) The Overspent American: Why We Want what We Don't Need?, HarperPerennial, New York. |
| Stern, P., Dietz, T., Ruttan, V., Socolow, R. and Sweeney, J. (eds) (1997) Environmentally Significant Consumption: Research Directions, National Academy Press, Washington DC. |
| Wackernagel, M. and Rees, W. (1996) Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada and Philadelphia, PA, USA. |
A comprehensive bibliography of resources on sustainable consumption is also provided by the International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Internet Sites
This module was written for UNESCO by John Fien. The Center for a New American Dream and Education for a Sustainable Future provided valuable resources for this module.
