Behöver jag verkligen det här? : En kvalitativ studie om effekterna av minskad konsumtion

Sammanfattning: This study aims to investigate the individual's experience of conscious consumption reduction in relation to society's consumption norms. By not focusing on motives or causes behind the change, but instead illustrating the subjective and social consequences, the study provides a deeper understanding of how the individual's self-perception and social relationships are affected. This will be studied based on the following questions “How does a conscious reduction in consumption affect the individual's self-perception and identity in relation to society's consumption norms?” and “What social and cultural effects do individuals experience when they reduce their consumption on purpose, and how does this affect relationships within the individual's immediate circle?” Previous research has been interested in understanding why individuals change their consumption behaviour. Social resistance from society and the surrounding community has also been a broad area of research. A significant focus has also been to study consumption patterns from a sustainability perspective, where research identifies challenges and how today's society can be treated. This study aims to contribute with an in-depth understanding of how conscious consumption reduction affects the individual's life aspects and relationships, which may have far-reaching implications for our understanding of society's changing consumption patterns. The theoretical framework of the study consists of Emilé Durkheim's social coercion consisting of the normative coercion, the cultural coercion, the material coercion and the structural coercion. In combination with this, Robert K. Merton's social tensions, taken from his strain theory, are also applied. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews, where we study 8 individuals' perceived effects of consumption reductions. The results suggest that a reduction in consumption strengthens the individual's empowerment and promotes self-reflection. Through reduced emphasis on external factors, individuals shape their self-perception beyond materialism. Even though their consumption reduction violates norms, they are met with curiosity. These individuals appear to act as agents of normative change by raising awareness of the impact of consumption and promoting a transformation towards a more sustainable way of living.