Understanding the ethical consumer. Collective and individual projects and derived meanings. An exploratory study in the cooperatives of responsible consumption

Identifier:  TDX:1195

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX1195

Authors:  Papaoikonomou, Eleni

Abstract:
The objective of the present thesis was to make a contribution to the growing line of investigation of ethical consumer behaviour. The main focus was placed both on collective and individual ethical consumer projects aiming at a holistic and in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study. To achieve this, the study took place in Responsible Consumption Cooperatives employing Grounded Theory methodology. Different research techniques were employed; observation, in-depth interviews, focus groups and documentary analysis. The richness of the data allowed the emergence of various findings; among them a new definition of the ethical consumer and a conceptual framework that describes the subjective ethical consumer experience in its totality.