I Shop, Therefore I Am: The Meaning of Fast and Slow Fashion Consumption

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aut.embargoNoen_NZ
aut.thirdpc.containsYesen_NZ
aut.thirdpc.permissionYesen_NZ
aut.thirdpc.removedNoen_NZ
dc.contributor.advisorJones, Katherine
dc.contributor.advisorGlynn, Mark
dc.contributor.authorDescatoires, Ellie
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-10T21:34:56Z
dc.date.available2017-10-10T21:34:56Z
dc.date.copyright2017
dc.date.created2017
dc.date.issued2017
dc.date.updated2017-10-09T10:00:35Z
dc.description.abstractThe contemporary fashion system is dominated by fast fashion business models that encourage unsustainable production practices and continuous consumption. Resulting environmental and social externalities, such as environmental degradation and violation of workers’ rights, have sparked global interest in sustainable fashion consumption and the new movement slow fashion. However, the tension between the allure of fast fashion and consumers’ concern for environmental and social welfare manifests as inconsistent attitudes and consumption behaviour. This attitude-behaviour gap represents a significant threat to the future of sustainable, or slow, fashion. As consumers engage in fashion consumption that has distinct symbolic and cultural meaningfulness, the desire to construct or convey one’s self can outweigh the drivers to be sustainable. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the attitude-behaviour gap in sustainable fashion consumption by understanding the meanings consumers attach to fast and slow fashion, and how this can provide benefit to marketing academics and practitioners. To do so, a qualitative research design and an interpretive, phenomenological approach is employed. The methods of semi-structured in-depth interviews and thematic analysis elicit the meanings and articulations of fast and slow fashion, the personal and societal trade-offs consumers consider when adopting sustainable fashion behaviours, and how these reconcile with consumers’ belief systems. The findings reveal that consumers appropriate aesthetic, symbolic and cultural meanings from fast and slow fashion to achieve self-objectives of connection, self-identity and social identity. However, the way consumers use meanings to achieve self-objectives differs, resulting in competing self-objectives or goals. In turn, consumers use moral disengagement, displace and diffuse responsibility, and carry out fashion consumption behaviour with varying levels of reflection and consciousness. This enables consumers to maintain their sustainable attitudes, and minimise agential connections between their behaviour and their behaviour’s consequences. Consumers also make personal (i.e. decisions that compromise personal values, beliefs and attitudes) and societal (i.e. decisions that compromise environmental and social welfare) trade-offs in order to achieve self-objectives. This study is significant as it illustrates that meanings are used to define and orientate consumers’ fashion consumption behaviour, and are inherent throughout the decision-making process. By contributing new insights into how consumers continue to behave in ways that are inconsistent with their attitudes, marketing academics and practitioners are better able to understand, influence and predict sustainable fashion consumption. Moreover, new insights benefit more conscious business, marketing and consumption practices.en_NZ
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/10857
dc.language.isoenen_NZ
dc.publisherAuckland University of Technology
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.subjectMarketingen_NZ
dc.subjectBrandsen_NZ
dc.subjectConsumersen_NZ
dc.subjectFashionen_NZ
dc.subjectFast fashionen_NZ
dc.subjectSlow fashionen_NZ
dc.subjectSustainabilityen_NZ
dc.subjectAttitudesen_NZ
dc.subjectBehaviouren_NZ
dc.subjectAttitude-behaviour gapen_NZ
dc.subjectMeaningen_NZ
dc.subjectMeaningsen_NZ
dc.subjectSymbolic meaningen_NZ
dc.subjectCultural meaningen_NZ
dc.subjectConsumptionen_NZ
dc.subjectMeaning of consumptionen_NZ
dc.subjectConsumption practicesen_NZ
dc.subjectConsumer behaviouren_NZ
dc.subjectIdentityen_NZ
dc.subjectSelf-identityen_NZ
dc.subjectSocial identityen_NZ
dc.subjectRelationshipsen_NZ
dc.subjectAttachmenten_NZ
dc.subjectConnectionen_NZ
dc.subjectEmotionen_NZ
dc.subjectValuesen_NZ
dc.subjectTrade-offsen_NZ
dc.subjectBeliefsen_NZ
dc.subjectBelief systemsen_NZ
dc.subjectGoalsen_NZ
dc.subjectGoal pursuiten_NZ
dc.subjectDecision-makingen_NZ
dc.subjectDecision-making processen_NZ
dc.subjectMoral disengagementen_NZ
dc.subjectReflectionen_NZ
dc.subjectConsciousnessen_NZ
dc.subjectQualitativeen_NZ
dc.subjectConstructivismen_NZ
dc.subjectInterpretivismen_NZ
dc.subjectPhenomenologyen_NZ
dc.subjectSocial marketingen_NZ
dc.titleI Shop, Therefore I Am: The Meaning of Fast and Slow Fashion Consumptionen_NZ
dc.typeThesis
thesis.degree.grantorAuckland University of Technology
thesis.degree.levelMasters Theses
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Businessen_NZ
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