| The conception of sustainable development was proposed in Our Common Future of WECD in 1987.It indicates that the environmental damage is caused by poverty, and the economic and social sustainable development should be achieved based on rational application of resources and environmental protection. This can be described as sustainable development of economy, ecology and society. In the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992,sustainable development was defined as development that meets the' needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.Thus, the issue of inter-generational equity is a modern problem came out after the strengthened human observation and ecological and environmental problems.Sustainable consumption is a significant part and prerequisite of sustainable development. Under the conditions of market economy, consumption is considered as the objective, which decisively effects production. Sustainable consumption can promote sustainable development, and then enhances living quality of individuals and families, protects environment, achieves rational resources exploitation, and at the same time advances economic development. Hence, sustainable consumption, which is significant for the global sustainable development on politics, economy, and society, becomes a necessary component element of the whole national strategy system of sustainable development.Achievement of sustainable consumption and development relies on the consumption modes and activities of individuals and families.Sustainable consumption is based on resources conservation and friendly environment. By looking at the domestic references of sustainable consumption, it can be found that most of the references,are on the view of the governmental activities but not on families.Consumption of the consumers does not only aim to perform its functions, but also concern about the society and its value. Family is the main element of consumption. Characters and the type of a family and consumption consciousness of the family members lead to life style of the family and individuals.Life style determines the consumption mode of a family, and the mode effects the environment during production and consumption. In this procession, consumption consciousness is the intermediate factor which is led and promoted by family. This research paper will discuss the problem, bases on the relationship between consumption and environment and resources,if the practical or discursive consciousness effects more on the consumers on a view of the consumption modes and activities of individuals or families.Obviously, the theories are not enough to answer the question. Additionally,most of the existent references and policies analyze this issue macroscopically but barely discuss microcosmically on consumers.It is necessary for us to analyze the consumption consciousness of consumers in the daily consumption activities and scenes.This research paper aims to describe and discuss the practical and discursive consciousness on the sustainable level, objectively discern the consumption behaviors and mental motives, and provide a microscopic theory base for the establishment of sustainable consumption mode.By reviewing the references, it can be found that the sustainable consumption, which is based on consumption activities under a consciousness of resources and environmental preservation, is one of the conditions of sustainable development. Quantitative research plays an important role in the social science researches since a long time. The normative operative procedures, strict investigation and samples can accurately and effectively describe various; social phenomenons and build up universal, objective, observable and verifiable relationship among different phenomenons.However, standardized measuring scales and passive survey of behaviors can not discern the details of the interviewees.Microcosmically, the interactivity, process and guidance quality of the objects indicate that the phenomenological approach (Strayss & Corbin,1990) is more appropriate to this research paper. Research of sustainable consumption can utilize the grounded theory, which is considered as the most authoritative and normative method of qualitative research (Ersley,1989).It adopts phenomenology to observe the consumers behaviors, classifies and summarizes the theories, and finally reveals the consumption consciousness relevant to the environment. Consumption consciousness that determines human life styles and consumption styles is the prerequisite of sustainable consumption. How is the consumption consciousness in China nowadays? For figuring out this question, this paper will discuss the relationship between the consumption and the consciousness by analysis of consciousness and life styles of individuals and families.This paper will apply the phenomenological approach, observing six samples. Due to the limitation, samples are insufficient, however, purposive sampling is required (Patton,1990). Thus, sampling of qualitative research should be accordance with the principle that the samples must provide extensive and prefound materials of pluralistic society, but not only quantitative sampling. According to the qualitative research, notably the grounded theory, the researchers can decide the quantity of samples instead of fulfilling the quantitative requirement in the statistical analysis.Generally, six samples are appropriate (Denzin and Lincolin,1998).This research decides samples according to age, level of education and social status.At the beginning of the depth interview, all interviewees have been apprised that this research aims to learn about their experience, views and feelings of consumption including food, housing, transportation, amusement and so on, and their consumption habits and interaction with the environment will also be investigated. This research focus on the interview with interviewees, therefore, the time and space are not limited. The scope and outline of interview applies the widely accepted model in the Thompson article 1989,and in addition, more vivid and meticulous material will be used. The interview usually begins with the question "if you ever considered that your consumption activities effect the environment".The interviewees are encouraged to talk about their own experience. The conversation is scalable, which means that, within the scope of research, the interviewer and interviewees feel free to extend a question to another new question.This research attaches importance to the depth of conversation, detecting details during the interview and setting up further arguments and issues.The private information and materials will not open to the public according to the requirement of interviewees.The interviewer summarizes the interviews at first, and then analyzes both the general and individual characters.The materials derived from the depth interviews describe the main consumption activities on the microcosmically and individual level, present the characters of consumption, learn about consumption feelings, and then analyze the consumption consciousness.This research discusses the practical and discursive consciousness regarding environmental protection by reviewing the consumers' decision of products, purchase, utilization of products, amusement, transportation and any other consumption activities.It is found that some consumers, especially the well-educated group, perform stronger discursive consciousness, combining the environmental factor with consumption consciously, while most of consumers act differently in environmental discursive consciousness during purchase and utilization of products.The research presents; three conditions of sustainable consumption. First, individuals can detect efficient interests in the consumption activities which are friendly to the environment. Secondly, friendly environment is considered as the main measure of the value orientation in various social groups. The last one is the environmental factors in social customs. |
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