Dreaming of a Red Lamborghini and Blue Sky: Towards Understanding Sustainability and Sustainable Consumption in Developing Countries.

Abstract: Title: Dreaming of a Red Lamborghini and Blue Sky: Towards Understanding Sustainability and Sustainable Consumption in Developing Countries. Date of the Seminar: 1st June, 2010 Course: BUS 808 -Master thesis in International Marketing and Brand Management. Authors: Bishaara Hameed, Igor Ackerberg, Sundus Ahad Khan Advisors: Sofia Ulver-Sneistrup Keywords: Sustainability Discourses, Sustainable Consumption, Consumers, Developing Countries Thesis purpose: To explore how consumers in developing countries living in a complex globalized world make sense of the various discourses of sustainable consumption, habitats of meaning and cultural flows to which they are exposed to; and investigate how these negotiations may indicate their future consumption choices. Methodology: A qualitative research methodology was used which focused on identifying meanings and values that individuals associate with different experiences they undergo in transition between different social contexts. This methodology allowed us to gather rich and thick data, which was used to analyze how informants negotiate and make sense of ‘sustainability’ and that allowed to penetrate their dreams and aspirations which may indicate their future consumption choices. Theoretical perspective: Sustainability discourses and ideological roots of consumerism, global trickle -down theory, emulation, global cultural flows and habitats of meaning. Empirical data: The empirical data used for this particular study was gathered through in-depth, phenomenological long interviews with Chinese students, temporarily in Sweden, pursuing graduate education Conclusion: We demonstrate that our informants do not associate sustainability with their personal consumption. This may be rooted in the strong forces of their original habitat of meaning which encourages consumerism in consistency with the ideology of growth. Secondly, we show that habitats of meaning are not country bound. Nevertheless, in our study when individuals in transition are exposed to different habitats of meaning, we demonstrate that the intersection of flows may not result in a scenario of de-territorialisation as to what Appadurai (1990) might have predicted. In line with Heyman & Campbell (2009), we demonstrate that de-territorialisation of cultural flows may only be one of many possible consequences by clearly disclosing the contradictions that the individuals are caught up in and we stress the importance of understanding the transition process. Hence, thirdly, we demonstrate ways through which sustainable consumption choices in developing countries may be explained through other ways than merely anticipating whether emulation or imitation occurs