From locked-down to locked-in? COVID-induced social practice change across four consumption domains

From locked-down to locked-in? COVID-induced social practice change across four consumption domains

Blog Article

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyday living and social practices, prompting questions of whether more sustainable consumption patterns are emerging and the likelihood of their long-term retention.To examine these questions, we apply a practice-based approach to a quantitative study of COVID-driven practice changes in the domains of food, material consumption, housing, and mobility conducted in four global North countries Hockey Protective - Helmet - Combo (Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States).We discuss the trends emerging from our analysis from a sustainability perspective and address the role of social practice elements – materials, meanings, competences – in the establishment and discontinuation of sustainable consumption practices.Observed sustainability gains in specific practices and domains (such as a decrease in material consumption and more sustainable food practices and diets), may be offset by other practices, particularly a renewed desire for air travel and larger housing.The uptake and lock-in of sustainable practices are driven by a combination of meaning and material-related practice elements such as Square Counter Height Table w/4 Barstools the alignment with interests and personal values; the availability of labor, energy, or time; and the ability to routinize practices.

However, new policies to support emerging lifestyle shifts, as well as the development of businesses catering to and encouraging low-impact practices, may ultimately determine the formation of a more sustainable “new normal.” We also reflect on the strengths and limitations of using quantitative research methods in studies of sustainable consumption informed by social practice theories.