Hedonic Ethics: Understanding Tourists’ Self-Defined Ethical Experiences

Abstract

This chapter explores the ways in which individuals seek out consumption experiences that are driven by pleasure and which connect with a sense of self-identity. We theorize the experience of pleasure stemming from ethical consumption practices as “hedonic ethics”; a particular type of hedonic experience inspired by ethically driven consumption practices. Building on Soper’s theory of Alternative Hedonism, we investigate the notion of hedonic ethics in a participant-defined “ethical” tourism context. We employ a qualitative, hermeneutic phenomenological approach, which concentrates on individuals’ subjective experiences as part of their lifeword, their meaning, and how they make sense of them. The findings provide detailed insight into the role emotion plays in the process of self-verification. The self-conscious emotions of pride, both positive and negative (i.e., hubris), and disgust are highlighted as significant. Implications for marketing research and practice are outlined.