Ethical consumption in Serbia: Analysing its prevalence and distinctiveness

Abstract

Ethical consumption refers to the conscious decision of individuals to purchase or decline to purchase particular goods, in which their choice is guided by certain values rather than financial considerations. In this case, the decision to purchase a product (buycott) or to avoid purchasing a product (boycott) does not depend on price or availability but is instead an expression of moral attitudes, cultural preferences and distinct lifestyle choices. This paper analyses the prevalence of ethical consumption in Serbia, as well as the impact of the following factors on ethical consumption: Demographic and socio-economic factors (gender, age, education, place of residence, economic status, occupation and employment status); trust in institutions (national and supranational); level of interest in politics (as well as assessment of ability to influence politics but also assessment of the ‘openness’ of the political system to citizen participation); political activism and political orientation and values. The analysis is based on the data of the European Social Survey (ESS) conducted in 2018.