Tales of Materialism and Sustainable Consumption in a Marketizing Urban India

Abstract

I bring culturally-rich insight into what it means to be a modern consumer in marketized urban India living on a climatically challenged planet. Using an online panel survey and mixed methods qualitative research, I present a rich and thick account of urban middle-class Indian consumers’ materialism and sustainability consumption experiences as they interact with the marketplace. I use worldviews, materialism, environmental concern, and sustainable consumption buying behavior to explore their collusion and collision navigation within the dominant archetype of economic growth, and its sustainability challenges. Three worldviews emerge representing reflexivity, spirituality and wealth. All have sustainability implications for India. Materialism is embedded among India’s urbanites, reflecting a growth agenda. Environmental concern is subsumed by societal and political problems. Hence, not surprisingly, the sustainability buying of these consumers is largely unaffected by these behavioral theories. India has a turbulent challenge ahead, thus I conclude with my reflexivity and future research ideas.