Verbraucherteilhabe durch Nachhaltigkeitskompetenz in der Circular Economy
How do the knowledge networks of novices and experts differ with regard to sustainability? How can contextual knowledge and sustainability-related behavior - important components of sustainability competence - be fostered?
Consumer participation has gained relevance for consumer policy not least by the emergence of concepts such as Consumer Citizen. Furthermore, a share of societal responsibility accrues to universities to convey to their students a sense of the systemic sustainability implications of their actions.
However, there is a lack of evidence-based empirical research elucidating how consumer behaviour can be fruitfully mobilized for economic and societal goals among them the Circular Economy goals of the EU. At the same time, little is known about the most promising means to increase sustainability competence of consumers. In the light of conflicting and even paradox behaviours of consumers who buy ecologically sustainable, regional food on the one hand and increasingly consume to-go-products with unsustainable packaging on the other, it is a matter of great interest to conduct basic research on how sustainability awareness and knowledge can be translated to concrete behaviour changes. This is why we particularly target behaviour and awareness of students who are still in their formative stage as a consumer. This is done in a mixed-method setting combining Concept Mapping as a visualization tool and a serious game, among other methods. The comparison of the mental maps of students (novices) and practitioners (experts) enables us to qualitatively evaluate differences in the interconnectedness of sustainability knowledge and to deliver methods to enhance sustainability competence. As a potential blueprint for societal problem-solving settings, the approach can be further rolled out in schools and sustainability departments, in line with OECD goals, and facilitates the participation of consumers in consumer policy not least by involving further groups of consumers (e. g. in Citizen Science labs).
Project duration: 01.04.2021 - 31.03.2023
Contact: Professor Dr. Bärbel Fürstenau, PD Dr. Inéz Labucay