Boycotts and Buycotts: Profiles of Ecologically Responsible Consumers Among Russian Urban Citizens
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2025.3.2777Keywords:
consumption, ecologically responsible consumption, green consumption, environmental practices, boycotts, purchases, urban populationAbstract
The article examines ecologically responsible consumption, through which individuals strive to minimize the negative environmental impact of their purchasing decisions. The study’s goal is to identify and compare profiles of ecologically responsible consumers in urban Russia, focusing on two primary forms of this behavior: boycotts (refusals to purchase for environmental reasons) and buycotts (purchases of goods and services of companies that comply with ecological norms). The empirical basis of the research is survey data on emotionally driven consumption, collected within the ‘Household Economic Behavior’ project conducted by the HSE University 2024 and representing the urban population of the Russian Federation with access to the Internet (Internet audience), aged 18+ N = 3000). The data was analyzed using binary logistic regression models. The study revealed that the audiences of ecological boycotts and buycotts are made up of urban youth and young adults, those who study and are employed at the same time, express high environmental concerns. However, half of the ecologically responsible consumers from our sample do not combine boycotts and buycotts but tend to choose only one of the forms. Boycotts are more typical of individuals aged 18 to 44 who have signs of pronounced psychological distress. In turn, ecological purchases are more likely to be practiced by representatives of economically stable households with children under 18. Further research should turn to the study of ecologically responsible consumption as an unfolding process over time, conditioned by the practical competence of individuals and the degree of involvement in behavior, and include in the analysis the relationship of ecologically responsible consumption with structural factors.
Acknowledgments. The work was carried out at the Laboratory for Studies in Economic Sociology of the HSE University within the framework of the project ‘Household Economic Behavior’ with the support of the Basic Research Program at the HSE University. The author is indebted to the members of the Laboratory for Studies in Economic Sociology (HSE University) for useful discussions and help with this manuscript. Special thanks to Z. V. Kotelnikova and V. A. Kondratenko.
References
Ермолаева П. О., Башева О. А., Корунова В. О. Экологическая политика и гражданское участие в российских мегаполисах: достижения и вызовы с позиции городских стейкхолдеров // Журнал исследований социальной политики. 2021. Т. 19. Вып. 2. С. 301—314. https://doi.org/10.17323/727-0634-2021-19-2-301-314.
Ermolaeva P., Basheva O., Korunova V. (2021) Environmental Policy and Civic Participation in Russian Megacities: Achievements and Challenges from the Perspective of Urban Stakeholders. The Journal of Social Policy Studies. Vol. 19. No. 2. P. 301—314. https://doi.org/10.17323/727-0634-2021-19-2-301-314. (In Russ.)
Емельянова Т. П., Нестик Т. А., Белых Т. В. Отношение к экологическим рискам среди представителей поколений Y и Z // Институт психологии Российской академии наук. Социальная и экономическая психология. 2019. Т. 4. № 3. С. 62-82.
Emelyanova T. P., Nestik T. A., Belykh T. V. (2019) Attitude to Environmental Risks Among Representatives of Generations Y and Z. Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Social and Economic Psychology. Vol. 4. No. 3. P. 62-82.
Ермолаева П. О., Ермолаева Ю. В. Критический анализ зарубежных теорий экологического поведения // Мониторинг общественного мнения: Экономические и социальные перемены. 2019. № 4. С. 323—346. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2019.4.16.
Ermolaeva P. O., Ermolaeva Y. V. (2019) Critical Analysis of Foreign Theories of Environmental Behavior // Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 4. P. 323—346. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2019.4.16. (In Russ.)
Захарова О. В., Глазкова А. В., Ходырев А. Н., Бессонова С. Д., Загайнова Е. О., Иванова Д. В., Калимова А. Е., Василец А. А. Кто готов включиться в экологические практики: анализ заинтересованности пользователей // Вестник Тюменского государственного университета. Социально-экономические и правовые исследования. 2024. Т. 10. № 4. Вып. 40. С. 77—96. https://doi.org/10.21684/2411-7897-2024-10-4-77-96
Zakharova O. V., Glazkova A. V., Khodyrev A. N., Bessonova S. D., Zagaynova E. O., Ivanova D. V., Kalimova A. E., Vasilets A. A. (2024) Who is Ready to Engage in Environmental Practices: An Analysis of User Interest. Bulletin of the Tyumen State University. Social, Economic and Legal Studies. Vol. 10. No. 4. Iss. 40. P. 77—96. https://doi.org/10.21684/2411-7897-2024-10-4-77-96. (In Russ.)
Захарова О. В., Паюсова Т. И., Ахмедова И. Д., Суворова Л. Г. Зеленые практики: подходы к изучению // Социологические исследования. 2021. № 4. С. 25—36. https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250012084-5.
Zakharova O. V., Payusova T. I., Akhmedova I. D., Suvorova L. G. (2021) Green Practices: Approaches To Study. Sociological Studies. No. 4. P. 25—36. https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250012084-5. (In Russ.)
Кичерова М. Н., Кыров Д. Н., Шелемеха К. С. На пути к межвузовским кампусам: зеленое декларирование и реальные экологические практики студенческой молодежи // Высшее образование в России. 2023. Т. 32. № 11. С. 77—94. https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2023-32-11-77-94.
Kicherova M. N., Kyrov D. N., Shelemekha K. S. (2023) On the Way to Interuniversity Campuses: Green Declaration and Real Environmental Practices of Student Youth. Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 32. No. 11. P. 77—94. https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2023-32-11-77-94. (In Russ.)
Коос С. Объясняя этическое потребительское поведение в Европе (эмпирические данные по 19 странам) // Экономическая социология. 2009. Т. 10. № 2. С. 76—97.
Koos S. (2009) Explaining Ethical Consumer Behavior in Europe (Empirical Evidence from 19 Countries). Economic Sociology. Vol. 10. No. 2. P. 76—97. (In Russ.)
Курбанов А. Р., Прохода В. А. Экологическая культура: эмпирическая проекция (отношение россиян к изменению климата) // Мониторинг общественного мнения: экономические и социальные перемены. 2019. № 4. С. 347—370. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2019.4.17.
Kurbanov A. R., Prokhoda V. A. (2019) Ecological Culture: An Empirical Projection (Attitudes of Russians Towards Climate Change). Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 4. P. 347—370. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2019.4.17. (In Russ.)
Нартова Н. А. Гражданственность в представлении петербургской молодежи и их родителей // Социологические исследования. 2019. Т. 45. № 12. С. 38—47. https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250007742-9.
Nartova N. A. (2019) Citizenship as Understood by St. Petersburg Young People and Their Parents. Sociological Studies. Vol. 45. No. 12. P. 38—47. https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250007742-9. (In Russ.)
Нартова Н. А. Индивидуальное и поколенческое будущее в нарративах петербургской молодежи // Социологические исследования. 2023. № 7. С. 93—104. https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250024233-9.
Nartova N. A. (2023) Individual and Generational Future in the Narratives of St. Petersburg Youth. Sociological Studies. No. 7. P. 93—104. https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250024233-9. (In Russ.)
Нестик Т. А., Задорин И. В. Отношение россиян к глобальным рискам: социально-демографические и психологические факторы восприятия угроз // Мониторинг общественного мнения: экономические и социальные перемены. 2020. № 5. С. 4—28. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2020.5.1700
Nestik T. A., Zadorin I. V. (2020) Nestik T. A., Zadorin I. V. (2020) Russians’ Attitudes towards Global Risks: Socio-Demographic and Psychological Factors Affecting People’s Perception of Threats. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 5. P. 4—28. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoing.2020.5.1700. (In Russ.)
Омельченко Е. Л., Лисовская И. В. Молодежь как барометр будущего? Молодежная повестка в современной России сквозь мнения экспертов по молодежной политике // Мониторинг общественного мнения: экономические и социальные перемены. 2022. № 2. С. 66—92. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2022.2.2078.
Omelchenko E. L., Lisovskaya I. V. (2022) Youth as a Barometer of the Future? The Youth Agenda in Contemporary Russia as Viewed by Youth Policy Experts. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 2. P. 66—92. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2022.2.2078. (In Russ.)
Радаев В. В. Эмоционально нагруженное потребление в современной России. Часть вторая: эмпирические оценки особенностей, факторов и финансовых последствий // Мониторинг общественного мнения: экономические и социальные перемены. 2023. № 6. С. 17—34. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2023.6.2501.
Radaev V. V. (2023) Еmotionally Loaded Consumption in Contemporary Russia: Specific Features, Main Factors and Financial Consequences. Part 2: Empirical Estimates. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 6. P. 17—34. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2023.6.2501. (In Russ.)
Радаев В. В., Барсукова С. Ю. Легенда о гендере. Принципы распределения труда между супругами в современной городской семье // Мир России. 2000. Т. 9. № 4. C. 65—102.
Radaev V.V., Barsukova S.Y. (2000) The Legend of Gender. Principles of the Labor Distribution Between the Spouses in a Modern Urban Family. Universe of Russia. Vol. 9. No. 4. P. 65—102. (In Russ.)
Шабанова М. А. Социально ответственное потребление в России: факторы и потенциал развития рыночных и нерыночных практик // Общественные науки и современность. 2017. № 3. С. 69—86.
Shabanova M. A. (2017) Socially Responsible Consumption in Russia: Factors and the Development Potential of Market-Oriented and Nonmarket Practices. Social Sciences and Modernity. No. 3. P. 69—86. (In Russ.)
Шабанова М. А. Этичное потребление как сфера гражданского общества в России: факторы и потенциал развития рыночных практик // Экономическая социология. 2023. Т. 24. № 1. С. 13—54. https://doi.org/10.17323/1726-3247-2023-1-13-54.
Shabanova M. (2023) Ethical Consumption as a Sphere of Russian Civil Society: Factors and the Development Potential of Market Practices. Economic Sociology. Vol. 24. No. 1. P. 13—54. https://doi.org/10.17323/1726-3247-2023-1-13-54. (In Russ.)
Щербак А. Н., Зубарев Н. С., Семушкина Е. С. Почвенники — за почву! Консервативные установки и проэкологическое поведение в России // Мониторинг общественного мнения: эко номические и социальные перемены. 2025. № 2. С. 66—89. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2025.2.2801.
Shcherbak A. N., Zubarev N. S., Semushkina E. S. (2025) ‘Pochvenniki’ — For the Soil! Conservative Attitudes and ProEnvironmental Behavior in Russia. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 2. P. 66—89. https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2025.2.2801. (In Russ.)
Яницкий О. Н. Российские мегаполисы в условиях глобальных социально-экологических вызовов // Общественные науки и современность. 2018. № 1. С. 5—16.
Yanitsky O. N. (2018) Russian Megacities in the Context of Global Socio-Environmental Challenges. Social Sciences and Modernity. No. 1. P. 5—16. (In Russ.)
Abeliotis K., Koniari C., Sardianou E. (2010) The Profile of the Green Consumer in Greece. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 34. No. 2. P. 153—160. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2009.00833.x.
Ajzen I. (1991) The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Vol. 50. No. 2. P. 179—211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T.
Andersen K., Ohme J., Bjarnøe C., Bordacconi M. J., Albæk E., de Vreese C. H. (2021) Generational Gaps in Political Media use and Civic Engagement: From Baby Boomers to Generation Z. New York, NY: Routledge Studies in Media, Communication, and Politics.
Berdysheva E., Romanova R. (2017) Rethinking Prices During an Economic Crisis: Calculation as a New Mode of Consumer Behaviour in Russia. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 41. No. 4. P. 397—403. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12366.
Brochado A., Teiga N., Oliveira‐Brochado F. (2017) The Ecological Conscious Consumer Behaviour: Are the Activists Different? International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 41. No. 2. P. 138—146. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12321.
Connolly J., Prothero A. (2008) Green Consumption: Lifepolitics, Risk and Contradictions. Journal of Consumer Culture. Vol. 8. No. 1. P. 117—145. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540507086422.
D’Souza C., Taghian M. (2017) Female Consumers as Agents of Change for Transforming the Environmental Sustainability Landscape. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 41. No. 3. P. 353—360. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12350.
Diamantopoulos A., Schlegelmilch B. B., Sinkovics R. R., Bohlen G. M. (2003) Can Socio-demographics Still Play a Role in Profiling Green Consumers? A Review of the Evidence and an Empirical Investigation. Journal of Business Research. Vol. 56. No. 6. P. 465—480. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0148-2963(01)00241-7.
Dunlap R. E. (2016) A Brief History of Sociological Research on Environmental Concern. In: Telesiene A., Gross M. (eds.) Green European: Environmental Behavior and Attitudes in Europe in a Historical and Crosscultural Comparative Perspective. London, England: Routledge. P. ixxvi.
Dunlap R. E. Jones R. E. (2002) Environmental Concern: Conceptual and Measurement Issues. In: Dunlap R. E., Michelson W. (eds.) Handbook of Environmental Sociology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. P. 482—524.
Elhoushy S., Jang S. (Shawn). (2023) How to Maintain Sustainable Consumer Behaviours: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 47. No. 6. P. 2181—2211. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12905.
Elliott R. (2013) The Taste for Green: The Possibilities and Dynamics of Status Differentiation Through “Green” Consumption. Poetics. Vol. 41. No. 3. P. 294—322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poetic.2013.03.003.
ESOMAR (1997) The ESOMAR Standard Demographic Classification. A System of International Socio-Economic Classification of Respondents to Survey Research. Amsterdam: ESOMAR.
Finisterra do Paço A. M., Raposo M. L. B. (2010) Green Consumer Market Segmentation: Empirical Findings from Portugal. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 34. No. 4. P. 429—436. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00869.x.
Gao J., Zhao J., Wang J., Wang J. (2021) The Influence Mechanism of Environmental Anxiety on Pro-environmental Behaviour: The Role of Self-discrepancy. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 45. No. 1. P. 54—64. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12604.
Gilg A., Barr S., Ford N. (2005) Green Consumption or Sustainable Lifestyles? Identifying the Sustainable Consumer. Futures. Vol. 37. No. 6. P. 481—504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2004.10.016.
Hoffmann S., Balderjahn I., Seegebarth B., Mai R., Peyer M. (2018) Under Which Conditions Are Consumers Ready to Boycott or Buycott? The Roles of Hedonism and Simplicity. Ecological Economics. Vol. 147. P. 167—178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.01.004.
IPCC (2022) Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kapeller M. L., Jäger G. (2020) Threat and Anxiety in the Climate Debate—An Agent-Based Model to Investigate Climate Scepticism and Pro-Environmental Behaviour. Sustainability. Vol. 12. No. 5. P. 1823. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12051823.
Kennedy E. H., Givens J. E. (2019) Eco-habitus or Eco-powerlessness? Examining Environmental Concern across Social Class. Sociological Perspectives. Vol. 62. No. 5. P. 646—667. https://doi.org/10.1177/0731121419836966.
Kennedy E. H., Kmec, J. (2018) Reinterpreting the Gender Gap in Household Pro-environmental Behaviour. Environmental Sociology. Vol. 4. No. 3. P. 299—310. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2018.1436891.
Maniates M. F. (2001) Individualization: Plant a Tree, Buy a Bike, Save the World? Global Environmental Politics. Vol. 1. No. 3. P. 31—52. https://doi.org/10.1162/152638001316881395.
Miniero G., Codini A., Bonera M., Corvi E., Bertoli G. (2014) Being Green: From Attitude to Actual Consumption. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 38. No. 5. P. 521—528. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12128.
Moisander J. (2007) Motivational Complexity of Green Consumerism. International Journal of Consumer Studies. Vol. 31. No. 4. P. 404—409. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2007.00586.x.
Neilson L. A. (2010) Boycott or Buycott? Understanding Political Consumerism. Journal of Consumer Behaviour. Vol. 9. No. 3. P. 214—227. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.313 .
Nguyen H. V., Nguyen C. H., Hoang T. T. B. (2019) Green Consumption: Closing the Intention‐Behavior Gap. Sustainable Development. Vol. 27. No. 1. P. 118—129. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1875.
Perera C., Auger P., Klein J. (2018) Green Consumption Practices Among Young Environmentalists: A Practice Theory Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics. Vol. 152. P. 843—864. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-016-3376-3.
Pihkala P. (2020) Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-anxiety and Climate Anxiety. Sustainability. Vol. 12. No. 19. P. 7836. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197836.
Sahakian M., Wilhite H. (2014) Making Practice Theory Practicable: Towards More Sustainable Forms of Consumption. Journal of Consumer Culture. Vol. 14. No. 1. P. 25—44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540513505607.
Scales I. R. (2014) Green Consumption, Ecolabelling and Capitalism's Environmental Limits. Geography Compass. Vol. 8. No. 7. P. 477—489. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12142.
Warde A. (2005) Consumption and Theories of Practice. Journal of Consumer Culture. Vol. 5. No. 2. P. 131—153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540505053090.
Warde A. (2015) The Sociology of Consumption: Its Recent Development. Annual Review of Sociology. Vol. 41. P. 117—134. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-071913-043208.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
