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Cleanliness and consumption : exploring material and social structuring of domestic cleaning practices

Jack, Tullia LU orcid (2017) In International Journal of Consumer Studies 41(1). p.70-78
Abstract
In line with increasing international trends of energy efficient devices on the market and in households, domestic consumption of water and energy should be decreasing. However in Sweden, domestic per capita water consumption is not decreasing rapidly and energy consumption is actually increasing. This suggests that physical contexts are not the only factor shaping resource demand. People are also influenced by collective conventions; what we think is normal has a significant say in what we do, and the resources we consume in the course of everyday life. This paper explores the way context shapes what people do from both a material infrastructures and social infrastructures perspective, using cleanliness in Sweden as a case study. First,... (More)
In line with increasing international trends of energy efficient devices on the market and in households, domestic consumption of water and energy should be decreasing. However in Sweden, domestic per capita water consumption is not decreasing rapidly and energy consumption is actually increasing. This suggests that physical contexts are not the only factor shaping resource demand. People are also influenced by collective conventions; what we think is normal has a significant say in what we do, and the resources we consume in the course of everyday life. This paper explores the way context shapes what people do from both a material infrastructures and social infrastructures perspective, using cleanliness in Sweden as a case study. First, material infrastructures in Sweden are mapped, including device ownership, water, energy and time consumed related to cleanliness. Second, qualitative interviews with Swedish people aim to show the social structuring of cleanliness. Understanding the interplay between physical and social structures has potential implications for decreasing resource intensity in everyday life. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
social practices, cleanliness, sustainability, water consumption, energy consumption
in
International Journal of Consumer Studies
volume
41
issue
1
pages
8 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:84995476567
  • wos:000394904200010
ISSN
1470-6431
DOI
10.1111/ijcs.12315
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
509d93ce-8de1-4cac-9f84-b6ea5785ad78
date added to LUP
2017-05-23 15:32:21
date last changed
2022-02-14 19:35:41
@article{509d93ce-8de1-4cac-9f84-b6ea5785ad78,
  abstract     = {{In line with increasing international trends of energy efficient devices on the market and in households, domestic consumption of water and energy should be decreasing. However in Sweden, domestic per capita water consumption is not decreasing rapidly and energy consumption is actually increasing. This suggests that physical contexts are not the only factor shaping resource demand. People are also influenced by collective conventions; what we think is normal has a significant say in what we do, and the resources we consume in the course of everyday life. This paper explores the way context shapes what people do from both a material infrastructures and social infrastructures perspective, using cleanliness in Sweden as a case study. First, material infrastructures in Sweden are mapped, including device ownership, water, energy and time consumed related to cleanliness. Second, qualitative interviews with Swedish people aim to show the social structuring of cleanliness. Understanding the interplay between physical and social structures has potential implications for decreasing resource intensity in everyday life.}},
  author       = {{Jack, Tullia}},
  issn         = {{1470-6431}},
  keywords     = {{social practices; cleanliness; sustainability; water consumption; energy consumption}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{70--78}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Consumer Studies}},
  title        = {{Cleanliness and consumption : exploring material and social structuring of domestic cleaning practices}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/44127042/Jack_2017_Cleanliness_and_consumption.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/ijcs.12315}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}