THE EFFECT OF LIFE EVENTS ON EVERYDAY CONSUMPTION

THE EFFECT OF LIFE EVENTS ON EVERYDAY CONSUMPTION PATTERNS Martina Schäfer, Melanie Jaeger Center for Technology and Society Technische Universität Berlin Transpose Conference, November 2009

RESEARCH PROJECT „ IFE L EVENTS“ • Project: “Life events as windows of opportunity for change towards sustainable consumption patterns“ • Duration: March 2008 – February 2011 • Cooperation between • Characteristics: – Interdisciplinarity (sociological & psychological theory) – Transdisciplinarity (collaboration with external partners: enterprises, NGOs and institutions) – Triangulation (quantitative and qualitative methods)

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT Dialogue marketing campaign Birth of first child Relocation Daily habits Nutrition -regional/ saisonal products - organic products -less meat, more fruits/ vegatables Mobility -reduction of private car use -increase of going by public transport, bike and foot Energy -purchase of energy efficient appliances - saving heat energy, electricity Short-term and long-term quantitative measure, qualitative interviews

QUALITATIVE DESIGN Target group: - Comparison between non- participants and participants of the campaign Method: Two-phase problem focused interview (1, 5 – 2 h): 1. Narrative introduction concerning the life event 2. Focus: Everyday practices and consumption patterns in the fields: energy use, nutrition and mobility Analysis: - Mainly Grounded Theory (supported by Atlas. ti) - Generation of type-based action models Current status: - 40 Interviewees (23 campaign, 17 non-campaign); 29 female/ 11 male; Age 19 -87 (Mean 34); 65 % academics

DESCRIPTIVE RESULTS OVERVIEW Comparison between fields of consumption: • In general mobility and nutrition are more ‘emotional issues’ which • • often are connected to general attitudes whereas energy consumption is mostly treated more objectively and energy-saving is an accepted social norm. From a subjective point of view nutrition and mobility are more relevant issues for parents than saving energy : responsibility for the child /new role as parent is experienced more intensely; tendency in nutrition towards more healthy/ organic food, tendency in mobility towards walking and more comfort/ less complication For relocaters the field of mobility is most relevant and – depending on where the house/appartment is situated and the quality of public transport – cars become less important

DOMAIN-SPECIFIC RESULTS - ENERGY • From an objective point of view, energy consumption is changing significantly after the birth of a child: more household appliances, more heating and washing, more time at home (But: little awareness about this fact!). • Relocaters are mostly not aware of how they can influence energy consumption while preparing their flat (e. g. placement of furniture and appliances) • For older relocaters with a long term perspective, purchasing energy efficient household appliances gets more relevant than for younger ones who are more often relying on donations/ second hand etc.

TYPES OF ENERGYCONSUMPTION Action/ Experimental type Convenienceoriented type Norm-driven type - eager to identify options for saving - open for new information, but it must be coherent (explain causal relationships) - possibility for control/ feedback is important - tries to avoid too much effort - prefers structural solutions ( motion detector, timer) - comfort at home is more important than saving - saves energy because that`s ‘what one does’ - follows ‘conventional rules’ (energysaving light bulbs, standby) - relations/effectiveness not always clear

IMPORTANT/ INFLUENCING ELEMENTS • Beliefs/ myths about ‘baby’s comfort’: necessary room temperature, frequency of bathing, food hygiene • Personal ‘no-go areas’: there are practices that are excepted from saving considerations (non-stop operation of computer, bathroom permanently warm) and can’t be tackled by interventions • Influence of roommates/ partners/ family: energy consumption as a matter of negotiation and mutual influence; especially sensitive when moving together • Differences in connecting energy-saving to broader issues (sustainability, resource management)

PRELIMINARY CONCLUSIONS – DESIGN OF INTERVENTIONS Action/ Experimental type - Information can be more technical, should show causal interrelations and calculations. - Direct feedback important (e. g. smart metering) Convenienceoriented type - Intervention should focus on singular actions which supply energy-saving structures Norm-driven type - Very important to spread correct information! - Interventions should clarify existing myths. - Interventions should pre-select most relevant/ efficient practices

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING Prof. Dr. Martina Schäfer Melanie Jaeger-Erbe Center for Technology and Society (ZTG) Technische Universität Berlin schaefer@ztg. tu-berlin. de, jaeger@ztg. tu-berlin. de www. lifeevents. de