Apologies for cross-posting
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CFP RGS-IBG Annual Conference 2015: ‘Geographies of the Anthropocene’
Exeter, September 1-4th 2015
Session Title:
Behavioural change in the Anthropocene: Charting new pathways towards sustainability.
Session Conveners:
Dr Mary Jo Lavelle (NUI, Galway, Ireland) & Dr Stewart Barr (University of Exeter, UK)
Abstract:
A renewed focus on environmental behaviour is needed to achieve a shift towards sustainability. Behavioural change policy across the UK and Ireland has been predominantly influenced by neoclassical economic theory during the 20th century. Behavioural economics – advocating the importance of ‘libertarian paternalism’ and the provision of ‘choice architecture’ – has since emerged (Thaler and Sunstein 2008). Social marketing approaches and segmentation analysis have also increased in popularity. These prevailing approaches are critiqued for proffering narrow understanding of a highly varied and specialised challenge (Chatterton and Wilson, 2014). A multi-faceted cross-disciplined approach is required in order to provide a more culturally and socially nuanced understanding of environmental behaviours.
In line with the RGS conference theme, Geographies of the Anthropocene, this session aims to bring together papers that offer a pragmatic and critical perspective on consumption behaviour and lifestyles and the interdependencies of these behaviours within wider contextual and political frameworks. Such consideration may expose new geographic opportunities – as well as challenges – to better understanding and addressing of environmental behaviour change. We seek contributions spanning behavioural, technological and policy insights to promote greater understanding of consumption behaviour change. Abstracts are invited from a broad array of geographers - as well as researchers and scholars from varying other academic disciplines (e.g. sociology, geography, psychology, marketing, and economics).
With the overall aim of promoting comprehensive academic discourse on issues pertaining to environmental behaviour, empirically-based and theoretically-informed papers are invited that address (but are not limited to) the following areas:
* Theoretical approaches to conceptualising consumption behaviour
* Social theories of consumption - cultural theory to theories of practice and socio-technical transition
* Segmentation across different lifestyle groupings and across varying socio-economic contexts
* Behavioural economics and ‘Nudge’ theory
* Implementation of sustainable consumption policy
Session Keywords:
Consumption; lifestyles; behaviour change; behaviour economics; segmentation approaches; social practices approach.
Please send abstracts (c. 250 words) for oral paper presentations to Mary Jo Lavelle ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) or Stewart Barr ([log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>) by 14.00 pm on Wednesday 11th February 2015.
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Dr Mary Jo Lavelle | Postdoctoral Researcher | Department of Geography | National University of Ireland, Galway
T 091 49 4103 | E [log in to unmask] | W www.consensus.ie
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