Book review. Mediating Sustainability in the Consumer Society

Abstract

The book is an anthology that is part of the Routledge Studies in Sustainability series. The eleven chapters are divided into the themes Ethics, Consumption, Communication and Literacy. The authors are affiliated with several different organizations as well as research and educational institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Norway, and have backgrounds in philosophy, consumer research, media and design. The chapters describe and discuss sustainability from a democratic perspective, in advertising campaigns, greenwashing and responsibility issues in relation to social media, etc. Concrete examples are presented from Instagram, IKEA, the fashion industry and activism, among others.

In the introductory chapter, the editors point out that the dissemination of information plays an important role in consumers' and citizens' ability to make sustainable choices, but that the information that is disseminated often has senders with political or commercial interests who in various ways angle the message or influence the products that are presented to the market.

The editors present several books from the period 2015 to 2024 that address this issue, books that all focus on a specific problem or subject area. With Mediating Sustainability in the Consumer Society, they will provide a more holistic and multidisciplinary perspective in relation to the media, the public sector, and various social groups and individuals, with the goal of creating awareness in society about the roles of the various actors. With the varied chapters' different perspectives, the editors' literature presentation, and the authors' references to further research and information, the book contributes with insight into the activities of many actors – and to reflection on what orientation options consumers around the world have to sort the information that is communicated in various ways.