Spirituality, stewardship and consumption: new ways of living in a material world

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how spirituality impacts on the consumption choices of consumers who are adopting a sustainable lifestyle. Design/methodology/approach This is a longitudinal study of urban-based consumers who are actively engaged in living sustainably. To effectively study these lifestyles, a multi-modal research design was used, which combined photo-elicitation, journaling, interviews and observational data. Findings Spirituality and material consumption are traditionally depicted as being in opposition, with research finding a decrease in conspicuous consumption when spirituality is enhanced. This research demonstrates sustainability-mindful consumers who are reversing this trend by enacting their deeply held ideological beliefs through their consumption choices. The merging of ideology with consumption elevates even mundane purchases to be acts of meaning and purpose. Practical implications With an unwillingness to compromise on their beliefs, there is a growing gap between these consumers’ demands and what the market is offering. The study found evidence of these consumers developing their own consumables in direct response to a lack of appropriate market alternatives. Originality/value This study demonstrates consumers for whom spirituality is at the centre of their consumption choices. Further, it provides evidence that supports Maslow’s theory of being motives (self-actualization and self-transcendence), in which people are motivated by the desire to fulfil their highest life potential. This research suggests opportunities for those businesses that are willing to meet consumers’ transcendent needs through more transparent and socially responsible practices.