“Changing the world one lazy-assed mouse click at a time”: exploring the virtual spaces of Virtualism in UK third sector sustainable consumption advocacy

Abstract

Individuals are increasingly urged to ‘do their bit’ to address a suite of contemporary environmental, social and economic crises including climate change, peak oil and unfair trade. Consumption has been constructed as an important means by which individuals can tackle these issues, and third sector organisations occupy a key role as advocates supporting individuals in this quest. These advocacy groups and organisations are increasingly using the Internet to reach their publics, where this electronic form of advocacy – or ‘e-advocacy’ – encourages and makes possible particular kinds of actions, and consequently shapes our understanding of what sustainable consumption and being a sustainable consumer involves. I propose a typology of five main types of actions promoted in this sustainable consumption e-advocacy, and with reference to Daniel Miller and James Carrier’s theory of Virtualism I argue that this e-advocacy demonstrates a peculiarly ‘virtual’ form of Virtualism so far undescribed in the literature.

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