Abstract

SILVA, Renata; CHAUVEL, Marie  and  MACEDO-SOARES, T. Diana. Investigating the behavior of consumers who seek simplicity: an exploratory study. Rev. Portuguesa e Brasileira de Gestão [online]. 2012, vol.11, n.1, pp.55-65. ISSN 1645-4464.

The environmental and social impacts caused by the increase of consumption have encouraged discussions on how people consume. Therefore, some individuals have been changing their attitude and searching for a simpler life in which consumption is reduced. The present article aims to share the results of a research related to Brazilian consumers who are in search of simplicity. The research was performed through netnography of a virtual community whose topic of discussion was “A Simple Life”. Four principal themes emerged from the community's discussion in the data analysis: characteristics of a simple life, the benefits of being simple, difficulties of the simple life, and perspective on the future. Results show that the group presents several peculiarities: the wish to reduce consumption and a more conscious form of purchasing goods. They realize that a simple life creates personal satisfaction (since balancing seems to bring happiness), as well as social wealth (they are concerned with the planet as a whole). However, there are difficulties of being simple.

Keywords : Anti consumption; Voluntary Simplicity; Brazil.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )