From East to West: Contrasting Türkiye and Europe in Terms of Sustainable Consumer Behavior

Abstract

Sustainable consumption involves the redirection of individual consumption habits towards more sustainable alternatives. Presently, sustainable and environmentally friendly products are often either more expensive, less accessible, or less comfortable compared to traditional products. Consequently, sustainable consumption frequently necessitates paying higher prices for comparable products or sacrificing convenience. This study compares Türkiye and 22 European countries that participated in the ISSP 2010 Environment III dataset in terms of sustainable consumption behavior. Here we measure sustainable consumption behavior using three questions that measure the willingness to pay more, pay additional taxes, and sacrifice living standards to protect the environment. The responses to these questions are compared across countries and between male and female participants. Additionally, the study analyzes the effects of age, education, and personal income on sustainable consumption. It is observed that citizens in higher-income countries, based on GDP per capita, demonstrate more willingness toward sustainable consumption. Across all countries, there is a significant increase in the willingness for sustainable consumption as the level of education rises. Personal monthly income levels also support the willingness for sustainable consumption in most countries. According to the analysis, among the European countries Türkiye’s sustainable consumption willingness is close to the median but less than the median.

Keywords

• Sustainability
• Sustainable Consumer Behavior
• Cultural Differences

Doğudan Batıya Sürdürülebilir Tüketici Davranışı Açısından Türkiye ve Avrupa'nın Karşılaştırılması

Abstract

Sürdürülebilir tüketim, bireylerin benimsedikleri tüketim alışkanlıklarının daha sürdürülebilir alternatifler yönünde kullanılmasıdır. Günümüzde sürdürülebilir, çevre dostu ürünler genellikle geleneksel ürünlere kıyasla ya daha pahalı ya erişimi zor ya da daha az konforludur. Bu nedenle sürdürülebilir tüketim çoğu zaman benzer ürüne daha fazla ücret ödemeyi ya da konfordan feragat etmeyi gerektirir. Bu çalışmada, ISSP 2010 Environment III veri setini kullanarak Türkiye ve anket çalışmasına katılmış 22 Avrupa ülkesini sürdürülebilir tüketici davranışı açısından karşılaştırılmaktadır. Çalışmada sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışı, çevreyi korumak için daha fazla ücret ödemeye, daha fazla vergi vermeye ve yaşam standartlarından feragat etmeye yönelik istekliliği ölçen 3 soru ile ölçeklendirilmiştir. Bu sorulara verilen yanıtlar hem ülkeler hem kadın ve erkek katılımcılar bazında parametrik olmayan hipotez testleri ile karşılaştırılmış; yaş, eğitim ve kişisel gelirin sürdürülebilir tüketim üzerindeki etkileri korelasyon anlamlılığı ile analiz edilmiştir. Analizlerde elde edilen bulgulara göre kişi başı gayri safi yurt içi hasıla bakımından yüksek gelirli ülkelerin vatandaşlarının sürdürülebilir tüketim konusunda daha fazla isteklilik gösterdiği görülmektedir. Eğitim seviyesi arttıkça bütün ülkelerdeki sürdürülebilir tüketim istekliliği anlamlı olarak artış göstermektedir. Kişisel aylık gelir seviyesi de ülkelerin çoğunluğunda sürdürülebilir tüketim istekliliğini desteklemektedir. Bütün sonuçlar bir araya getirildiğinde görülmektedir ki Türkiye, sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışına yönelik isteklilik bakımından Avrupa ortalamasına yakın olsa da ortalama altındadır.

Keywords

• Sürdürülebilirlik
• Sürdürülebilir tüketici davranışı
• Kültürel farklılıklar

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