Title: Life paths in Hungary in the light of commitment to sustainability

Authors: Agnes Hofmeister-Toth; Kata Kelemen; Marianna Piskóti

Addresses: Department of Market Research and Consumer Behaviour, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1093 Budapest, Fővám tér 8, Hungary ' Department of Market Research and Consumer Behaviour, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1093 Budapest, Fővám tér 8, Hungary ' Department of Market Research and Consumer Behaviour, Corvinus University of Budapest, 1093 Budapest, Fővám tér 8, Hungary

Abstract: National experience shows that commitment of individuals to shift their national economies towards a sustainable direction is performed extremely slowly and in small steps. Most people have serious doubts as to whether their individual decisions and behaviour have any impact on the economy as a whole (Hofmeister-Toth et al., 2011; WEF, 2011). There is, however, a small group of citizens who participate in this process in a proactive way. They provide a key to reaching the critical mass. The objective of our research was to get to know their narratives. Accordingly, the authors conducted analyses of narratives of 25 individuals who are dedicated to sustainability.

Keywords: pro-environmental behaviour; consumer behaviour; consumer social responsibility; consumer commitment; life events; Hungary; life paths; sustainability; individual commitment; individuals; national economies; individual decisions; individual behaviour; citizens; proactive participation; critical mass; narrative analysis; Agnes Hofmeister-Toth; Kata Kelemen; Marianna Piskoti; World Economic Forum; narratives; environment; interdisciplinary approaches.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2012.051449

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2012 Vol.13 No.4, pp.323 - 339

Published online: 16 Aug 2014 *

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