The Modus Vivendi of Material Simplicity: Counteracting Scarcity via the Deflation of Wants

Abstract

This paper studies how voluntary material simplicity may countervail the causal effect of relative scarcity generated by the environment of a consumer society. Analyses of both interviews and texts were performed. It is shown that voluntary material simplifiers manage, though with difficulty, to neutralize the causal effect of consumer society. This is achieved by mediating the cultural properties of the economic ethic of material simplicity, which promotes the deflation of human wants. These simplifiers consequently manage, though with difficulty due to causal interference, to deflate their material wants and maintain them below their material means. Consequently, they actualize the modus vivendi of material simplicity; namely, a practical state of relative abundance. One major implication of this study is that the scarcity postulate of mainstream economics is problematically formulated. Hence, the development of a new model of relative scarcity and abundance encourages an explanation rather than an assumption of scarcity.

Keywords:

• relative abundance
• consumerism
• economic ethic
• voluntary material simplicity
• relative scarcity

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Bengt Larsson, Freddy Winston Castro, and Martha Starr for valuable assistance and comments on previous versions of this paper. The author also wishes to acknowledge the valuable insights provided by the editors and the three anonymous referees.

Notes

Thus, previous work has examined connections between VMS and ecological lifestyles (Iwata 2006; McDonald et al. 2006), ethical consumption (Huneke 2005; Shaw and Newholm 2002), car sharing (Jonsson 2006), voluntary reduction of working time and income or “downshifting” (Schor 1999; Huneke 2005), comparisons between “simplifiers” and “non-simplifiers” (Craig-Lees and Hill 2002), eco-villages (Jonsson 2006), popular definitions (Johnston and Burton 2003), and different levels of intensity of practice (Etzioni 1998).

This also demonstrates that the relation between the cultural and the individual strata (culture ⇔ individual) really exists. The analytical focus of the interviews and the next section is on the social and individual level (individual ⇔ social).

It is however not clear how many individuals are actually active, but they usually have around 25–40 persons attending their various seminars and workshops, according to the head of this center (not one of the respondents).

The interviews were conducted in November and December 2007.

The second questionnaire has affinities with Kasser and Ryan's aspirations index (Kasser 2002: 6), although the questionnaire used in the present study had no predefined answers. See also Sheldon and Kasser (1998).

The focus will mainly be on material wants. The immaterial and material wants in Table 2 demonstrates that they are related. Nonetheless, for the sake of argumentative stringency and lack of space this question will be addressed in future research.

Cf. with Kasser and Ryan's (1996) distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic goals.

Compare this with the concept of mindfulness; see, for example, Rosenberg (2004).

It should be added that both Andy and Jon have obtained an audience with the Dalai Lama.

This model is obviously not a mathematical model but a causal or theoretical one. A theoretical model aims to show the underlying causal mechanism of an event rather than to establish a statistical inference; it is a graphical representation of how theoretical categories are related. For a detailed exposition of “models” see Danermark et al. (2002: 150 ff.).

Compare this model of relative scarcity and abundance to the model of absolute scarcity and abundance developed in Daoud (2007 see also Daoud (forthcoming)). The two models are almost analogous, but differ in that this model focuses on the alternative use of the set of M_n, whereas the model of absolute scarcity focuses on the actual use of available quantities (A) and entitlements (E). Thus the two models highlight two different dimensions or potentialities in resources.

See, for example, Bigo 2006, Lawson 1997, Martins 2007, and Mearman 2006 for some of the possibilities and problems with critical realism.

Originally published 1871.

See, for example, Menger's analogy of Crusoe, who tried to allocate his limited water supply (2004: 133–136) or Robbins’ example of being either a philosopher or a mathematician (1945: 14). Also, compare this argument with the economic approach of Gary Becker.

Compare these different accounts, Archer's sociological agency structure and Hodgson's institutional agency institution approach. See Fleetwood (2008) for an illuminating comparison.

Without it, the analysis collapse. See for example Robbins (1945).

See Kasser and Kanner (2004) for psychological studies on consumerism.

The number of published stories seems to increase exponentially both in Sweden but especially in English speaking countries. A crude search in Google News shows that between year 1980 and 1999 about 1,900 newspaper stories could be found about simplicity in English newspapers; between 2000 and 2009 (October) the number rose to about 5,300 stories, almost a threefold of the amount of stories. The absolute number is not comparable with the US, but a small emerging trend is observable in Sweden as well. Between 1980 and 2003 no publications about simplicity could be found in Swedish newspapers, but between 2004 and 2009 (October) the stories rose to around 40. This is a very small relative number but an indication of increasing media coverage. For recently published stories in the major Swedish newspapers, see, for example, Aftonbladet (Gustavsson 2008) “Är Vardagen Full Av Stress?“, Svenska Dagbladet, “Hårt Jobb Att Arbeta Mindre” (Lagerblad 2007), E24 “Vägen till ett annat tempo” (Andersson 2009), and Dagens Nyheter, “Var Fjärde Skulle Byta Sänkt Lön Mot Mer Fritid” (Granestrand 2008) and “Jag Vill Släppa Taget Om Det Materiella” (Lerner 2009a). The latter was also broadcast on the very popular morning show “Gommoron Sverige” (Svergies Television 2009). The following English search string was used: “simple living.” OR “voluntary.simplicity.” OR “slow.life.” OR “material.simplicity.” The following Swedish search string was used: “frivillig enkelhet.” OR “downshifting,” OR “enklare liv,” OR “leva enkelt,” OR “voluntary simplicity.” The search was conducted 30 October 2009, on http://news.google.com.

For Swedish book examples which have been noticed in major newspapers see, for example, Lerner (2009b).

I thank both anonymous referees for making me aware of this issue.

Cf. Kasser's “affluenza,” (2002: xi).

Strictly speaking then, the meaning of affluence is not the same as relative abundance, as developed here. The antinomy of affluence is poverty. Relative scarcity may then exist in affluence, and relative abundance in poverty. Increased affluence simply means increased control over material means.

Cf. Kasser and Ryan's (1996) concept of intrinsic and extrinsic goals.

In such an approach, the quantification of scarcity, abundance and sufficiency is required. The terminology W_k and M_n is used in order to facilitate such quantification. I merely offer a sketch here. To reiterate, scarcity, abundance and sufficiency (SAS) is defined as the relation between wants (W_k) and means (M_n). This is defined as a scale, namely, “SAS = ‘ M_n –W_k .” Here, W_k is a set with k different kinds of wants (house, car, etc.) and M_n is n different kind of means of satisfaction (social positions, own income, partner's income, etc.). This SAS relation is basically the dependent variable. If the SAS variable is positive, then abundance is actualized; if negative, scarcity exists. However, in order to investigate a special kind of relative abundance, namely, the modus vivendi of material simplicity, which occurs via deflation of material wants, further specifications must be made. The character of M_n and W_k could in turn be investigated by a series of independent variables; most importantly, active value system (the economic ethic), kind of work, whether downshifted, kinds of good consumed, if less consumption is voluntarily chosen, affiliation with some kind of VMS movement (e.g., Buddhist, ecological), denote these variables as b₁ to b_z. Accordingly, in a simple multivariate regression one could set “SAS = b₀ + b₁ + …  + b_z + e.” This sketch offers a basis for statistical analysis.

The following is my translation from Swedish to English.