“It is more than necessary to promote alternative narratives that value simplicity and resilience.”

In an exclusive interview, anthropologist Fanny Parise shares her insights into consumer mindsets and habits, and explores Western practices and their inherent contradictions. Her latest book, “Les enfants gâtés,” critiques responsible consumption as a façade for sustaining hyper-consumerism

Can you start by introducing yourself?
I’m an anthropologist specialised in consumer issues and the contemporary world. My work explores Western practices and the ideas behind them while highlighting the paradoxes and contradictions of our times. I teach human and social sciences at the Strate Lyon design school, and I am Co-Director of the Managia research and teaching chair.

In your book “Les enfants gâtés,” you talk about what has become known as responsible consumption. In your view, it is only an alibi to ensure that nothing changes, so that we can continue with a hyper-consumerist system. Could you explain?
Responsible consumption is often presented as a solution to the excesses of consumerism. However, it is often used as a mere alibi to legitimise the continuation of a hyper-consumerist system. Under the guise of responsibility, companies continue to encourage unbridled consumerism, covering up their environmental impact through greenwashing. This allows consumers to feel virtuous while maintaining high levels of consumption. In reality, it is a decoy that only perpetuates the status quo rather than bringing about profound structural change.

In your view what are the obstacles to change?
The main obstacles to change are manifold. Firstly, there is cultural inertia. Consumer habits are deeply rooted in our lifestyles and our collective imagination. Then there are economic interests. The dominant economic players have a direct interest in maintaining the current system, which is profitable for them. In addition, there is a lack of political commitment. Political decisions are often influenced by powerful lobbies and a short-term quest for economic growth. And finally, another obstacle is individual resistance. Changing our behaviour requires a great deal of cognitive and emotional effort, often hampered by a sense of comfort.

In light of the obstacles you mentioned, how can we respond to the dual demands for saving the planet and preserving the economy?
Responding to these dual demands requires a complete reconfiguration of our economic and social model. We need to consider a transition to other economic models, what is known as “ecological redirection,” which promotes sustainability and repair rather than programmed obsoleteness, like in a mutualisation economy.  This also means redefining the notion of growth to include indicators of well-being and sustainability, rather than focusing solely on GDP. Reconciling these needs requires ambitious policies that promote ecological innovation and environmentally friendly economic practices that are respectful of the environment and, above all, of others.

In your latest book, “No carbon,” you claim that in order to reduce the gap between our aspirations and our actions, today’s constraints must become tomorrow’s standards. Can you clarify what you mean by this?
Today’s constraints, such as limiting carbon emissions, are standards in the making that are not yet fully accepted. In the current context, the existing standards no longer meet today’s challenges. We therefore need to define new standards and accept new constraints. Today, the paradox lies in the fact that we talk about an ecological transition, but we are not making it a reality. If we did, carbon would become a real taboo.  By integrating these constraints into our social and regulatory norms, they would not be perceived as temporary and would become essential standards. This would encourage structural changes in behaviour, allowing new habits and innovations to emerge. This stable and predictable framework is essential if we are to adopt more sustainable lifestyles that are consistent with the environmental challenges we have to meet.

How can we bring about a lasting change in the way we think?
We have to agree to give up some of our values and change our habits, and constraints can help us to do this. It is difficult and complicated, but we have to leave the consumer society of the last century behind us. One way of doing this is to transform our idea of what is ordinary and what is exceptional. For example, perhaps in the future, having a new piece of clothing will become the exception rather than the norm, and this will continue throughout our lives. This transformation will lead to the creation of new ideas, then new economic models, and finally, completely different daily routines. Changing the way people think requires a profound cultural strategy. This involves education, which needs to incorporate socio-ecological issues from an early age, but also through the media, advertising, and art, which have the power to shape our desires and aspirations. It is more than necessary to promote alternative narratives that value simplicity and resilience.

How can design fiction help companies to question their place and function in the world and make their contradictions more visible?
Design fiction enables people, as well as public and private organisations, to project themselves into possible futures, both desirable or undesirable, and explore the consequences of their current choices. It is a powerful tool for questioning their practices and their impact on society and the environment. By creating fictional but plausible scenarios, people and organisations can identify opportunities for transformation and ways of anticipating future changes. This exercise makes the contradictions between stated aspirations such as environmental responsibility and specific actions more visible, enabling us to think critically and constructively. In this way, design fiction becomes a political tool for critiquing and questioning our society. It provides a framework for reflecting on the implications of our choices, revealing contradictions between what we say are our values and actual actions. I hope it will encourage people to adopt practices that are more consistent with the social and ecological challenges of our time.

What do you see as the main pillars of a “No Carbon” society?
To answer that, I can draw on the No Carbon Manifesto I present at the end of my book, which is based on ten pillars for a future society:

1. Eco-collectivism: Promoting cooperation, the pooling of resources and the creation of sustainable communities based on the common good. The creation of sustainable communities based on self-management and ecological practices, to promote social equality and environmental justice.
2. Community resilience: Building the capacity of local communities to adapt to and respond to environmental and social change by promoting self-help networks, education and green skills training.
3. Techno-harmony: Integrating technological advances in useful ways to reduce our consumption of resources, pollution and socio-economic inequalities.
4. Cultural symbiosis: Valuing cultural diversity by encouraging the exchange of knowledge, practices and traditions between different cultures in order to build sustainable models of society that respect the environment.
5. Eco-wisdom: Learning from ancestral knowledge and cultural traditions to encourage the intergenerational passing on of knowledge and sustainable practices, and build resilient, harmonious societies.
6. Planetary ethics: Integrating an ethical and holistic perspective with respect to decisions aimed at addressing socio-ecological issues, taking into account the impact of our actions on future generations, and other life forms.
7. Bio-empathy: Developing an emotional and empathetic connection between human beings, animals, and nature, by becoming aware of the impact of our actions on the environment, and on other species.
8. Eco-empowerment: Encouraging the empowerment of individuals and communities to take an active part in the socio-ecological transition, by promoting environmental awareness, and community involvement.
9. Terra-equity: Working towards a balance between the needs of humanity and those of the Earth, by distributing resources equitably among all living beings.
10. Eco-participatory governance: Involving citizens directly in decision-making on environmental and socio-economic issues, by promoting active and responsible involvement in the transition to a sustainable way of life.

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Image: melanie-bultez-photographe

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