STUDENT ATTITUDE TO ETHICAL CONSUMPTION AS NEW ECOLOGICAL PRACTICE

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The aim of this article is to analyze the attitude of students to ethical consumption as a new environmental practice; to explore current research on ethical consumption. Methodology: The leading methods for the study of this problem are the methods of questioning and testing, allowing to make a qualitative analysis of the students' attitude to the new environmental practice – ethical consumption and contributing to a more detailed identification of such issues as: knowledge of students about ethical consumption; students' attitude to separate waste disposal; students' attitude to the use of environmental packaging products; identification of students' practices of secondary consumption. Results: The article deals with the theoretical and methodological foundations of the analysis of students' attitudes to ethical consumption as a new environmental practice. It is established that the level of students' awareness of ethical consumption is low. The proportion of informed students among social and humanities specialties is twice more than high as students of technical specialties. It is revealed that more than a third of respondents do not know about the production of environmentally friendly goods.  Almost all students are aware of the separate disposal of garbage and believe that it is necessary to install the appropriate bins. More than half of students are ready to sort garbage in the presence of such containers, and the readiness of humanitarians is 1.5 times higher than that of students of technical specialties. The main reasons why respondents would not buy goods in eco-friendly packaging are the lack of funds and the lack of sense for students. The majority of students believe the practice of secondary consumption to be popular one.  Applications of this study: The data obtained in the work can be used in environmental psychology, social psychology, pedagogy, the psychology of education, age psychology, sociology, as well as for further theoretical development of this issue. Novelty/Originality of this study: The originality of this article lies in the analysis of the social phenomenon of ethical consumption, which implies that only purchase and consumption of those goods, the production of which does not cause great harm to the environment, those goods in the production of which are not infringed the rights of the worker and moreover child labor is not used, and most importantly the recycling of waste after consumption of the product will not harm nature is ethical one.