Impact of the characteristics of postmodern society on the possibility of implementing postulates of sustainable development

Abstract

ObjectivesObjective is to find out whether characteristics of contemporary postmodern society constitute an obstacle to the possibility of achieving the postulates of sustainable development. Relationship between the postmodern property of materialism with consumption, which is still at the center of humans' lives, and the possibility of ensuring sustainable patterns of consumption seems particularly interesting.Material and methodsTheoretical part of this study has been made based on the method of critical analysis of the literature on the subject and specialized press. In the empirical part, the author makes usage of the results of qualitative study-relates to personal, informal interview, which took place on a voluntary basis among consumptionists who declared themselves to have a materialistic worldview.ResultsAlthought postmodern features quite naturally cause negative connotations, the characteristics of postmodern society have also certain advantages from the economic point of view. What’s more, although it is difficult to argue with the results indicating a negative impact of one of the characteristics of post-modern society on sustainable development, this relationship cannot be considered one-dimensional. It turns out that materialism and consumerism can, among others, accompany interest in environmentally friendly products and willingness to pay extra for them.ConclusionsThe concept of sustainable development has been developed in order to maintain proper relations between the economic, natural and social subsystems. However, meeting its requirements may pose a great challenge for members of modern society who manifest too often a materialistic attitude and are somehow accustomed to excessive consumption. At the same time, it turns out that materialism and consumerism may have certain, positive face.