consumption sociology

The objective of this study is to provide a good "benchmark" case in juice fruit production plants for comparing their performance in terms of energy consumption and final product "yield". In particular, the industrial step-by-step processes performed for the production of natural fresh orange juice, fruit juices and purees will be dissected, also referring to the operations. By exploiting the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) methodology, we report general energy consumptions due to the main production processes and highlight the most energy-intensive ones, in order to provide a base for the selection of useful and reasonable key performance indicators. Furthermore, we include some sectorial KPIs that have been extracted from the literature.

El inicio temprano del consumo de alcohol se relaciona con el desarrollo de un patrón de consumo riesgoso y de problemas relacionados al consumo. Dada la importancia de desarrollar modelos conceptuales integrales y longitudinales se analizó el efecto prospectivo de diferentes variables sobre el consumo de alcohol adolescente (CAA). Participaron 332 adolescentes que completaron escalas para medir rasgos de personalidad, expectativas hacia el alcohol (EA), motivos de consumo de alcohol (MC), consumo de alcohol de pares (CP) y padres, apoyo parental y CAA. Se realizaron dos administraciones, al inicio y 12 meses después. Se aplicó la técnica de path análisis para determinar el efecto prospectivo de los factores implicados. Los rasgos de personalidad y las EA positivas tuvieron un menor efecto, mientras que el CAA inicial, el CP y las EA negativas fueron importantes predictores del CAA. Los MC fueron el antecedente más próximo del consumo. Se destaca la importancia de considerar múltipl...

Consumers frequently consume hedonic products together with other consumers and derive value from this shared experience. This article investigates the impact of shared consumption, a type of social influence that determines the enjoyment of joint experiences, in the context of a typical hedonic product: movies. The authors argue that this type of influence has important consequences for the diffusion curves of hedonic goods that are consumed together and the effectiveness of advertising in generating launch and postlaunch sales. An empirically validated agent-based model simulates the U.S. motion picture market, with new movies launching, competing, and exiting. The agent-based model serves as a means to demonstrate the essential role of shared consumption for explaining movie life cycles and tests how advertising expenditures accelerate and/or acquire movies’ demand in markets with varying levels of shared consumption. The results provide key theoretical insights for the new produ...

Religion is part of culture that helps explain shared attitudes, beliefs, norms, values, and behaviors of a society.Therefore, the key question is how does religion predicts the conspicuous behavior of people towards the purchase of luxury goods? How do the different levels of religiosity shape consumer's decision making process? In specific, we are interested to explore 'religiosity' as one of the predictive factors of a consumerism culture that may help explain why people engage in conspicuous consumption. Our goal in this paper is to shed light on the cultural patterns of conspicuous consumption behavior based on religiosity, i.e. different levels and intensity of their religious values.In specific, we will further discuss and present three propositions based on a general 'value-attitude-behavior' research framework that suggest the effect of religious commitment and affiliation on conspicuous consumption behavior.Finally,we will. conclude the paper with some ...

Despite the progress made in the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to ensure food security, pockets of food insecurity still remain in the Ivorian landscape. The objective of this study was to assess the food consumption of rural households in the department of Man in western Côte d'Ivoire and to identify the determinants of food insecurity. The assessment of food consumption was based on the calculation of the food consumption score. A survey of 1065 households was conducted to characterise the socio-economic profile and food consumption within these households. A survey of 1065 households was conducted to characterise the socio-economic profile and food consumption within these households. During the favourable period (October-February), 98.5% of households had an acceptable food consumption score, compared with 87.5% during the transitional period (March-June) and 15.5% during the lean season (July-September). The lean season is the most critical with 33.6%...

Population growth, at both the national and global level, will most certainly impact Canada’s climate, and, more broadly, its environment. While Canada’s population has been projected to continue to grow for many decades, what happens elsewhere in terms of population growth will be particularly important to Canada. Although greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in Canada have levelled off somewhat over the last decade and a half, global emissions have continued to climb. As a direct result, with increased GHGs in the atmosphere, Canada’s northern climate has already been impacted in a major way with considerable warming, particularly in its most northern forests and Arctic ecosystems.L’accroissement de la population, autant à l’échelle nationale que mondiale, aura certainement un effet sur le climat au Canada et, plus largement, sur son environnement. Selon les projections, la population canadienne devrait continuer à augmenter pendant encore plusieurs décennies. Or, ce qui se passe aille...

This article identifies consumer characteristics associated with preferences toward fluid milk alternatives. Using consumer survey data from Samsun province of Turkey and Multinomial Logit model, unpacked and packed fluid milk preferences were analyzed. Based on the results, 14.1% of respondents consumed only unpacked fluid milk, 58.2% consumed only packed fluid milk and 27.7% of respondents consumed both unpacked and packed fluid milk at least once a weak. Multinomial Logit model results indicated that better educated household head, higher income households, younger and female household head and people who agree with “unpacked milk is not healthy” consume more packed fluid milk than do others. Moreover, consumers who agree with statement “price of packed milk is expensive compare to unpacked milk” were less likely to consume packed fluid milk than do others.

The smart meter offered exceptional chances to well comprehend energy consumption manners in which quantity of data being generated. One request was the separation of energy load-profiles into clusters of related conduct. The Research measured the resemblance between groups them together and load-profiles into clusters by k-means clustering algorithm. The cluster met, also called “Gender (Male/Female), House (Rented/Owned) and customers status (Satisfied/Unsatisfied)” display methods of consuming energy. It provided value information aimed at utilities to generate specific electricity charges and healthier aim energy efficiency programs. The results show that 43% extremely dissatisfied of energy customer is achieved by using energy consumption.

This paper aims to investigate selected aspects of organic food consumption in Poland. We conducted a survey in a representative sample of 1000 consumers. Polish consumers are convinced that organic food is more expensive, healthier, more environmentally friendly, more tasty and more authentic than conventional food. They believe its arouses more trust, has a better quality, is subject to more strict controls, and is produced in a more traditional way. According to Polish consumers, the most important characteristics of organic food are healthiness and high quality. The perceived authenticity of organic food depends on its natural taste, product quality, labelling, in particular having a European quality sign, as well as the retailer type and a separate exposition place in the points of purchase (merchandising). The critical barrier to the development of the organic food market in Poland is the high price, followed by an insufficient consumer awareness, low availability of organic products, short expiry dates and low visibility in the shop. The principal motives of organic food selection in Poland include: healthiness, ecological character of the product, food safety considerations, superior taste, and quality assurance. We identified the motives for and barriers to organic food consumption in Poland.

A series of in-situ ceramic features and an associated midden, dating to first century BCE, were recorded in unit O7-15 at Tell Timai, which comprises the remains of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Thmuis. The features were interpreted as ovens, while faunal remains were analysed for information about the diet of the late-Hellenic inhabitants of Thmuis. Animal bone indicated a wide ranging and varied diet, incorporating domesticated and wild species. Shellfish was largely derived from the Mediterranean, indicating Thmuis’ wider trading networks. In total, the ovens and food remains are interpreted as deriving from a commercial food production facility, such as a tavern or bakery.

В статье рассматривается феномен сообществ онлайн-дарообмена — интернет-ресурсов, где участники обмениваются или делятся на безвозмездной основе предметами повседневного спроса (кни-гами, детскими товарами, одеждой, украшениями, посудой) и другими вещами. Авторы статьи прово-дят дескриптивный анализ онлайн-дарообмена, исследуют причины, структуру и последствия этого прогрессирующего явления.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the possibility of applying statistical matching on two different data sources to create an integrated database with detailed information on households income and consumption expenditures in Italy. The data to integrate are those of EU-SILC (EU Statistics on Income and Living Condition) 2012, with income reference year 2011, and the HBS (Household Budget Survey) 2011. This paper explores which are the matching approaches more suitable with the final objective and provides insights concerning some important steps of the integration process. In order to avoid the statistical matching under the conditional independence assumption (CIA) it is evaluated the usage of the available auxiliary information (household monthly income) and the main results are also presented.

The study aimed to determine the effect of kerosene price subsidy removal on deforestation in Nigeria using primary data from 200 respondents randomly selected from Ibadan and Owerri. The descriptively analysed data showed that fuel wood and kerosene are the most popular cooking fuel used in Nigerian households. Since the removal of subsidy on kerosene price the number of households using firewood and charcoal as cooking fuel increased by about 6 percent, and the quantity of firewood and charcoal used increased by about 40 percent and 15 percent respectively. Households with large family size and low income households were mostly affected by the price subsidy removal. Some farmers and some government workers were found to have reduced their quantity of kerosene usage and shifted to using more firewood as firewood business is now emerging lucrative among some unemployed youth. This is found to have a serious implication for deforestation and constitute an impediment to national devel...

In this paper, the work consists of categorizing telecommunication base stations (BTS) for the Sahel area of Cameroon according to their power consumption per month. It consists also of proposing a model of a power consumption and finally proceeding to energy audits in each type of base station in order to outline the possibilities of realizing energy savings. Three types of telecommunication base stations (BTS) are found in the Sahel area of Cameroon. The energy model takes into account power consumption of all equipment located in base stations (BTS). The energy audits showed that mismanagement of lighting systems, and of air-conditioning systems, and the type of buildings increased the power consumption of the base station. By applying energy savings techniques proposed for base stations (BTS) in the Sahel zone, up to 17% of energy savings are realized in CRTV base stations, approximately 24.4% of energy are realized in the base station of Missinguileo, and approximately 14.5% of...

The aim of this paper is to identify key factors that influence electricity consumption in the residential sector in Poland. We used a fixed-effects model, which includes time effects, and a set of covariates, which is based on the model developed by Houthakker et al. [8]. This model estimates electricity demand by using lagged values of the dependent variable along with current and lagged values of electricity prices, and other variables that affect electricity demand such as: population, economic growth, income per capita, price of related goods, etc. We modified the model according to our research results and results obtained by Bentzen and Engsted [1]. The set of covariates was extended to the lagged electricity price given by a tariff taken from two years previous to the time of interest) and heating degree days index (it is a very important factor in European Union countries, where the climate is temperate). In this paper, we propose four models of residential electricity dema...

This article explores caring through feeding as an important aspect of transnational family life, and analyzes the practices connected to sending food products home, supervising what the family eats, and changing consumption patterns. It focuses on Filipino migrants to the United States who maintain transnational ties with their families. With a history of colonial encounter, the United States has been a popular migration destination, and has also strongly infl uenced food consumption. The study shows the ways in which packages from abroad (balikbayan boxes) express love and care, and how they allow migrants to control food consumption of the family in the country of origin. By looking at the goods the immigrants put in the packages, and the way these are received, it is possible to uncover the dynamics of love, care, and intimacy in transnational families, which often translate into power, tensions, and control among family-members. The article analyses how food products sent in th...

More than one-third of the electricity generated in the world is being consumed in the residential sector. This study aims to model, simulate, and estimate electrical energy consumption in three different building styles. That is in order to compare and contrast energy consumption categories and their related social and architectural aspects for an unaddressed region that have its particular weather conditions and its special social and environmental aspects. The simulation is done by detailed modeling of the buildings using EnergyPlus. The results demonstrate that water heating systems account for almost one-fifth of the annual energy consumption. Cooling loads were found to be more than 5 times the heating loads. The peak of energy consumption was recorded to be in July, while the lowermost recorded in April and in November. The Apartment style requires the lowest annual energy consumption by an amount of 10 kWh/m2 per person followed by the Duplex house with 13 kWh/m2 per person,...

Purpose. Wine consumption has been related to a reduced cardiovascular risk. This effect has been attributed partly to the healthier diet of wine drinkers. We compared food habits according to alcoholic beverage preference in a Mediterranean population. Design. A cross-sectional study of a large sample of participants at high risk for cardiovascular disease. Setting. Primary care centers in a Mediterranean country, Spain. Participants. A total of 1675 men aged 55 to 80 years old and 2150 women aged 60 to 80 years old who had no documented cardiovascular disease but had either diabetes or at least three major cardiovascular risk factors. Measures. A food frequency questionnaire, alcoholic beverage consumption, adherence to Mediterranean diet, age, family history of cardiovascular disease, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and educational level were measured. Analysis. We analyzed differences in food consumption according to the type of alcoholic beverage preferentiall...

Abstract<strong>: </strong>This study compared and analyzed the preferences and practices of two generations of news and information seekers. The two generations are the millennials born between 1980 to 1999 (now 20-39 years old) and generation Z, born at the turn of the century 2000-date (19 years and below). With the proliferation of misinformation, disinformation and fake news overshadowing professional media, the purpose is to identify consumption trends across these two generations as well as learning whether these generation of future leaders and decision makers are equipping themselves with reliable information from professional media sources in order to build a sound knowledge base. The respondents' media preference and use was therefore studied. Survey method was employed, to gather the necessary data retrieved from 300 questionnaires distributed. The results show the older generation, millennials, exhibit more confidence in their sources (Radio and Televisi...

Background Traditional foods have superior nutritional composition; however, they are largely absent from the Zimbabwean diet. Objective To identify barriers and facilitators to the consumption of traditional foods among adults aged 18–69 years in Zimbabwe. Methods An online-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults aged 18–69 years in Zimbabwe. The questionnaire was based on a socio-ecological model designed to assess barriers and facilitators at the individual, interpersonal, community, and national levels. Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 20 software package. The level of significance was set at p 

The “circular economy” is an increasingly influential concept linking economic and environmental policy to enable sustainable use of resources. A crucial although often overlooked element of this concept is a circular nutrient economy, which is an economy that achieves the minimization of nutrient losses during the production, processing, distribution, and consumption of food and other products, as well as the comprehensive recovery of nutrients from organic residuals at each of these stages for reuse in agricultural production. There are multiple interconnecting barriers to transitioning from the current linear economic system to a more circular one, requiring strongly directional government policy. This paper uses interpretive policy analysis to review six UK government strategies to assess their strengths and weaknesses in embracing nutrient circularisation. Our analysis highlights the acute underrepresentation of the circular nutrient economy concept in these strategies as well ...

The field of nutrition is facing numerous social, ecological and economic challenges in the coming decades. The food industry belongs to the most significant economic sectors worldwide and the increasing population of 9 billion in 2050 will cause a growing demand on food. So far, changing lifestyles, especially the global rising consumption of meat and dairy products are increasing environmental damage. Moreover our health and wellbeing are the direct result of healthy or unhealthy nourishment and influence follow-up indicators like individual and public health, the expense of the health sector and work productivity. The material footprint is a tool to measure and optimize the resource consumption of both products and their ingredients and the production processes along the whole value chain. It covers the whole life cycle of the products, from the extraction of raw materials to the processing industry, distribution, consumption, recycling, and disposal. In order to decrease resourc...

The deterioration of Consumer Confidence has been considered an important driver of the recent financial crisis. However, empirical evidence on the relationship between confidence and household consumption is often inconclusive; in many cases, available analysis does not seem to confirm that confidence is able to predict expenditures once the role of economic fundamentals has been accounted for. Nevertheless, generally speaking, most of the literature refers to the most advanced economies of Europe and the USA, while evidence for emerging economies remains scarce. The main aim of this paper is to fill this gap for Brazil, looking at Consumer Survey data published by the Fundação Getulio Vargas since 2005, and studying its relationship with Brazilian consumption expenditures. According to the results, the overall Consumer Confidence Index and the Present Situation Index are good predictors of consumption, helping to improve the goodness of fit of consumer spending forecasting models. We also show that in Brazil a positive shock to confidence has a positive and significant impact on consumption for at least three quarters, a finding similar to those for more industrialized countries.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of energy drink consumption in children and very young adolescents and to study the sociodemographic and environmental-behavioral factors associated with regular, at least once a week, energy drink consumption in early adolescence. This survey was conducted during the 2011-2012 school year in the Province of Rovigo, in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy), and involved a sample of 916 students. The usage of energy drinks increased significantly with age, from 17.8 % among sixth graders to 56.2 % among eighth graders. Among the male student population, 16.5 % of those in the eighth grade and 6.21 % of those in the sixth grade, respectively, drank them at least once a week. The independent variables conferring a higher likelihood of being at least once-a-week energy drink consumers were smoking and alcohol consumption. Awareness of the damage caused by energy drinks emerged as a protective factor that reduced the likelihood of young students consuming such drinks. This study showed that energy drink consumption is rising steadily in children and early adolescents. Energy drink consumption was found associated with the abuse of other substances, such as tobacco and alcohol.

As in almost every country in the world, street foods are frequently used in Turkey. To determine the preferences for these foods, a questionnaire was given to 847 individuals constituted by randomly selected high school and university students. Of the participants, 43.4% were male and 56.6% were female; the majority of them were between 19 and 22 years of age. It was found that 40.1% of the young people ate street food 2-3 times per week, whereas 23.3% were found to eat it every day. Turkish bagels, döner, boiled corn in a cup and toast are most preferred street foods. A statistically significant negative correlations were found between consumption preference scores and education, gender, and age. Although consumers know that street foods can cause contamination with microorganisms, that sellers do not pay attention to hygiene, and that these foods are raw or not cooked well, they prefer because of their cheapness, deliciousness, variety and fast service. Street foods are widely co...

Approximately two billion people drink unsafe water. Boiling is the most commonly used household water treatment (HWT) method globally and in China. HWT can make water safer, but sustained adoption is rare and bottled water consumption is growing. To successfully promote HWT, an understanding of associated socioeconomic factors is critical. We collected survey data and water samples from 450 rural households in Guangxi Province, China. Covariates were grouped into blocks to hierarchically construct modified Poisson models and estimate risk ratios (RR) associated with boiling methods, bottled water, and untreated water. Female-headed households were most likely to boil (RR=1.36, p<0.01), and among boilers those using electric kettles rather than pots had higher income proxies (e.g., per capita TV ownership RR=1.42, p<0.01). Higher-income households with younger, literate, and male heads were more likely to purchase (frequently contaminated) bottled water, or use electric kettle...

Swimming pools are heavy consumers of potable water and energy in cities. Despite this, the lack of monitoring requirements produces a lack of references for their water consumption. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting a case-study water consumption analysis of a public swimming pool in the city of Bologna (Italy). After upgrading the water fixtures and filters in summer 2012, consumption and attendance at the Cá Selvatica swimming pool were monitored. With an average daily attendance of 88.6 people/day, taking into account both personal and technical consumption, an overall per capita consumption of about 96.1 l/person/day was determined. The water demand for personal uses only (showers, toilets, etc.) was found to be about 44.6 l/person/day. These values can be used to assess retrofitting benefits and water consumption benchmarks.