tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10736511.post4998103308454176099..comments2024-02-07T18:15:56.601+11:00Comments on Footpath Zeitgeist: On ethicsMelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08987383983530564029noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10736511.post-44998250288642640522008-01-22T15:39:00.000+11:002008-01-22T15:39:00.000+11:00Hi Mel,I am very pleased that you don't condone th...Hi Mel,<BR/><BR/>I am very pleased that you don't condone the system that gives rise to the fashion industry, but there are still a couple of points I would like to take you up on. <BR/><BR/><BR/>You say: "I also tend to emphasise the playful possibilities of dress, whereas Rebecca is saying that this play is a privilege that comes at the cost of the economically disadvantaged and the environment."<BR/><BR/>I'm wondering what makes you think that? I am a big proponent of play! Far from being a privilege, I think play is necessary for human wellbeing. I love novelty and creativity as much as I am concerned with ethics and I believe it is possible to be both playful <I>and</I> ethical.<BR/><BR/><BR/>You say: "But the thing that strikes me is that all this still takes place inside the same consumer logic. For many people, ethical choices confer a positive range of affective states, but I'd argue that ethics is a still relatively small consideration when shopping for clothes."<BR/><BR/>The first principle of ethical consumption is: consume less, so in that sense it <I>is</I> outside the usual consumer logic. It also goes a fair bit deeper than affective states because it's really about living in a state of connectedness - connecting to the processes, people and resources involved in creating and delivering the clothes to you - which seems to me to be something beyond making ourselves feel good. It's also not always a comfortable state to be in, because there are still very few ethical choices in the market so compromises must often be made.<BR/><BR/><BR/>You say: "the counter-culture that sets itself up as a more conscious 'alternative' to consumer culture in fact is not revolutionary and poses no threat whatsoever to the capitalist system"<BR/><BR/>I, personally, have not made any claims to being a revolutionary. At present, it would be very difficult to survive without engaging the capitalist system, but if we <I>can</I> make that system less harmful, why not do that?<BR/><BR/><BR/>You say: "it's still only one iteration of dress among many, and it's certainly not enough to make me abandon my posts on mainstream shopping and trends."<BR/><BR/>I'm pleased to hear it as that was never my intention! :) I appreciate your taking the time to discuss this topic.Rebecca Dunsdonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00569185338409192024noreply@blogger.com