Social consciousness rambling

Consciousness, y’all. Awareness. Thoughtfulness. I believe in it. And it’s why I talk about crafters, independent artists and small sellers all the time. It’s also, in large part, why I work for a non-profit organization. I like to think about what my time, energy and money supports. And I want to do what I say I believe in. Forgive me while I ponder that a minute…

When I go shopping, sometimes it’s hard.

When I purchase something, I ponder where my hard-earned money goes. I wonder what the company is putting my money toward. I wonder if what I bought was worth what I paid. Was the quality everything I desired? Whose pockets did I just line? Did the worker(s) who actually made the item actually get any of the money that I paid for it? Does the company who sold it to me, or who made it, have business practices I agree with?

We all have priorities, right? For some, finding the lowest-cost item is THE one and only priority. But for many people – in fact an increasing number of people – it’s important to support certain business practices and models, and price becomes a less important, or perhaps a secondary consideration.

Many businesses these days are finding out that operating according to certain “socially-conscious” ideas is really attractive to their customers. This is why you see a Subaru commercial on TV that touts its environmentally pristine, landfill-free plant in Indiana. Subaru isn’t advertising their cheap cost – they’re telling you that they’re eco-friendly and American. They’re selling to people whose priorities and values are based on more than just cost.

i think Indie Shopping is the best way I know of to be a responsible consumer. I know, for example, that the money I spent went to the maker. I often know whether the maker is ecologically conscious. I know who owns the business, and sometimes something of their story. I have, in general, a much greater chance of knowing that my hard-earned dollars got spent responsibly, and aren’t supporting things I don’t like.

Here I am, rambling on… so I guess I should at least say that this whole train of thought was started when I roamed by the outfit Marmalade Pink. Marmalade Pink is “a co-operative of online women-owned businesses supporting socially conscious shopping.”

Their definition of “socially conscious shopping” is a bit different than mine – their definition is sustainable, eco-friendly products, while I think that choosing to purchase from, say, a woman-owned business or an independent business is also socially conscious. That Wiki article I linked to above thinks a little differently about what social consciousness is. Perhaps my definition is influenced by pop culture! But I think, and you may disagree, that what it comes down to is that “socially conscious” really means “what are your priorities apart from money?”

We all have to think about money – where it comes from, where it’s going. But it doesn’t have to mean that we just fling it about carelessly. When you pay for things, you support their existence, you say “I agree with what you’re doing – keep on going, I’ll support you.” The question is – right now, are you saying what you think you’re saying?