Consumption, sustainable welfare and human needs - with reference to UK expenditure patterns between 1954 and 1994

This paper explores the complex relationship between economic consumption a nd human welfare (or well-being). Conventional economics suggests that incr easing levels of economic consumption lead to increasing levels of well-bei ng. However, this view has been criticised on both environmental and social grounds. On the one hand, the material impacts of increasing consumption a re environmentally unsustainable. On the other hand, material consumption c an conflict with crucial social and psychological components of human welfa re. This paper develops a perspective on human welfare which is based on Ma x-Neef's characterisation of human needs. It discusses the implications of this alternative perspective for the conventional viewpoint and illustrates the importance of it with reference to patterns of consumer expenditure in the UK over the last 40 years. The authors suggest that-from this perspect ive-modern societies may be seriously adrift in their pursuit of human well -being. However, they also point out that addressing this situation provide s far more opportunity for ecologically-sustainable development than is gen erally recognised. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.