Can climate effect ethics? Posted by Katja on Nov 23, 2010 in Culture
Sweden has a long history of cold winters, and its people preparing long in advance for them. This is of course the case even in today’s day and age, though maybe in a completely different way… Each fall there is a new assortment of winter fashion pieces released on to the market, and shopping for winter clothes has brought Swedish winter fashion to a point of huge diversity. Sweden and its people therefore also have a long history of choosing what materials are warmest, best looking and what prices suit ones budget.
Different trends come and go as fashion does, but what stays popular amongst certain groups probably has a lot to do with what types of people who are in the groups. Fur is an example of this. Fur has been a sensitive subject and maybe now more than ever the Swedish market is moving towards a more humane industry. Fashion is about what Swedish customers want and are prepared to accept. Every year people have to make the choice of what to buy including an ethical choice as well.
This hasn’t been the case in a lot of other countries. Why make the ethical choice when the goods in question aren’t even on your market?
All of a sudden the Earth’s climate has shown some pretty extreme temperatures, and countries which previously haven’t had a winter goods market have designers going crazy. New materials which have previously been too hot to use can be used in huge quantities. Is it ok for countries that normally have a warmer climate to indulge in nonethical shopping just because they previously haven’t been faced with these choices?
Can Swedes who have had such a long history of cold climate defend non-ethical choices?
Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.
Comments:
cameron messer:
It can and it can not if it is hot out and u need cool air u might do something agenst your ethics. same if it was cool air and u whanted hot air
Ankan:
If people have to adapt to a new climate and a changing fashion, they should also adopt the idea of ethical shopping, even if it’s a new concept to them.
Oh, and “affect”, not “effect” 🙂
DSheroh:
Of course, before you can meaningfully discuss whether “non-ethical choices” are defensible, you must first define what makes a choice “ethical” or, at the very least, give a candidate list of “non-ethical choices”.
From context, the only proposed “non-ethical choice” I’m picking up here is the decision to wear fur, which my ethics are perfectly fine with. If it’s ethical to kill animals to eat their flesh, I have a hard time seeing any issue with killing them to wear their skins.