من ثقافة الاستهلاك إلى قيم الاستدامة: نحو تجسير سوسيو-تاريخي لبناء المواطن الإيكولوجي

Abstract

This study addresses the dominance of excessive consumer culture in contemporary societies and the resulting environmental, value-based, and social imbalances that threaten the sustainability of human life, within a context marked by a striking paradox between material abundance and the growing manifestations of scarcity at multiple levels. The significance of this research lies in its refusal to reduce the environmental crisis to its technical or economic dimensions alone; instead, it approaches the crisis as one of representations, values, and ways of living. The study aims to analyze the socio-historical trajectory of consumer culture, uncover its psychological, social, and symbolic determinants, and explore the potential for transitioning toward an alternative model founded on sustainability and responsibility. To this end, the paper adopts a theoretical – analytical approach, drawing on sociological, philosophical, and educational literature to deconstruct prevailing consumption patterns and critically reframe them.

The findings indicate that consumerism is not merely an economic behavior, but a cultural structure continuously reproduced through symbolic and media mechanisms that reinforce environmental and social inequalities. The study further demonstrates that environmental education constitutes a strategic entry point for bridging the gap between consumer culture and sustainability values, by fostering critical awareness and guiding everyday practices. The paper concludes that this value-based and cognitive transformation provides the foundation for shaping the model of the “ecological citizen,” capable of understanding the interconnections between individual choices and global ecological balances. This shift enables a transition from the logic of possession to the logic of responsibility, and from excessive consumption to sustainable moderation.