본 연구는 소비자의 사회적 책임 중요성과 당위성의 이론적 근거를 제시하며, 그 개념적 의미, 개념적 모형 및 패러다임, 개념적 범위 및 영역을 이론적으로 탐색하고 논의하며 개념적 체계화를 시도하였다.
소비자의 사회적 책임은 사회적 존재인 인간에게 부여된 소비자로서의 사회적 역할에 대한 사회적 책임으로, 소비자는 소비자로서의 사회적 역할 관련 의사결정 및 행위로 인해 그를 둘러싼 이해관계자들에게 사회 제도, 이념 및 환경과 관련하여 발생된 혹은 발생될 문제적 사태/상황에서 그 이해관계자들의 요구나 기대로부터 자유로워지는 것 즉, 발생된 혹은 발생될 문제적 사태/상황을 해결하는 것을 의미한다. 여기에서 소비자로서의 사회적 역할은 경제적, 사회문화적, 시민적, 생태환경적 측면을 포함한다. 소비자의 사회적 책임 객체인 이해관계자들은 소비자 자신, 다른 소비자, 사회(지역사회 포함), 지구촌사회, 자연생태계를 포함한다. 소비자의 사회적 책임은 소비자 자신의 경제적, 사회문화적, 시민적 및 생태환경적 측면에서의 사회적 역할 행위와 그에 따른 사회적 결과에 대한 생태계, 사회체계, 사회정의 및 사회자본 관점에서 인식되고 수행되어야 한다는 이론적 근거를 바탕으로 자연, 소비자, 사회의 이해관계자들에 대한 사회적 책임을 인식하고 그 역할 관련 의사결정과정 및 선택에 이를 적용하고 역할 행위를 수행하는 이해관계자 사회이익 모델이다. 소비자의 사회적 책임은 소비자의 사회적 역할 측면과 소비자의 사회적 책임 수준을 기준으로 효율적 소비자, 호혜적 소비자, 균형적 소비자, 건전한 소비자, 깨어있는 소비자, 정의적 소비자, 환경적 소비자, 그리고 생태적 소비자의 8개 영역으로 구분되었다.
This study was to conceptualize consumer’s social responsibility, defining its conceptual leaning, model and paradigm, and domains, along with providing the theoretical foundation for its importance and justification. As a research methodology, review and analyses of literature and previous studies were done. The results were as follows: consumer’s social responsibility, the responsibility on the social role given to a consumer as a social being, is what a consumer is released from the expectation or the request by the stakeholders imposed on him/her in problematic situations due to his/her social decisions and/or activities related to consumption, meaning that he/she
solve the situation with problems occurred or being likely to occur to the stakeholders by his/her decision or action in economic, sociocultural, citizen and/or eco-environmental aspects. The stakeholders include consumer himself/herself, other consumers, community, society, global society, nature. The conceptual model of consumer’s social responsibility is a stakeholder
model for social benefits based on the theoretical foundation that consumer's social role and its social impact are perceived and performed with perspectives of ecological system, social system, social justice, and social capital. The consumer’s social responsibility consists of eight domains which are classified on the bases of consumer’s social activities and the level of
consumer’s social responsibility: an efficient consumer domain, a reciprocal consumer domain, a balanced consumer domain, a sound consumer domain, an enlightened consumer domain, a rightful consumer domain, a green consumer domain, and an ecological consumer domain. An efficient consumer domain is the domain related to economic role at a personal level. Consumers have social responsibility to make decisions and to behave efficiently and rationally in their consumption. A reciprocal consumer domain is the domain related to economic role at a public level. Consumers have social responsibility to perform reciprocally in making-decisions and behaviors on consumption. A balance consumer domain is the domain related to sociocultural role at a personal level. Consumers have social responsibility to control themselves. A sound consumer domain is the domain related to sociocultural role at a public level. Consumers have social responsibility to develop a sound and healthy consumption culture in the society they belong to. An enlightened consumer domain is the domain related to citizen role at a
personal level. Consumers, as private citizens, have social responsibility to insist their consumer rights and to perform their consumer responsibility, and, as public citizens, to keep norms and laws related to consumption. A rightful consumer domain is the domain related to citizen role at a public level. Consumers have social responsibility to make a consumption community
with justice and fairness. A green consumer domain is the domain related to eco-environmental role at a personal level. Consumers have social responsibility to make decisions and behave in consideration of environment. An ecological consumer domain is the domain related to eco-environmental role at a public level. Consumers have social responsibility to make sustainable ecological environment.
