The trend
What is a vice? That all depends. On a ‘secular’ level of social analysis, the definition of a vice is subject to the ethical relativism of the cultural context in question. In other words, the answer to this question is invariably shaped by the social norms and laws of the community or the dominant religion, all of which gives rise to divergent opinions on topics like legalizing recreational drugs, access to alcohol for minors, or gambling.
Beyond inevitable geographical-cultural variations, vices can change, even quite suddenly, within the same society. What is frowned upon today may not be tomorrow. So the stigmatization of an activity or practice might dissipate with the emergence tolerant attitudes - which come about in the wake of new laws, new scientific breakthroughs, or new economic-political assessments – gradually evolving toward total social acceptance. (But this dynamic can also happen in reverse.)
To shine a light on the kaleidoscope of views on a variety of vices, IPSOS has come out with this recent report: Global Views on Vices .
The study was run on a broad sample of 27 countries with a vast array of traditions and cultures: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Malesia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.
If certain activities are done in moderation, to what extent are they seen as morally acceptable in these countries? In other words, when is a given phenomenon considered admissible – that is, not detrimental to individuals or to the community where it occurs?
Generally speaking, people in all the countries in the study had no objections to eating chocolate or packaged salty snacks, or drinking sugary soft drinks. But as far as alcohol, opinions differed widely. Overall, 62% of interviewees were in favor of consuming wine in moderation, and 61% said the same about beer. But a closer look at the data from individual countries reveals that in Malesia, for example, only one in four approved of moderate wine or beer consumption (and over 50% disapproved); among Indians, Turks and Japanese that figure was less than half. And these numbers are even more extreme for liquor consumption, even in moderation.
Turning to other topics, as far as the consumption of pornography, the most open-minded people in the survey are the British (42% in favor) and the Belgians (41%). But the overall average in favor stands at 29% , with 43% against. The Japanese are most strongly anti-online dating services (with only 14% in favor, compared to 69% in Sweden) and anti-social media (only 36% consider it morally acceptable, compared to an average of 65%). There is widespread, worldwide condemnation of the use of tobacco, electronic cigarettes and gambling; and 46% of interviewees disapprove of violent videogames.
Some takeaways
Recreational use of marijuana was seen as morally objectionable by 51% of interviewees (28% were in favor). But here too there was a notable divergence from country to country. In Canada and the US, 51% were in favor, while Japan was in last place with only 6%. In contrast, Turkey recorded the highest number of people against at 80%. Italy comes in mid-range with 30% for and 44% against. Setting aside the recreational side of marijuana, 55% of participants recognized its therapeutic benefits and 57% said they approved of medical marijuana. In addition, 55% are convinced that this drug will be legalized for therapeutic purposes at some point in the next ten years.
Although it’s still too early to say that an open mentality toward marijuana is becoming the norm, two examples can help us understand how certain stigmas have disappeared. We can also see how the evolution of social and behavioral norms can be influenced by legislative initiatives, impacting the economy as well.
In recent decades, both Canada and some states in the US have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. A recent issue of the IPSOS magazine covered this trend: WTF-What the future [qui link https://gen-pop.com/files/Ipsos-WTF-VICE-web.pdf] . What emerges here is that moral objections, which until just a few years ago applied to the use of cannabis, are gradually being overcome by more open and informed attitudes. What’s more, the interest shown by Canadians and North Americans in cannabis CBS (or light marijuana) and THC is progressively opening up a sizeable market share that will invariably be linked with more traditional sectors, such as in the entertainment and restaurant industries, as well as agriculture and medical research. As far as funding, US banks till now have been hesitant to grant loans for the cannabis sector in light of the fact that at a federal level this substance is still categorized as a narcotic. But a legislative change could mean access to lines of credit for producers, and anyone interested in opening a shop, giving powerful impetus to retail distribution.
The comment
The consumer market is strongly shaped by social judgements, and the fluctuations and variations in these judgements over space and time. Issues which till a few years ago were considered ‘fringe’ (such as ecologism, or food choices based on the wellbeing of farm animals) are gaining ground on the ethical horizon of consumers, shaping their behaviors, their judgements, and their buying decisions. The attitude toward social networks, for example, has never been particularly negative. But here there has recently been a major shift, and in the future this may affect how we use social media platforms. In light of all this, companies must adopt a more proactive and attentive approach to ongoing changes in society, modifying their business decisions in order to capitalize more effectively on these trends.
