From 'I' to 'We': Changing the narrative in Scotland's relationship with consumption

The narrative of ‘I’ has become increasingly dominant as part of wider economic changes in Britain, where there has been a decline in productive exports and a rise in wealth extraction through mass consumption. Central to the narrative of ‘I’ has been the role of marketing as a manipulator, where social interactions are to a much greater extent imbued with spending, and status and group membership are defined by what, where, how and with whom we consume. It also helps create and support cycles of consumption by supporting a culture of continual change through product differentiation, regardless of social need or environmental sustainability. A shift from the narrative of ‘I’ to ‘We’ is necessary to establish the precedence of collective experience and responsibility, of shared experience and society, of equality and fairness and sustainability.

The narrative of ‘We’ already exists in society – studies have shown that having a positive relationship with our families, friends and community, as well as having good health, are the things that matter most to us. The job of government is to re-establish the link between that narrative and our idea of what prosperity is.