Consumption and Consumers - Interdisciplinary Perspectives’

For a long time, the phenomenon of consumption has been treated predominantly from the perspective of economics, law, psychology or marketing, and has been less explored in other areas of knowledge. However, the growing complexity of consumer behavior and the expansion of consumption practices into multiple areas of life require a more critical, comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach. European and Portuguese legislation has been recognizing consumer rights. However, there remains room for debate on consumer duties, consumer education and the diversity of theoretical and methodological perspectives on the subject, both nationally and internationally.

This issue aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue around consumption as a social, cultural and economic phenomenon, valuing contributions that critically analyze behaviors, representations, impacts, policies and educational or intervention practices aimed at consumers. Without exhausting the list, consider the following lines of exploration: Consumer education and literacy; Sustainable consumption and social responsibility; Impact of digital technologies on consumption habits; Advertising, marketing and persuasion; Cultural, ethical, psychological, economic and environmental dimensions of consumption; Public policies for consumer protection; Critical and innovative perspectives on consumer behavior; Action research in educational and social contexts.

This is an invitation to contributions in order to build a 360° understanding of the phenomenon through the submission of article proposals by 15 June 2026.

The guest editors for this thematic issue are Alcina Dourado (ESE-IPS) and Karla Menezes (ESCE-IPS).