Economics and moral boundaries

We all see ourself as being a certain kind of person.  We all want to be a certain kind of person.  This person is always juxtaposed with something else that is 'not me,' and being or becoming what we want to be always requires the use of actions and symbols to communicate it.  So, for example, I want to be a nice person so I may try to smile and say hello to people as I pass them.  Action.  I may want people to know and think of me as a Christian so I may leave a Bible in a visible place in the house - even if it is not read (ahh, mine isn't really visible and I do try to read it...).  Symbols.

It is for this reason that some theorists talk about the economy in terms of its inherent moral dimension.  What we buy and spend our money on, or don't for that matter, also says something about us as people.  It says something about who we are and what is important to us.  It isn't even just a by-product of purchasing things, sometimes it is a deliberate purchase made in order to reflect who I think I am.  It seems to me that this is something that is becoming even more prevelant, but that could just be me.  I bought a Mac because they were finally usable and because I perceived Apple as a smaller and a less domineering and controlling company that Microsoft.  Next I will probably buy a PC for the same reason.

This is just the beginning, however.  Social entrepreneurship has become something of a fad lately.  Now there is mircrofinancing that will help people in need put money to use and seems to make clear moral claims all the while still allowing one to invest money (such as these peeps).  Fair trade coffee allows us to still buy coffee, but at the same time make a moral demarcation that people deserve fair pay for their work - and I am able to make that happen.  (some friends roast some HERE)  The RED campaign also allows me to spend my money while also communicating to others that I am aware of problems in the world and concerned about them.  I can buy a pair of shoes while giving a pair to someone who needs them - the TOMS one-for-one idea.  Hey you need shoes and have the money to buy them, but in doing so can provide for someone who needs some.  Everyone wins and we all know what TOMS look like so we can know who is 'like us.'  It is a moral symbol that says something to me about who they are as a person.  You can buy a T-shirt, for a good price, that provides a dress shirt and tie for an ex-prisoner to help them get a job once they get out (HERE).  Or you can get an affordable pair of glasses - Warby Parker - that are stylish, sometimes too much it is true, and also provide a pair to someone who needs them.  You can give a 'goat' for a present, or other things like soap to help build wells and the economy (and the gift/project changes quarterly!).  There are also products out there specifically aimed to help people who need jobs.  For example, you can buy a laptop over anywhere, but if you buy one of these, you can help someone who has/is struggling with sex trafficking.

I think I like this trend.  What we buy and how we buy does do something.  It is more a question of whether it does what we want/think it does or not.  We may not think about what our purchases say about us, but I wonder if this lack of thought also correlates with who we are on some level as well.  Do we not think about it because it doen'st occure to us, or do we not think about it because it really ins't that important to us?