Structural Injustice and Ethical Consumption

This paper examines the role played by consumers in producing what Iris Marion Young calls structural injustice. Through their consumption of a commodity, consumers can contribute to injustice, often as a result of their ignorance toward the ethical footprint of the commodity in question. After establishing that consumers are routinely implicated in structural injustice (Section I), I defend Young's scepticism towards attributing blame to those who contribute to injustice through acts of consumption, whether their contribution to injustice result from a state of moral or factual ignorance (Sections II-IV). I then examine the action-guiding implications of Young's work and introduce the concept of conspicuousness to narrow the vast range of possibilities for action (Section V). I also suggest a revision to Young's derivation of the responsibility she ascribes to people for ameliorating injustice.