Such ethical marketing and communication can involve companies using messages that reinforce the image that they are committed and aware of topics such as feminism, racism and green transition - because they know that these are important issues for consumers. At the same time as this social profiling, fashion companies also represent one of the most polluting and environmentally destructive industries in the world. One of the central questions of the thesis is the problem that the mass consumption of clothing does not decrease despite the high awareness of the unethical practices of the companies.

Through methods such as interviews and image analysis, Mariko's thesis shows how certain notions of sustainability, gender and race are manifested and reinforced in the communication and marketing of Swedish fashion companies. The theoretical discussion then shows what role ideology plays in maintaining the unsustainable consumer society.

Mariko Takdeomi Karlsson defended her doctoral thesis in Human Ecology on 29 January 2024