ABSTRACT
This article investigates the role of the body in the adoption of sustainable social practices. Based on Social Practice Theories, it indicates the role of routinization in the maintenance of unsustainable lifestyles. Grounded in a case study carried out in a Brazilian ecovillage, it shows that the existence of environmental values does not automatically lead people to change their behaviors. The transformation of daily practices demands a change in habits and automatisms embodied through one’s socialization in the consumer society. The intentional embodiment of new practices is a process that demands time and a work of conscious perception, facilitated when there is an explicit and articulated change effort, shared by a social group.
Keywords:
environmental behavior; social practice theory; environmentalism; sustainability; environmental psychology