Is Socially Responsible Production a Normal Good?, Jana Friedrichsen
This paper uses a controlled laboratory experiment to investigate the effect of wealth on individual social responsibility (ISR), defined as choosing a more socially responsible product if a cheaper alternative is available. We find that rich consumers are significantly less likely to engage in ISR than poor consumers. This suggests that socially responsible production conditions may not be normal product attributes.
Reminding me of the line Oscar Wilde puts into the mouth of Algernon (I think it is) in the opening of The Importance of Being Earnest. “Really if the lower classes are not prepared to set an example, what on earth is the use of them?”