The norms associated with climate change: Understanding social norms through acts of interpersonal activism

Katharine Steentjes; Tim Kurz; Manuela Barreto; Thomas A. Morton

doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.01.008

The norms associated with climate change: Understanding social norms through acts of interpersonal activism

Katharine Steentjes^*, Tim Kurz, Manuela Barreto, Thomas A. Morton

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

13 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

A growing body of research points to the role social norms may play in both maintaining carbon intensive lifestyles and soliciting changes towards more sustainable ways of living. However, despite highlighting the importance of pro-environmental social norms, such literature has said far less about the processes by which such norms might develop. We present a new approach to conceptualising social norms that focuses on understanding their dynamics within social interaction, by positioning interpersonal confrontation as a potential mechanism of change. We examine the normative dynamics of environmentalism by comparing the costs of interpersonally confronting climate change disregard with those associated with confronting racism. In two experimental studies, we presented participants with scenarios describing a person confronting (versus not confronting) contentious comments in each domain. We identified social costs to interpersonal confrontation of climate change disregard but not racism, as indicated by reduced ratings of perceived warmth of and closeness to the confronter (Study 1), and this effect was mediated by the perceived morality of the issue in question (Study 2). Our findings highlight how wider social constructions of (im)morality around climate change impact upon social interactions in ways that have important implications for processes of social (and ultimately environmental) change.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Global Environmental Change
Vol/bind	43
Sider (fra-til)	116-125
Antal sider	10
ISSN	0959-3780
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.01.008
Status	Udgivet - 1 mar. 2017
Udgivet eksternt	Ja

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T2 - Understanding social norms through acts of interpersonal activism

AU - Steentjes, Katharine

AU - Kurz, Tim

AU - Barreto, Manuela

AU - Morton, Thomas A.

PY - 2017/3/1

Y1 - 2017/3/1

N2 - A growing body of research points to the role social norms may play in both maintaining carbon intensive lifestyles and soliciting changes towards more sustainable ways of living. However, despite highlighting the importance of pro-environmental social norms, such literature has said far less about the processes by which such norms might develop. We present a new approach to conceptualising social norms that focuses on understanding their dynamics within social interaction, by positioning interpersonal confrontation as a potential mechanism of change. We examine the normative dynamics of environmentalism by comparing the costs of interpersonally confronting climate change disregard with those associated with confronting racism. In two experimental studies, we presented participants with scenarios describing a person confronting (versus not confronting) contentious comments in each domain. We identified social costs to interpersonal confrontation of climate change disregard but not racism, as indicated by reduced ratings of perceived warmth of and closeness to the confronter (Study 1), and this effect was mediated by the perceived morality of the issue in question (Study 2). Our findings highlight how wider social constructions of (im)morality around climate change impact upon social interactions in ways that have important implications for processes of social (and ultimately environmental) change.

AB - A growing body of research points to the role social norms may play in both maintaining carbon intensive lifestyles and soliciting changes towards more sustainable ways of living. However, despite highlighting the importance of pro-environmental social norms, such literature has said far less about the processes by which such norms might develop. We present a new approach to conceptualising social norms that focuses on understanding their dynamics within social interaction, by positioning interpersonal confrontation as a potential mechanism of change. We examine the normative dynamics of environmentalism by comparing the costs of interpersonally confronting climate change disregard with those associated with confronting racism. In two experimental studies, we presented participants with scenarios describing a person confronting (versus not confronting) contentious comments in each domain. We identified social costs to interpersonal confrontation of climate change disregard but not racism, as indicated by reduced ratings of perceived warmth of and closeness to the confronter (Study 1), and this effect was mediated by the perceived morality of the issue in question (Study 2). Our findings highlight how wider social constructions of (im)morality around climate change impact upon social interactions in ways that have important implications for processes of social (and ultimately environmental) change.

KW - Climate change

KW - Interpersonal activism

KW - Morality

KW - Persuasion/social influence

KW - Social change

KW - Social norms

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U2 - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.01.008

DO - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2017.01.008

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85013249646

SN - 0959-3780

VL - 43

SP - 116

EP - 125

JO - Global Environmental Change

JF - Global Environmental Change

ER -

The norms associated with climate change: Understanding social norms through acts of interpersonal activism

Abstract

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