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- Title
How social norms are often a barrier to addressing climate change but can be part of the solution.
- Authors
SPARKMAN, GREGG; HOWE, LAUREN; WALTON, GREG
- Abstract
We argue that the behavioral challenges posed by climate change are fundamentally problems of social influence. Behaviors that perpetuate climate change are often opaque in their consequences; thus, we look to others to infer how to act. Yet unsustainable behaviors, like driving and eating meat, are often the norm; conformity to such norms is a major hurdle to a more sustainable world. Nonetheless, we argue that social norms can also be a powerful lever for positive change. Drawing on two streams of recent research, we show that well-implemented social norm strategies can motivate positive steps even in the face of a negative current norm and even in individuals' private behavior absent the judgment of others. First, appeals to dynamic norms – information about change in others or trends in norms over time – can lead people to conform to the change itself, even if this change violates current norms. Second, framing normative appeals in terms of an invitation to work with others toward a common goal can increase the motivation to join in. Despite ubiquitous unsustainable norms, careful theory-based representations of social norms can help us make progress on climate change.
- Subjects
SOCIAL norms; CLIMATE change
- Publication
Behavioural Public Policy, 2021, Vol 5, Issue 4, p528
- ISSN
2398-063X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1017/bpp.2020.42