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Discussion: Is a values based approach more about environmentalists than the rest?
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Stefan_Kaufman |
Is a values based approach more about environmentalists than the rest?
May 3 2008, 9:38 PM EDT
This is a very well written and thought provoking report.One of the hardest lessons of my undergraduate studies and early brushes with environmental behaviour change was that what seemed obvious and necessary to me was at best irrelevant and at worst irrational to people I wanted to influence. The world is simply a different place depending on your journey through it so far. I can now recognise that my values go right back to childhood experiences, inspirational role models, and all the years in between. There are only a fraction of people around who've had a similar journey and we all struggle to consistently reflect those values in behaviour due to the way our society is set up. One way of thinking about values is that they are the rules of thumb that work for most people, most of the time, in keeping a community or society going (whether or not it is ultimately ecologically, socially and economically sustainable in its context). People like 'us' who do see a crisis and want to promote change are something of an immune response (hopefully not pathological) to where are society is heading. Because values and context are interdependent, to realise our environmental values we have to somehow positively engage with and influence the vast majority of people who are nothing like 'us'. Social marketing seems a tool for doing that, which side steps the huge values inertia that lies in the differences between environmentalists and rest. So I ask, given the diversity of people, and the factors influencing sustainable behaviour, does a values based approach cut to the heart of robust, self-sustained and adaptable behaviour changes, or risk neglecting all we've learnt about the importance of supporting specific, local and individually relevant engagement on a mass scale? Do the values of mainstreamed sustainability exist yet? What would they look like, and are they the same as an environmental activists values? Do you find this valuable?
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LottieR |
1. RE: Is a values based approach more about environmentalists than the r
Jun 2 2008, 2:09 PM EDT
I have been struggling with these issues for some time now but I can track my own journey from small actions into broader understanding of the connections between the issues. One way I have found to open this conversation is to explore happiest memories with people - in most cases these involve one or more of the following:*being with people you love *being outdoors (many are childhood memories) *making music *sharing good food and laughing None of them rely on massive consumption and no-one yet (out of 60 people so far) has ever recalled happy memories of shopping or playing computer games or watching TV. It is a good way to get people to explore their values in a gentle way. I also think that the NGOs and our political leaders have been too afraid to give people the whole truth about the consequences of our actions and the real risk that we could make the Earth unlivable for the majority of the human race within current lifetimes. I really think we have to find ways to communicate the full picture without scaring or alienating people or making the small steps seem utterly futile. I'm not a marketing expert but this must be the challenge for the social marketeers. Do you find this valuable? |
