The Psychology of Collective Climate Action

Building Climate Courage
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-90529-7
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 244 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

How do we find the courage to act together against the climate crisis? This book weaves together real-life findings and examples from the socio-ecological movement with psychological research to show how motivation for collective climate action can be built.

The book addresses two key questions: how can individuals be motivated to participate in collective climate action, and how can climate groups become resilient and effective? Specifically, it explores how individuals can foster their identification with climate action groups and the belief in their joint efficacy. It touches on a wide range of topics, covering anger, moral considerations, activist burnout, and the perception of protests, as well as general theories of socio-ecological change.

This book is for anyone who is seeking the courage to act together and is curious about psychological insights. It will be essential reading for climate and environmental practitioners, climate activists and campaigners, climate change communicators, and anyone involved in socio-ecological change. It will also be of interest to students and researchers in the fields of environmental psychology, climate change, collective action, and political psychology.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate, Professional Reference, and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wernke, Alex

Hamann, Karen

Junge, Eva

Bleh, Julian

Blumenschein, Paula

Dasch, Sophia

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Klimawandel, Globale Erwärmung
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umweltschutz, Umwelterhaltung
• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Psychologische Disziplinen Angewandte Psychologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften, Biologie: Sachbuch, Naturführer
• Sozialwissenschaften Psychologie Allgemeine Psychologie Sozialpsychologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword

Preface Climate courage and the aims of this book Who this book is for The story behind this book Defining “we” A quick bit about Wandelwerk Our Author Team Two core questions Building a bridge between science and practice Critically reflecting on findings What you will and will not find in this book References

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1: Overview of the psychological model

Defining collective climate action Examples of collective climate action

Differentiating between collective and private climate action

The Social Identity Model of Collective Action

The structure of this book

References

Part 1: Motivating for collective climate action

Chapter 2: Social identification

Defining social identification

From social identification to collective climate action

How we can strengthen identification with climate action groups Focus 1: Highlighting the connection to climate action groups Focus 2: Creating climate action groups that meet people’s needs

Discovering your social identification

References

Chapter 3: Moral beliefs and emotions Defining moral beliefs Core values From moral beliefs and emotions to collective climate action Guilt Anger

How we can use moral beliefs and emotions as tools for effecting collective climate action Focus 1: Creating anger-eliciting situations Focus 2: Using moral beliefs and anger to build external support

Discovering your value basis

References

Chapter 4: Framing climate action

Defining framing

Challenging existing frames

How we can create frames for collective climate action

Considering target audiences in framing decisions

References

Chapter 5: Efficacy beliefs Defining efficacy beliefs Collective efficacy Participative efficacy From efficacy beliefs to collective climate action Building efficacy beliefs Maintaining efficacy beliefs How we can foster efficacy beliefs Focus 1: Accentuating positive changes Focus 2: Designing group contexts that nurture efficacy Discovering your efficacy beliefs References

Chapter 6: Psychological effects of collective climate action

Action first, motivation second

Effects of an action’s success or failure

Strategies for coping with failure Social strategies (a social and shared mindset) Reframing strategies (another perspective) Distancing strategies (another focus) Changing strategies (another action)

The spillover effect between private behaviors and collective action

References

Chapter 7: Summary of the model

Applying the pillars of motivation to drive collective climate action

References

Part 2: Cultivating resilient and effective collective climate action

Chapter 8: Resilient collective action and activist burnout Don’t underestimate activist burnout Defining activist burnout Causes of activist burnout Personal and psychological factors Group norms fueling burnout Problems within groups kindling burnout Building resilient climate action groups Group-focused strategies for resilient collective climate action Individual-focused strategies for resilient collective climate action Group exercise for assessing activist burnout

References

Chapter 9: Socio-ecological transformation

Looking at the bigger picture

Defining socio-ecological transformation

The Multi-Level Perspective Three levels of change The theory of change for the Multi-Level Perspective

The Social Tipping Point concept The theory of change for the Social Tipping Points

The Three Strategies of Transformation Circumstances of transformation The theory of change for the Three Strategies of Transformation The Movement Action Plan The four roles within social change The theory of change for the Movement Action Plan Take-aways Common features of theories of change Your take on socio-ecological change

References

Chapter 10: Effective goals for climate groups

Picking your battles: Goals and target groups

Target group descriptions

Strategies for achieving target group goals Achieving these goals using SOCIAL IDENTIFICATION Achieving these goals using MORAL BELIEFS Achieving these goals using FRAMING Achieving these goals using EFFICACY BELIEFS Achieving these goals using COLLECTIVE ACTION Achieving these goals using RESILIENCE STRATEGIES

Defining your goals and strategies

References

Chapter 11: Conclusion, recommendations, and further ideas

Final words

Research areas in need of addressing

Recommended books and videos to explore

References

Appendix: Overview of research designs Individual experiences Qualitative research Quantitative research

References

Über Autor(innen)

Karen Hamann is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department of Social Psychology of Leipzig University, Germany. Her research concerns empowerment, collective action, visions of an ecological future, and the energy transition. She is a co-founder of Wandelwerk e.V., a collective of practice-oriented environmental psychologists of which all the authors are members.

Eva Junge works as an environmental psychologist and climate communicator. She is a co-founder of Wandelwerk e.V., an advisor for socio-ecological NGOs, and an “artivist”.

Paula Blumenschein is a research associate at TU Dortmund University, Germany. She works in the clinical and biological psychology working group with a focus on the climate crisis and mental health.

Sophia Dasch is an environmental psychologist and science communicator, specializing in climate education and consultation. She also works as a project manager at ConPolicy, an institute for consumer policy.

Alex Wernke works as a climate communication trainer for klima*kollektiv and as a freelance political educator.

Julian Bleh is a research associate at the Department of Social Psychology, Leipzig University, Germany, where his research is concentrated on the ability to envision social change.