Minority influence in climate change mitigation. (December 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bolderdijk, Jan Willem; Jans, Lise
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in psychology. Volume 42(2021)
• Page Start: 25
• Page End: 30
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Subjects: Minorities -- Social influence -- Pro-environmental behaviour -- Social change -- Tipping points -- Moral do-gooders; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.02.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-250X

Abstract

Abstract: While the majority of people care about environmental quality, they keep engaging in carbon-intensive practices that exacerbate climate change. Can we expect humans to collectively change by themselves, from the bottom up? Social change is often initiated by minorities – individuals who challenge the status quo. The dominant literature paints a rather pessimistic picture about the ability of minorities to instigate change in the environmental domain: environmental activists, vegans, and other minority members often elicit social sanctions, thereby ironically reinforcing the majority's commitment to current, environmentally harmful norms. Recent findings, however, point towards more optimism: pro-environmental minorities can pave the way towards 'tipping points' and spontaneous social change. Policymakers can speed up this process by offering top-down support for minorities – by giving them 'voice'. Highlights: Recent literature implies pro-environmental minority members get socially sanctioned. Other literature, however, suggests that pro-environmental minorities can pave the way for social change. Policymakers can accelerate bottom-up social change by offering top-down support for minorities.