6: Social Transformation Changing Attitudes, Norms, and Behaviors
- Page ID
- 41702
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)FONNA FORMAN UC San Diego
- Understand why integral solutions, including social and behavioral change, are necessary for tackling climate change.
- Understand why local solutions are often most effective in producing social change.
- Examine several exemplary Latin American urban case studies in which social transformation was a key strategy.
- Prepare to think about what universities and colleges can do to cultivate social transformation in their own communities.
This chapter has four goals. First, it will show why integral solutions— including changing social attitudes, norms, and behaviors—are essential for tackling climate change. Second, you will learn why localizing and personalizing the impacts of climate change are the most effective strategies for changing social attitudes, norms, and behaviors. Third, you’ll be exposed to several exemplary case studies in which social transformation played a key role in efforts to address climate change in Latin American cities. And fourth, you’ll be prepared to think about how universities and colleges can cultivate social transformation in their own communities.
Overview
This chapter will explore the importance of transforming social attitudes and behavior, locally and globally, as an essential strategy for tackling climate change.
Clean energy technologies and climate-forward public policy are essential tools for tackling climate change, but they are not enough. The most exciting innovations in green technology will not matter if people are not willing to use them and to integrate these technologies into their lives and livelihoods. Likewise, the best policy proposals, at home and abroad, will only take root and grow if publics are willing to support these policies through political processes. Social attitudes, norms, and behaviors typically determine whether a new technology will succeed in practice, or whether a policy proposal will ever see the light of day.
The chapter will proceed in four sections. Section 6.1 explores climate change as a complex, integral challenge that requires equally complex, integral solutions. Our emphasis will be on the importance of integrating social transformation into integral solutions thinking and action. Section 6.2 focuses on strategies of social transformation, demonstrating that we are likelier to produce changes in social attitudes and behavior by “going local” and making impacts “personal” in order to motivate public interest and investment in solving the problem of climate change. Section 6.3 explores cities as living laboratories for thinking and action based on integral solutions. We will highlight several exemplary case studies in Latin American cities where social transformation played a central role in creating not only more green cities, but more equitable ones as well. Our discussion emphasizes the significance of local action. Section 6.4 introduces a social transformation experiment at UC San Diego, called the UCSD Community Stations. It is a new model of university-community partnership for local social transformation through climate education and participatory climate action that can be replicated at universities and colleges everywhere.