learningforsustainability.netSocial learning FAQ
We need to change peoples' attitudes and values ... surely?
We need to change peoples' attitudes and values ... surely?
Do we? Paul Stern provides good reason as to why we need to concentrate on other things before changing peoples' values ... "The idea that to preserve the environment, people’s attitudes must change, especially in the wealthy countries, is widespread among natural scientists.
There are several problems with this belief. First, pro-environmental
attitudes are already strong in most of the wealthy countries. Also, the connections of values and attitudes to behavior are rarely strong because behavior also depends on a variety of other factors, such as the infrastructure, incentives, and institutions affecting the behavior, the
difficulty of the behavior, and individuals’ abilities and knowledge regarding performing attitude-consistent behaviors. In most cases, the key to behavior is its immediate context, not deeper values. Changing values may have a large influence on behavior in the long term, but mainly an indirect one, by affecting policies, institutions, or incentives that shape behavior." Paul Stern (2004) Understanding global change: What psychology can contribute. IHDP Update; Issue 4 
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