Abstract
Research has shown that numerous psychological changes can occur in and through collective action. Previous research on psychological consequences of participation in collective action has mainly focused on one change at a time and has rarely included a theoretical explanation for the change. The present study therefore investigates the range and possible connections between changes occurring in collective action. We interviewed participants (n = 28) involved in an environmental campaign in Sweden which included interaction with the police. Through thematic analysis of the data we found that the participants connected several psychological changes to aspects of their participation. Specifically, participants related these changes to two intertwined processes: intergroup interaction and intragroup interaction. We suggest that intergroup interaction (specifically conflict with the police outgroup) can affect intragroup processes (e.g., support and unity), which in turn can influence psychological change (e.g., empowerment and skills). Through the study, we develop and contribute to previous research by: 1) documenting a range of possible changes occurring through collective action participation, and 2) exploring the different psychological processes related to the changes. The implications of this research and future challenges are discussed in relation to developing the social identity approach.
Highlights
We get daily reports through media of people taking collective action against injustice, inequality and oppression
The part of the project presented in this paper is a study focusing on the range of various types of psychological change, affecting the participants outside the immediate campaign, occurring through participation in collective action, and the processes of change. In doing this we studied a campaign by interviewing 28 participants from an environmental campaign in Sweden to access their self-definitions and construals and thereby being able to examine and answer the research questions what types of change occur through participation in collective action and what are some of the processes behind these changes?
We found some reoccurring themes of psychological changes related to the participation in the collective action
Summary
We get daily reports through media of people taking collective action against injustice, inequality and oppression. Marches to highlight gender inequalities or campaigns to raise awareness of climate change. This study focuses on an environmental campaign in Sweden where campaigners fought a quarry company and the police to save a piece of forest from becoming a limestone-quarry. This study focused on events during the summer of 2012 when campaigners clashed with police for a whole week before the deforestation work was halted. During this week campaigners spent both days and nights hiding in the forest, sitting in trees and blocking routes in and out of the forest to hinder the deforestation machines to reach the area
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