Collective Action Research Articles

Are We the Reason for Climate Change?

Abstract: Climate change is a pressing global issue, primarily driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes, which release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This study explores the evidence supporting the human role in climate change, assessing individual carbon footprint patterns and their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. It discusses various human activities leading to carbon emissions and presents a method for calculating individual carbon footprints. Additionally, it outlines strategies to reduce carbon footprints, including using public transport, minimizing electricity usage, and promoting sustainable practices like recycling and planting trees. This study highlights the urgent need for collective action to address climate change, emphasizing the critical importance of transitioning to sustainable energy sources and adopting mitigation strategies to limit temperature rise.

Free riding is not the problem: how agency, heterogeneity and authority challenge collective action against antimicrobial resistance in the European Union

ABSTRACT This paper outlines a contextual approach to the governance of collective action in high complexity contexts. Using the major public health threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Europe as empirical case, we investigate the coordination challenges related to a plurality of agency, heterogeneity of capabilities, preferences and institutions, and various degrees and forms of authority. The analysis draws on original quantitative and qualitative data on senior public servants’ and experts’ preferences for governance arrangements. Allowing for variation in agency, heterogeneity and authority, we identify factors preventing or facilitating transnational governance and explain how and why these factors persist. The pattern of experts’ governance preferences as indicated in surveys and interviews suggests that when collective action fails, it can often be attributed to the heterogeneity among EU member states in terms of their willingness and capacity to address AMR. Also, networks of AMR experts are seen as critical to successful governance, both in the human public health sector where formal authority is limited and in animal health where the EU has extensive formal authority. In human public health, networks are instruments for exchanging ideas, knowledge and learning while in animal health networks support hierarchies and facilitate horizontal coordination.

Social competition drives collective action to reduce informal waste burning in Uganda

Improving urban air quality is a pressing challenge in the Global South. A key source of air pollution is the informal burning of household waste. Reducing informal burning requires governments to develop formal systems for waste disposal and for residents to adopt new disposal behaviors. Using a randomized experiment, we show that social competitions between pairs of neighborhoods in Nansana municipality, Uganda, galvanized leadership and inspired collective action to reduce informal burning. All 44 neighborhoods in the study received a public health campaign, while 22 treated neighborhoods were paired and competed to reduce waste burning over an 8-mo period. Treated neighborhoods showed a 24 percent reduction (95% CI: 11 to 35 percent) in waste burning relative to control neighborhoods at the end of the competition period. There is no evidence that treated neighborhoods experienced a rebound in waste burning several months after the competitions. Community leaders reported greater effort in coordinating residents and more pride in their neighborhood when assigned to the competition treatment. These results suggest that creating focal points for leadership and collective action can be an effective and low-cost strategy to address policy problems that require broad participation and costly behavior change.

Lineage-Selective Dependencies in Pediatric Cancers.

The quest for effective cancer therapeutics has traditionally centered on targeting mutated or overexpressed oncogenic proteins. However, challenges arise in cancers with low mutational burden or when the mutated oncogene is not conventionally targetable, which are common situations in childhood cancers. This obstacle has sparked large-scale unbiased screens to identify collateral genetic dependencies crucial for cancer cell growth. These screens have revealed promising targets for therapeutic intervention in the form of lineage-selective dependency genes, which may have an expanded therapeutic window compared to pan-lethal dependencies. Many lineage-selective dependencies regulate gene expression and are closely tied to the developmental origins of pediatric tumors. Placing lineage-selective dependencies in a transcriptional network model is helpful for understanding their roles in driving malignant cell behaviors. Here, we discuss the identification of lineage-selective dependencies and how two transcriptional models, core regulatory circuits and gene regulatory networks, can serve as frameworks for understanding their individual and collective actions, particularly in cancers affecting children and young adults.

Sharenting: A systematic review of the empirical literature

AbstractSharenting, the practice of parents publicly sharing information about their children on social media, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review in order to evaluate existing publications that have empirically investigated the sharenting phenomenon and conceptualized its characteristics and possible consequences. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis guidelines, 61 studies were reviewed. Based on the point of view and focus of the studies, six themes emerged: characteristics of sharenting, children's privacy, professional sharenting, children's perspectives, factors affecting sharenting, and social media dilemmas. The review highlights the growing prevalence of sharenting and provides a comprehensive overview of the empirical investigations and conceptualizations of the phenomenon. The findings have implications for parents, professionals, and policymakers, and opportunities for future research to further understand the complex and multifaceted nature of sharenting.

Multilevel governance in farmers’ markets: a stakeholder analysis in Tuscany

Farmers’ Markets (FMs) have gained relevance in recent years as increasingly acknowledged to be critical to turn to more equitable food systems, easing agroecological transition, and preserving biocultural heritage. However, the issue of the forms of social and institutional coordination needed to create, organize, manage and promote FMs is a recent topic in the literature, and their governance is still poorly considered. Based on a set of case studies in Tuscany, Italy, this paper intends to contribute to filling this gap by analysing the forms of governance and the role of different stakeholders. The hypothesis is that FMs are social constructions that respond to processes of social and institutional innovation through direct exchanges between producers, consumers and other stakeholders, articulated at both local and non-local level. The aim of the paper is to explore the interactions between stakeholders and the corresponding forms of multi-level governance that emerge. The method for testing the hypotheses is qualitative, through semi-structured interviews to FMs managers and conversations with producers and other stakeholders, conducted between May and August 2022 in Tuscany. The research was complemented by consultation of indirect sources, such as FMs websites and social networks. The results are summarized in the elaboration of a three-dimensional and territorially embedded governance model. The first dimension refers to the management of internal relations between stakeholders within the FM. The second corresponds to the activation of dialogue, negotiation, and agreement with the municipality and other local authorities, and with local farmers’ unions. The third type corresponds to vertical flows between the FMs and extraterritorial bodies, i.e., regional government, regional and national farmers’ unions and other stakeholder associations. It is important to note that at FMs level, processes of hybridization between the different types of governance are established. The article contributes to the analysis of FMs as economic and social constructions and may be useful for establishing comparative frameworks around institutional and collective action dimensions, multi-actor and multilevel studies of governance.

Exploring Civic Engagement through Student-Led Initiatives

Civic engagement involves a collective action to address issues of the public, by promoting the quality of life through both political and non-political process. In a time where there are growing concerns over civic participation and cohesion, understanding the relationship between student-led initiatives and promoting civic engagement is very important. The study focuses on exploring civic engagement through student-led initiatives. A thorough review of literature was carried out in this study which encompass the overview of student led initiatives and civic engagement, benefits, factors influencing and challenges associated with student led initiatives with special focus on addressing societal issues. The study highlights the importance of these initiatives to students as it helps them to develop important skills which they would find useful in solving several problems in the community and society at large. The study also offers insight to educators, key community members to promote student led initiatives as it fosters a meaningful and productive civic engagement and societal change at all levels.

Situated Learning for Community Engagement: Chinese and Chinese Americans Transformative Action for Identity Reformation in the Context of the Politicalized COVID-19 Pandemic

This qualitative case study examines the learning experiences of self-organized Chinese and Chinese American adults from the X Care Group amid the political repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed how care group members created meaning in their daily life experiences, reformed their identity, and increased their Chinese and Chinese American visibility. Situated learning is employed to understand participants’ transformative actions through learning in their social engagement through their community of practice. These findings indicate that situated learning can lead to collective transformative action, personal and group growth in identity formation, and community engagement and social development through communities of practice. Subsequently, this study demonstrated how the X group learned to reform their new identities and respond to changes in their social environment. This study contributes to the collective dimension of situated learning theory and has implications for adult educators, researchers, and policymakers interested in fostering social change through community-based, situated learning.

Strategies in Communicating and Enforcing Covid-19 Measures: A Rhetorical Analysis

The emergence of the COVID-19 virus in late 2019 initiated a global crisis, leading to millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. Governments worldwide implemented various measures to curb the spread of the virus, including lockdowns, social distancing, and hygiene protocols. In response to these measures, leaders employed persuasive language techniques to encourage compliance and reassure citizens. This study explores the linguistic strategies used by four national leaders—Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Boris Johnson, and Uhuru Kenyatta—in their speeches addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis focuses on the rhetorical strategies employed, including ethos, logos, and pathos, as well as linguistic devices such as metaphors and enumeration. The findings of this study show that leaders strategically utilize persuasive language to convey information, evoke emotions, and inspire collective action. The study underscores the importance of understanding linguistic persuasion in effective communication during crises and highlights the relevance of classical rhetorical strategies in contemporary political discourse.

Effect of collective action on rural economic development in China: does labour outmigration matter?

ABSTRACT We examine the impact of collective action on rural economic development and the moderating and threshold effects of labour outmigration using farm household survey data from rural China. The results indicate that collective action can enhance rural economic development; however, its efficacy may decrease in highly populated villages. Mechanisms for rural economic development assessments can enhance the effectiveness of collective action. Labour outmigration negatively moderates the relationship between collective action and rural economic development, suppressing the facilitating effect of collective action on rural economic development. Collective action significantly boosts rural economic development when the labour outmigration level is below a certain threshold. However, if it is above this threshold, the effect becomes insignificant. This study highlights the positive role of collective action in rural economic development and the critical effect of labour migration on this dynamic.

Niches of Agency: Romani Voices and Romani Allies in Compensation Procedures after 1945

The article explores the underrepresentation of Romani perspectives and self-perceptions in historical research. It offers a methodological reflection on the role of petitions in Romani history before unearthing the contents of Germany’s compensation files. These state administrative files contain numerous acts of Romani self-assertion in the face of a rigid bureaucratic system. German Sinti and Roma countered majority society's practices of de-individualization through deliberate subjective action that challenged the authorities long before collective action in the late 1970s. The study reveals strategies that Roma developed to be entitled to the compensation due to Nazi victims. For example, they tried to provoke reaction through rhetorical stridency; organized help from third parties, professionals, and laypersons; or escalated to superiors. In doing so, the article reveals the complexity of the administrative practice of compensation for Nazi injustice, including actors such as the lawyers hired by Roma. Their ambivalent role and interests, which are sometimes supportive, sometimes less altruistic, hold potential for further research.

The Sustainability Walk – Combining Nudging and Pragmatism to Facilitate Collective Action and Reflection

Nudging is increasingly used in the design and planning of houses, neighbourhoods and districts with the intention to promote sustainable behaviour. Nudging, when used well, can serve as a tool for changing individuals’ behaviour, but it cannot, nor has it been designed to, facilitate the critical thinking and collective action needed to address urgent sustainability challenges. The purpose of this study is to investigate how pragmatism’s interest in social interactions can complement nudging’s focus on individual behaviour. To test these ideas in practice, we develop an approach for planning that combines the two modes of thinking - The Sustainability Walk - to be used in the planning of places that are to promote sustainable everyday practices. We draw lessons from developing The Sustainability Walk by using the learning history method and participant observation. We find that pragmatism offers possibilities to amend nudging’s focus on individual behaviour by providing tools for forming a community of inquiry consisting of experts as well as citizens. However, we also learn that planning cultures of conflict avoidance, hinder the practical application of the idea of such pragmatist inquiry across different ways of knowing.

Impact of Climate Change on Global Health: A Comprehensive Review

Climate change poses significant challenges to global health, with far-reaching implications for human health and well-being. This comprehensive review synthesizes evidence from diverse disciplines to elucidate the complex relationship between climate change and health. Key areas of focus include the direct impacts of extreme weather events, alterations in infectious disease transmission, air quality changes, food security issues, and mental health effects. Vulnerable populations, including low-income communities and indigenous peoples, are disproportionately affected, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and equitable adaptation strategies. Methodologically, a search of peer-reviewed literature was conducted, covering studies published up to 2024. Both quantitative and qualitative studies were included, and thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns and trends. The review highlights gaps in current policy frameworks and international cooperation efforts, calling for enhanced collaboration and knowledge sharing to address the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change on health. Furthermore, proactive adaptation measures, robust public health infrastructure, and inclusive strategies are essential to mitigate adverse health impacts and foster resilience. By prioritizing collective action and interdisciplinary collaboration, we can work towards a healthier and more resilient future in the face of climate change.

Evaluating Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs)’ Performance in Managing Community Forests: A Case Study in Central Nepal

The community forests (CF) in Nepal, facilitated by Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs), is widely recognized as an effective model of community-based forest management. Despite this recognition, there is a notable lack of comprehensive studies assessing the performance of CFUGs in sustaining community forests. Addressing this gap, this study examined twenty-two indicators across five performance criteria, such as user group management, forest management, financial management, livelihood management, and collaboration and networking management, within four CFUGs in central Nepal. Data were collected through household surveys (n = 275) and focus group discussions (n = 4), and indicators of performance criteria were assessed using a Likert scale. Reliability was measured using the coefficient of Cronbach’s alpha. ANOVA was employed to compare mean performance criteria across the four CFUGs, providing an evaluative perspective on overall CFUG performance. The findings underscored collaboration and networking management as high performers, showing an index value of 0.71, while user group management exhibited moderate performance with an index value of 0.56, alongside other moderately performing criteria. Noteworthy disparities were evident across the four performance criteria (p < 0.01), with the exception of collaboration and network management. Approximately 55% of the indicators were rated low to moderate, revealing CFUGs’ deficiencies in regular functions, limited uptake of adaptive and market-oriented management practices, minimal contributions to biodiversity conservation, insufficient capacity for forest revenue generation and mobilization, and restricted income generation and benefit-sharing with communities. The absence of timely and pertinent actions further stifled interaction between CFUGs and community forests, undermining the potential for revenue generation, job creation, and collective actions essential for productive community forest management. Prioritization of the indicators based on the performance index value offers critical policy direction to ensure CFUG sustainability and augment participatory management of common pool resources. Strategies to address identified weaknesses and build on strengths are essential for the success of Nepal’s community forests.

Trust in Intraorganizational Relationships: The Case of COOPERORG-DF

Purpose: Associativism and cooperativism, as social technologies, are promoters of rural development. Social capital and, above all, trust is essential for the success of organizations. The study considers – from the perspective of the members – the relationships of trust in the Cooperative of Producers of the Organic Market of Brasília, Federal District, as well as identifying the social capital formed by actors that make up this organization. Methodology: The research is applied, has an exploratory character, a qualitative and quantitative approach, representing a case study. The dimensions of organic food production in the DF are highlighted through the collection of updated data and, also, with emphasis on informality and the flow constant of (in)formal relations in the cooperative environment. Results and Discussion: The demographic and socioeconomic profile of the cooperative members demonstrate the influence of the strengthening of cooperative actors on the development of their own businesses, contrasting with the current development of the cooperative. The results reveal the gaps observed in cooperative management, demonstrating the importance of relationships based on trust for strategic management, as well as for strengthening social capital as a basis for the development of cooperative organizations. Implications of the Research: It is hoped that the results presented can support future studies and research relevant to collective actions based on trusting relationships and contribute to positive changes in cooperativism. Originality and Value: The research innovates in the presentation of a research agenda based on the construct – trust, observed in the interpretation of cooperative actors who form the first cooperative of organic food producers in the Federal District, Federal Capital of Brazil.

Exploring cyclic dominance in rock-paper-scissor strategies within the Optional Prisoner's Dilemma: A quantitative analysis with environmental feedback

This research investigation delves into the concept of cyclic dominance and its interplay with environmental feedback within the framework of the Optional Prisoner's Dilemma (OPD) game. A quantitative model has been meticulously constructed to encompass both the OPD and Rock-Paper-Scissors (RPS) games, wherein the outcomes are contingent upon environmental feedback. The intricate relationship between player populations and their surrounding environment is elucidated through the utilization of replicator dynamics. The empirical findings of this study shed light on the existence of distinct equilibria contingent upon the prevailing environmental circumstances. Under scenarios characterized by resource depletion, an equilibrium state emerges wherein only solitary individuals (referred to as "loners") persist. Conversely, under conditions of resource replenishment, an equilibrium is established where various strategic approaches coexist in equal proportions, akin to the dynamics of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. Notably, cyclic dominance manifests itself during periods characterized by intermediate environmental conditions. Several pivotal factors have been identified as determinants of these dynamic phenomena, including the rate of environmental replenishment, the strength of the dilemma presented, the payoff for loners, and the reward for a draw. It has been empirically demonstrated that the presence of extreme values in the replenishment rate, irrespective of whether exceptionally high or exceptionally low, serves as an impediment to the emergence of cyclic dominance. This model underscores the substantial influence of environmental feedback on social dilemmas, particularly in the context of the OPD game, ultimately leading to the emergence of competitive cyclic dominance games reminiscent of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. In doing so, it elucidates the intricate interplay between evolutionary game incentives and the dynamics of the surrounding environment.

Compound players and emotional arenas: The self-identification of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity in Mexico

After the Mexican ex-president Felipe Calderón declared a ‘war’ against criminal organisations, the number of murders and people reported as disappeared increased steadily in the country. However, the authorities constantly ensured that these crimes occurred exclusively among criminals. This narrative was fractured when, after the murder of his son in 2011, the poet Javier Sicilia started leading the protests of activists, relatives of victims and social organisations from virtually all of Mexico. After some mobilisations, they adopted the name Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity (MPJD). Following a ‘players and arenas’ understanding of social movements, I analyse the formation of the MPJD as a self-identified compound player. First, I explore the structural and agency elements in the participants’ backgrounds. Then, I discuss how the emotional content of the interactions in public demonstrations influenced their relationships developing a sense of community that fostered their identification as part of the MPJD. Overall, this study advances a micro-level perspective to understand the dynamics of collective action.

Evaluation of Social Capital Attributes as Predictors of Collective Actions among Smallholder Farmers in Tinderet Sub-County, Kenya

Small farms make up 85% of farms worldwide. Similarly, in Kenya, the agriculture sector is dominated by smallholder farmers. To overcome constraints imposed by small units and for sustainable development, smallholders often organise themselves into groups or farmer-producer organisations (FPOs) to access services. They exploit elements of social capital; social networks, norms and trust to enhance cooperation for collective actions. It is often assumed that social capital attributes among farmers’ groups are exploited for positive collective actions such as access to credits and the sale of aggregated produce. Social capital attributes, however, differ from one farmer organisation to another. This study evaluated levels of social capital attributes among farmers from value-chain-linked groups. The predictive value of the social capital indicators on the desired outcome of collective actions was investigated. Based on a retrospective study design, interviews were conducted on 72 farmers drawn from 9 FPOs with 215 members. Attitude scales ranked 1 to 5 were used to gather the opinions of participants on the attributes. Participants were sampled by purposive and multi-stage sampling schemes. Single-sample Wilcoxon test was used to analyse strength of each attribute among participants. Median value for indicators of social trust, social participation, norms, common vision and social networks were significantly higher than ‘neutral,’ P< .05. Collective actions in inputs-acquisition and produce-selling did not differ significantly from ‘neutral’ (P > .05). The mean for social capital attributes had strong predictive ability on collective actions as tested by Spearman’s Rank analysis using SPSS; R2 = .382, P = .000. The collective actions in learning, inputs-purchase, produce-selling, price negotiations and market-information seeking could be predicted from the social capital attributes evaluated. It is recommended that stakeholders build capacity of FPOs, particularly for collective actions in inputs-acquisition and marketing of produce for sustainable development

The Body of “the Body of Christ”: An Introduction to Hyperscanning Research and a Discussion of Its Possible Implications for Understanding Social Experiences During Religious Gatherings

AbstractNeuroscience has become a well-accepted methodological modality in the study of religion, especially of religious behavior, personal prayer, meditation, mysticism, spiritual experience, and personal religious experiences. However, such studies have been performed on individuals only; none have helped scholars understand the neuro-physiological correlates of religious communities, religious interactions, collective liturgical action, or the like. This article introduces the new field of social neuroscience, showing how its primary tool, hyperscanning, is revealing surprising levels of “brain-to-brain synchrony.” Though there are no hyperscanning studies of religious communities yet, the authors suggest that findings about shared attention, interpersonal coordination, and feelings of closeness all have clear parallels in and implications for religious communities. The authors then suggest both directions and cautions for future research.

Unequal by malice, protesters by outrage: Agent perceptions drive moralization of, and collective action against, inequality.

Economic inequality does not encounter strong protests even though individuals are generally against it. One potential explanation of this paradox is that individuals do not perceive inequality as caused by intentional agents, which, in line with the Theory of Dyadic Morality (Schein & Gray, 2018), should prevent its assessment as immoral and consequently dampen moral outrage and collective action. Across three studies, we test and confirm this hypothesis. In Studies 1 (N = 395) and 2 (N = 337), the more participants believed that inequality is human driven and caused by intentional agents, the more they moralized inequality, felt outraged and wanted to engage in collective action. This was confirmed in Study 3 (N = 243) through an experimental design. Thus, our research shows that agent perception is crucial in the moralization of economic inequality and, more broadly, that morality can be a powerful motivator and effectively mobilize people to action.