| 1. |
- Görtz, Carl, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
-
Casting light on citizens’ conceptions of what is ‘political’
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Acta Politica. - : Palgrave Macmillan. - 0001-6810 .- 1741-1416. ; 58:1, s. 57-78
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Existing studies suggest that what people do and do not think of as being ‘politics’, varies a lot. Some citizens embrace narrow understandings, regarding only few issues as ‘political’. While others hold broad conceptions. What remains unclear is to what extent citizens agree on the contents, i.e., which topics are ‘political’. Using representative survey data from the U.S. (N = 1000), this article illustrates the over -laps and differences in conceptions of politics that different groups of citizens hold. Specifically, the results of a cluster analysis reveal five groups. The citizens within each group share similar conceptions of politics, while across groups conceptions differ. We find one group considering everything as political, one not regarding anything as such, and a third one identifying only tax-cuts as ‘political’. In between these extremes, two groups identify politics in terms of rather demarcated spheres of issues: domestic, or cross-border/global issues. Further analyses point to important differences in the groups’ socio-demographic profiles, political interest, and political behaviors. This shows, in their minds, people draw boundaries around politics in quite varied, yet principled, ways. This comes with a meaningful diversity in citizens’ connection to the political world around them, and with important implications for their roles within it.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- Schnaudt, Christian, et al.
(författare)
-
Revisiting norms of citizenship in times of democratic change
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Politics. - : Sage Publications. - 0263-3957 .- 1467-9256. ; 44:3, s. 352-369
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over the last two decades, scholars have investigated norms of citizenship by focussing primarily on ‘dutiful’ and ‘engaged’ norms. In the meantime, contemporary democracies have witnessed growing demands for more sustainable styles of living and increasing public support for authoritarian and populist ideas. These developments point to both a change and an expansion of conventional understandings and conceptions of what a ‘good citizen’ in a democratic polity ought to do. Specifically, they raise questions about whether demands for more sustainability and increasing support for populist ideas establish new facets of democratic citizenship, and if so, how they can be meaningfully incorporated into existing images of citizenship. This study provides a re-conceptualization of citizenship norms and empirically tests a new measurement instrument using original data collected in Germany in 2019. The empirical application of an expanded set of items demonstrates the existence of more variegated facets of norms of citizenship, including norms to safeguard a sustainable future and distinct populist facets emphasizing the relevance of trust in authorities and experts as well as reliance on feelings and emotions. Contemporary conceptions of citizenship thus go beyond conventional distinctions between dutiful and engaged norms of citizenship.
|
|
| 4. |
- Strid, Sofia, 1976, et al.
(författare)
-
Narratives on inequalities in enablers and hindrances for advancing behavioural change through an inclusive Green Deal in Europe. ACCTING dataset
- 2024
-
Ingår i: ACCTING Community. Zenodo.
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The impact of climate change and the capacity to mitigate its negative impacts are unevenly distributed across and within societies; it is the poorer, marginalised and vulnerable groups who are the most acutely affected. This dataset captures some of the experiences of those groups. It includes 358 narratives collected via individual narrative interviews in 13 European countries during June-December 2022 across eight thematic research lines – each research line addressing an EU Green Deal policy area. The data was gatered in the EU funded ACCTING, which mobilises research experimentation and innovation to promote an inclusive and socially just European Green Deal focusing on the inequalities produced by its policies and supporting behavioural change at individual and collective levels. The project explores the impact of Green Deal policy initiatives on individual and collective behaviours, provides evidence, and empowers policymakers and stakeholders to anticipate policy responses and potential negative influences, and mitigate such impacts in decision-making. ACCTING collects new data on Green Deal policy interventions and co-designs and implements pilot actions to reduce or prevent policy-related inequalities and advance behavioural change for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal.
|
|
| 5. |
- van Deth, Jan W., et al.
(författare)
-
Politischer Protest und Konsum
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Politikwissenschaftliche Einstellungs- und Verhaltensforschung. - Baden-Baden, Germany : Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft. - 9783848721757 - 9783845264899
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the theories and findings of international empirical research in the areas of ‘processing political information and political communication’, ‘political attitudes and value orientations’, ‘political participation’ and ‘voter behaviour’. It also presents ‘new methods used in attitude and behaviour research’.
|
|
| 6. |
- Zorell, Carolin, 1987-
(författare)
-
Central Persons in Sustainable (Food) Consumption
- 2022
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 19:5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- What people eat has become a highly political issue, closely intertwined with public health, environmental concerns, and climate change. Individuals’ consumption decisions tend to be greatly influenced by the people that surround them, and this seems to be especially true when it comes to food. In recent years, alongside close contacts, such as family and friends, a myriad of social influencers have appeared on the screens, sharing opinions on what (not) to eat. Presenting results from a youth survey conducted in Sweden in 2019 (N = 443), this paper shows that social media have become the primary source of information about food and eating for youths, followed by schools and families. However, primary sources of influence continue to be parents and the family at large. Furthermore, the study shows that it is possible to identify ‘central persons’, i.e., relatively clear-cut groups of people whose food choices—measured as tendency to eat climate friendly—is mirrored by the youths, both in their everyday food preferences and in their broader political awareness as expressed through political consumerism. A conclusion from this is that certain people can be particularly successful at inspiring larger numbers of other people to engage with healthier and environmentally friendlier (food) consumption in a society.
|
|
| 7. |
- Zorell, Carolin, et al.
(författare)
-
Diffusion of Eating Behavior in Different Social Networks : A study protocol and preliminary reflections from a randomized controlled trial
- 2022
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: A variety of public, governmental initiatives inform citizens about what is considered ‘healthy’, ‘climate friendly’, and in general ‘sustainable’ food. The ambition is to influence individual food choices. However, research suggests that, rather than public authorities, people are more likely to affect each other’s behaviour through social influence. The degree of influence though seems to depend on how people are connected and how similar they are to each other. To better understand the various dynamics occurring within social networks, researchers have experimented with controlled networks, manipulating factors like the number or kinds of ties. This increases the chances of identifying causality, yet also affects the external validity of the results since the design is very artificial. The present study tries to reduce artificiality by studying real-life behaviour and behaviour change, while including controlled treatments. The aim is to compare if and how behavioural change spreads more in groups exposed to different social network conditions and different source-types of information about food.Method: The paper outlines a study protocol from a 4-month randomized controlled trial conducted with a random selection of adults living in Sweden from mid-October 2022 to early-February 2023. The trial was registered and reviewed by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority under ref. no. 2022-02646-01 (June 9, 2022). Using a mobile phone application, the study investigates if and how real-life, self-reported intakes of plant- and animal-based foods diffuse under certain social network conditions. The trial included two treatment groups and one control group exposed to (1) different social network conditions (with or without informational exposure), and (2) to different source-types of information about food (factual versus social).Discussion: By investigating the roles of both social diffusion processes and certain structural conditions provided by public actors for sustainable consumption, the results contribute to discussions of how and by whom effective and efficient measures could be implemented to transform food habits.
|
|
| 8. |
- Zorell, Carolin, et al.
(författare)
-
Diffusion of eating behaviour in different social networks : A randomized controlled trial
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Policy diffusion for sustainability through local governments and institutions.
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A variety of public, governmental initiatives inform citizens about what is considered ‘healthy’, ‘climate friendly’, and in general ‘sustainable’ food. The ambition is to influence individual food choices. However, research also suggests that, rather than public authorities, people are more likely to influence each other’s behaviour. Yet, the degree of influence seems to depend on how people are connected and how similar they are to each other. To better understand the various dynamics occurring within social networks, researchers have experimented with controlled networks, manipulating factors like the number or kinds of ties. This increases the chances of identifying causality, yet also affects the external validity of the results since the design is very artificial. The paper outlines a 4-month randomized controlled trial that tries to minimise artificiality by studying real-life behaviour, while including controlled treatments. Specifically, using a mobile application, we will study if and how real-life, self-reported intakes of plant- and animal-based foods diffuse under certain social network conditions. The participants are randomly assigned to distinct networks, each exposed to different signals. One aim is to compare whether behavioural change spreads more (if at all) in groups exposed to (1) different social network conditions (interaction possibilities by sharing pictures, likings, and comments) and (2) different source-types of information about food (fact-based versus social group-based). By investigating the roles of both social diffusion processes and certain structural conditions provided by public actors for sustainable consumption, the results contribute to discussions of how and by whom effective and efficient measures could be implemented to ease and foster sustainable consumption.
|
|
| 9. |
- Zorell, Carolin, 1987-
(författare)
-
Myths on Political Consumerism and the 'Real-World' - Shape of Sustainable Consumption
- 2020
-
Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- It has become almost of a commonplace both in academia and in the public to assume that political consumerism is a means to ‘buy’ a good conscience, while having only limited ‘real-world’ resonance. Studies from e.g. consumer psychology and behavioural economics fuel this image by pointing to evidence for how people who act sustainable in one moment engage in unsustainable activities afterwards. Likewise, the so-called ‘rebound effect’ that is being observed in economies worldwide, seems to support that image further. This contribution sets out to challenge the persisting criticism, dismantling the assumption that activities like political consumerism serve only to put responsibilities on the shoulders of individuals who are expected ‘to save the planet at home’, while in fact being trapped in a system in which they can (and want to) do little more than continuing with non-sustainable consumption patterns mantled in green. Relying on data from representative population surveys conducted in Germany (2014) and Sweden (2019), the paper shows that for most political consumers it is indeed about re-programming production and consumption – as well as the economic system and politics more in general – towards ecological sustainability. Specifically, the insights presented challenge three common critiques of political consumerism. First, looking at the activities that are associated with political consumerism, it stands out as a form of highly committed change making and major aspect of ‘real-world’ sustainable consumption. Second, whereas political consumerism is correlated with higher education and social class levels, citizens from all social backgrounds practice sustainability. They just do so through different forms of practices adjusted to their capabilities. Third, the discussion of political issues regarding consumption among individuals and their interpersonal encouragement to get involved in political and sustainable consumption are strikingly pervasive. Thus, political consumerism is not just something practiced by a middle-class in individualised societies, which strives to differentiate itself from others and feel good. Instead, political consumerism has real-world relevance and resonance, it grounds on political ambitions shared across social classes, and it seems to be spreading as something more than only a trend. Nonetheless, the paper ends with a critical reflection of the risk that political consumer ambitions are co-opted and instrumentalised by the dominant mantra of economic growth. Such mantra can dilute ambitions to live sustainably through the provision of greenwashed products and services, and through the continuation of countervailing policies. This, however, underlines the need to break away from prejudices towards political consumerism and recognise it as what it is: one way of committed individuals’ sustainable consumption practice and one means to spread the word of socio-ecological change and of actions towards promoting such change.
|
|
| 10. |
- Zorell, Carolin, 1987-
(författare)
-
Nudges, Norms, or Just Contagion? A Theory on Influences on the Practice of (Non-)Sustainable Behavior
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 12:24
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ‘Nudging’ symbolizes the widespread idea that if people are only provided with the ‘right’ options and contextual arrangements, they will start consuming sustainably. Opposite to this individual-centered, top-down approach stand observations highlighting the ‘contagiousness’ of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of reference groups or persons present in a decision-context. Tying in these two lines, this paper argues that nudging may sound promising and easily applicable, yet the social dynamics occurring around it can easily distort or nullify its effects. This argument stems from empirical evidence gained in an exploratory observation study conducted in a Swedish cafeteria (N = 1073), which included a ‘nudging’ treatment. In the study, people in groups almost unanimously all chose the same options. After rearranging the choice architecture to make a potentially sustainable choice easier, people stuck to this mimicking behavior—while turning to choose more the non-intended option than before. A critical reflection of extant literature leads to the conclusion that the tendency to mimic each other (unconsciously) is so strong that attempts to nudge people towards certain choices appear overwhelmed. Actions become ‘contagious’; so, if only some people stick to their (consumption) habits, it may be hard to induce more sustainable behaviors through softly changing choice architectures.
|
|
