How collective action produces psychological change and how that change endures over time: A case study of an environmental campaign

Abstract

Previous research on collective action has suggested that both intra‐ and intergroup interactions are important in producing psychological change. In this study, we examine how these two forms of interaction relate to each other over time. We present results from a longitudinal ethnographic study of participation in an environmental campaign, documenting endurance and prevalence of psychological change. Participants, locals (n = 14) and self‐defined activists (n = 14), connected enduring psychological changes, such as changes in consumer behaviour and attitudes to their involvement in the environmental campaign. Thematic analysis of interviews suggested that participants linked the process of change to categorizing themselves in a new environmental‐activist way that influenced their everyday lives beyond the immediate campaign. This recategorization was a result of a conflictual intergroup relationship with the police. The intergroup interaction produced supportive within‐group relationships that facilitated the feasibility and sustainability of new world views that were maintained by staying active in the campaign. The data from the study support and extend previous research on collective action and are the basis of a model, suggesting that intragroup processes condition the effects of intergroup dynamics on sustained psychological change.

How participation in collective action changes relationships, behaviours, and beliefs: An interview study of the role of inter- and intragroup processes

“…Although some psychological changes may have been prompted through questions of a more specific nature, they did arguably still occur in participants' accounts. However, we argue that it is possible to validate our claims about psychological change made here through use of other external data -such as interviews with a family member or close friend to participants, and sales figures from shops selling ethical products (see Vestergren et al, 2018). Furthermore, as with most studies of collective action and psychological change, this study lacks pre-participation data.…”

“…and "what's the link between this change and the campaign?". Data for this study was gathered as part of a larger longitudinal project (Vestergren, 2018), where we also explored the endurance of these changes over time (see Vestergren et al, 2018).…”

The virtues of collective gatherings: A study on the positive effects of a major scouting event

“…Indeed, while it does not explicitly address the effects of participation in collective gatherings, research into participation in collective action has shown that such action is followed by long-lasting positive effects on psychological wellbeing (Klar & Kasser, 2009), self-esteem (Macgillivray, 2005;Meier & Stutzer, 2008), fostering of collective identity (Klandermans, Sabucedo, Rodriguez, & de Weerd, 2002), and concern for social justice (Shriver, Miller, & Cable, 2003). For a review, see Vestergren, Drury, and Chiriac (2018).…”

The Volatility of Collective Action: Theoretical Analysis and Empirical Data

“…Participating in protests and rallies has been shown to have enduring psychological consequences (Drury & Reicher, 2005). Yet relatively little research has studied the effects of participation in collective action across the lifespan (Vestergren, Drury, & Chiriac, 2018).…”