Version 1
: Received: 5 November 2023 / Approved: 6 November 2023 / Online: 6 November 2023 (14:54:22 CET)
How to cite:
Irene, J.; Daniels, C.; Kelly, M.; Irene, B.; Frank, R.; Okpara, K. A Social Identity Approach to Understanding Sustainability and Environmental Behaviours in South Africa. Preprints2023, 2023110362. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.0362.v1
Irene, J.; Daniels, C.; Kelly, M.; Irene, B.; Frank, R.; Okpara, K. A Social Identity Approach to Understanding Sustainability and Environmental Behaviours in South Africa. Preprints 2023, 2023110362. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.0362.v1
Irene, J.; Daniels, C.; Kelly, M.; Irene, B.; Frank, R.; Okpara, K. A Social Identity Approach to Understanding Sustainability and Environmental Behaviours in South Africa. Preprints2023, 2023110362. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.0362.v1
APA Style
Irene, J., Daniels, C., Kelly, M., Irene, B., Frank, R., & Okpara, K. (2023). A Social Identity Approach to Understanding Sustainability and Environmental Behaviours in South Africa. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.0362.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Irene, J., Regina Frank and Kingsley Okpara. 2023 "A Social Identity Approach to Understanding Sustainability and Environmental Behaviours in South Africa" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202311.0362.v1
Abstract
In recent years, change in behaviour towards the environment has gained prominence as a policy tool to influence positive environmental value. Simultaneously, the role played by social identity in promoting pro-environmental action is gaining recognition. Within this work, the intersection between collective group identity and environmental behaviour has received very little attention. Group norms are considered a strong predictor of pro-environmental behaviour, yet the influence of social identity and collective action on environmental action has not been adequately investigated in a multi-ethnic setting. Within this context, this study examines the affective component of social identity influence on pro-environmental action. More succinctly, this study demonstrates how outgroups and in-groups’ relations and broader socio-cultural structures, values, interest, and norms impact environmental and sustainability transitions behaviours. Through interviews with participants across the four dominant social groups in South Africa, this study provides compelling evidence that country wide expressions of social identity and in-group dynamics shapes the individual behaviour regarding environmental and sustainability concerns and further strengthen the individual’s perspective for social environmental transformation. This study advances the need for a social-identity centred approach to foster pro-environmental and sustainability outcomes.
Keywords
social identity; social group behaviour; social structure; pro-environmental behaviour; sustainability transitions
Subject
Social Sciences, Sociology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
