Change the message or change the people?Integral Theory Conference 2010

Dr Chris Riedy 30th July 2010

THINK.CHANGE.DO

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About me

Research Director at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS (Sydney, Australia)

Change agent, researcher and consultant Sustainability Futures studies / foresight Climate change response Social and cultural change

More at http://chrisriedy.com

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The Institute for Sustainable Futures

MissionTo create change towards sustainable

futures

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The Eye of the StormIntegral climate change response

“I don’t know of any intelligent person who, after studying and grasping the integral overview, chooses a narrower alternative” (Wilber 2004)

How could an integral approach improve Australia’s response to climate change?

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Current research focus

The Eye of the Storm – research agenda“Further exploration of the factors that influence subjective development, particularly the conditions under which public participation, constructivist education, community cultural development and integral transformative practice are more likely to promote positive subjective development”

Deliberative democracy and civic participation Strategies for motivating pro-environmental

behavior Action research project to map, review and connect

change creation practices for reducing energy-related greenhouse gas emissions in Australia

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior

change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Integral approach to household behavior change: Research objectivesObserve practice Identify domains or perspectives that are

currently neglected in theorising, designing and implementing behaviour change initiatives

Integrate Use the Integral model to suggest ways to connect and integrate complementary behavior change initiatives that could be more effective in combination

Develop Draw on the Integral framework to develop, adapt, or design more effective behavior change strategies

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Integral approach to household behavior change: Research stages

Stage 1 AQAL scan on household behaviour change for climate change response

Stage 2 Further development and comparison of translation vs transformation strategies

Stage 3 Interviews with change agents in Australia

Stage 4 Testing AQAL insights through new behaviour change initiatives

Possible future stages

• Interview change agents outside Australia• Extend the focus beyond energy use to other behaviours that are relevant to climate change

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior changeAQAL scan of household

behavior change Translation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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AQAL scan on household behavior change (Stage 1)

JITP articleTo establish a desired set of behaviors (UR), a behavior change initiative must sufficiently elevate and maintain the individual motivation to carry out those behaviors (UL) while providing supportive systems and institutions (LR) and cultural validation, support and respect (LL)

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Experiential Values, beliefs, attitudes, mental models, frames Need to make climate change a tangible experience Need representations of climate change that engage multiple audiences Focus on positive messages Motivate using existing interior structures (translation) Motivate by facilitating interior development (transformation)

Behavioral Observe current behaviors• Carbon footprinting• Direct and indirect emissions

Identify desired (target) behaviors• Potential to bring about desired

change• Feasibility

Behavior categories (e.g. environmental activism, non-activist public sphere, private-sphere environmentalism, other – Stern, 2000)

Cultural Need validation from identity groups Supportive groups help individuals to initiate and maintain new behaviors (e.g. Eco Teams, Transition Towns, CRAGs) Social movements and activist cultures (e.g. Climate Action Groups, Climate Camps) Cultural change – symbols, media, discourse Supportive change agent cultures Cultural barriers – custom, myths Dialogue with participants

Systemic Systems help or hinder target behaviors Hierarchy of preferential behaviors Diffusion of innovations – different strategies for early adopters vs mainstream Feedback systems to support learning Persuasive technology and choice architecture Information is important but not sufficient Financial incentives and penalties Supportive legal, political and social context

Relevant fields

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Lines: Multiple intelligences

Howard Gardner Linguistic Logical-

mathematical Musical Bodily-kinesthetic Spatial Interpersonal Intrapersonal Natural

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States

Are there states in which individuals are more or less receptive to change? Emotional states – hope vs despair Weather states – droughts and disasters Economic states – financial crisis

Be prepared for emergent change opportunities

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Types

Some survey evidence (Australian) for gender differences in concern about climate change and likelihood to act

Some behavior change initiatives focusing on women 1 Million Women Oxfam Australia’s Sisters on the Planet

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Design principles for behaviour change initiatives1. Observe current behaviours and identify target

behaviours2. Identify and remove systemic barriers to the target

behaviours (technological, economic, informational, institutional etc)

3. Build in processes for group support and cultural validation for participants (large or small scale)

4. Identify audience segments and translate messages to resonate with these segments (informed by developmental psychology)

5. Experiment with transformative learning processes to help people to develop more inclusive interior structures

6. Use diverse techniques to engage different types of people in different ways (multiple intelligences, multiple types)

7. Be opportunistic and flexible – take advantage of states that arise

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

changeTranslation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Translation

Designing or tailoring messages to:connect with people just as they are, motivating and informing them in a way that is in alignment with how they already see the world. These communications resonate with a person’s existing worldview without requiring them to be a different person in order to take action (Brown and Riedy)

Rapid deployment, immediate benefits

Social marketing approach

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Red messages

Common in climate action groups / grassroots

Inciting direct action and civil disobedience War, conflict, emergency,

mobilisation Coal is the enemy!

Fight against climate-related disasters Heroic status Mastery of nature

Endorsement by popular hip-hop acts

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Amber messages

Common within faith communities Stewardship or care for the Earth

Christ has given the church the task of caring for people and the creation. In regard to large-scale environmental issues, God’s call to love our neighbours means taking a global focus...It means genuinely loving our global neighbours through just, loving and sacrificial action (Matt. 22: 34-40) – Australian Evangelical Alliance

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Amber messages

Failure to act on climate change is a sinwhen we exploit God’s creation to breaking point, we break the most fundamental commandment known to us: out of our greed and selfishness, we knowingly cause the degradation of the world’s ecosystems instead of protecting the design that issues from the Creator’s generosity. Wilfully causing environmental degradation is a sin – Anglican Bishop of Canberra

Weekly meat-free day

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Orange messages

Dominates government messaging

Financial gains Reduce energy bills Increase the value of

your home ‘Smart’ action

People that act on climate change are smarter – they are getting ahead

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Green messages

Dominates large NGO messaging

Focus on participation, teamwork and support

Action for a better world

Community focus Workshops Support teams

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Limitations of translation

How to successfully blend messages Crompton (2008)

Simple and painless steps that do not challenge values will not deliver the scale of change required

Little or no evidence of spillover effect Additional pro-environmental behavior is more

likely if the initial behavior is motivated by environmental values

Translation may deliver short-term wins but will entrench counter-productive worldviews in the longer term

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Weaknesses in this argument

The critique is primarily of appeals to Orange values

Perhaps we just need to get smarter with our messaging Plenty of scope to be more ambitious and creative

with appeals to particular values▪ e.g. Climate Prosperity for Orange

Individual behaviour change occurs within a shifting context that opens up new behaviours e.g. carbon pricing shifts financial incentives for

Orange, opening up new actions that are value-consistent

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategiesTransformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Transformation

A change in the way a person sees the world

Transformative approaches seek to trigger personal development of participants along one or more developmental lines towards more inclusive structures

Builds the developmental capacity to take more perspectives

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Climate change as a developmental problem To truly understand and care about climate change

requires a worldcentric perspective“climate change is a cognitively complex issue: it is a “big picture” problem, and to understand its full implications a worldcentric perspective is required as well as an ability to handle both complexity and paradox [and]...a well-developed capacity to be self-reflexive (O’Brien, in press)”

Can (and should) Integral change agents help more people to develop worldcentric perspectives?

Interior development is slow, inconsistent, unpredictable and personally challenging

Transformative learning, ITP, coaching, psychotherapy

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Transformative learning

“the process by which people examine problematic frames of reference to make them more inclusive, discriminating, open, reflective, and emotionally able to change. It can be provoked by a single event – a disorienting dilemma – or it can take place gradually and cumulatively over time. Discourse is central to the process. We need to engage in conversation with others in order to better consider alternative perspectives and determine their validity” (Cranton 2006)

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Fostering transformative learningCore elements (Taylor 2009)

Individual experience Prior life experience – source of dilemmas “Classroom” experiences – value-laden content,

intense experiential activities Promotion of critical reflection Engagement in dialogue with the self and

others Build trust and empathy Equal opportunities for participation Identify ‘edge of meaning’

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Fostering transformative learningCore elements (Taylor 2009)

Holistic orientation to teaching that encourages engagement with other ways of knowing, including the affective and relational

Awareness of context Personal, sociocultural factors Physical surroundings Prior experience Time

Establishing authentic relationships built on trust and openness

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The ethics of transformation

Creating disequilibrium or dissonance, which can be uncomfortable or even painful

What right do I have to encourage you to question what you believe? When is it a responsibility, and when is it an imposition? When is it empowering, and when is it destructive? At what point do I need to leave aside my ego and thirst for learners to do as I do? (Cranton 2006)

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The ethics of transformation

Participation in transformative approaches needs to be voluntary This limits the scope of transformation as a

basis for behavior change initiatives Duty of care to provide support and

resources to help participants work through difficulties

Form relationships with participants and understand where they are at in their transformative process

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategies Transformation strategies Discussion: balancing translation and

transformation

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Summary

Introduction Integral theory and behavior change AQAL scan of household behavior

change Translation strategies Transformation strategiesDiscussion: balancing translation

and transformation

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Balancing translation and transformation

Translation is clearly the only practical strategy for reaching large numbers of people Need rapid assessment tools to identify values

and worldviews in target audiences Further development and testing of creative

messages for different levels Experimentation with blending of messages Reflection on how to integrate translation

strategies with broader systemic change strategies

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Balancing translation and transformation

Dilemma: Translation may not deliver sufficiently deep changes, whereas transformation is too slow and limited in scope

Possible response: Employ both strategies simultaneously, playing to their strengths Focus time and resource-intensive

transformative approaches on potential climate leaders – a climate leadership elite

Climate leaders use translation to reach out to everyone else

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Balancing translation and transformation

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Discussion

Do you know of good examples of translation messaging? Level-specific Blending

Are you aware of other transformative strategies that could be effective?

What is your position on the ethics of transformation?

Can the approach to balancing translation and transformation proposed here succeed? What are the openings for pursuing this?

Are there opportunities to collaborate to build this kind of approach?

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References

Brown, BC & Riedy, C 2006, "Use of the Integral Framework to Design Developmentally-Appropriate Sustainability Communications," in W Filho, Innovation, Education and Communication for Sustainable Development, Peter Lang Scientific Publishers, Frankfurt, pp. 661-688.

Cranton, P 2006, Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning: A Guide for Educators of Adults, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Crompton, T 2008, "Weathercocks and signposts: the environment movement at a crossroads." Retrieved from http://assets.wwf.org.uk/downloads/weathercocks_report2.pdf

Gunnlaugson, O 2005, "Toward Integrally Informed Theories of Transformative Learning." Journal of Transformative Education, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 331-353.

Kegan, R 1982, The Evolving Self: Problem and Process in Human Development, Harvard University Press, Harvard.

O'Brien, K, in press, "Responding to Climate Change: The Need for an Integral Approach," in S Esbjörn-Hargens, Integral Theory in Action: Applied, Theoretical, and Critical Perspectives on the AQAL Model, SUNY Press, New York. Retrieved from http://integrallife.com/files/Integral Climate Change Karen OBrien.pdf

Riedy, C 2009, "Household Behavior Change for Climate Change Response: An Integral Scan." Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 103-120.

Taylor, EW 2009, "Fostering Transformative Learning," in J Mezirow & EW Taylor, Transformative Learning in Practice : Insights from Community, Workplace, and Higher Education, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, pp. 3-17.

Wilber, K 2004, 'Foreword', in R Slaughter (ed.), Futures Beyond Dystopia: Creating Social Foresight, RoutledgeFalmer, London and New York, pp. xi-xiii.