PowerPoint-Prsentation

Strengthening coping-capacities through community interventions: The importance of self-efficacy and resources

National Environmental Justice Conference and Training 2015

Washington D.C., USA

March 11th, 2015

Susanne BrnerPostgraduate Researcher/ PhD StudentDepartment of Political SciencesGoethe University Frankfurt, GermanyResearch group Sustainable Development

boerner@em.uni-frankfurt.de5. Mrz 20152VulnerabilityApproaching environmental injustice: distribution, participation, and agencyResearch questionsCoping with environmental injusticeMethodological considerationsPresentation of the study areaCase study: coping narratives from the harbor district, Dortmund, GermanyLessons learned for empowerment and capacity-building in environmentally burdened communitiesOverview5. Mrz 2015Vulnerable communities are often disproportionately affected by environmental burdens.(exposure to polluting facilities, noise, air pollution and hazardous living conditions)

Vulnerability = ability or inability of individuals or social groupings to respond to, in the sense of cope with, [] any external stress placed on their livelihoods and well-being.Kelly and Adger (2000)

Vulnerability5. Mrz 2015Whenever some individual or group bears disproportionate environmental risks [] or has unequal access to environmental goods [], or has less opportunity to participate in environmental decision-making (Shrader-Frechette,2002:3)One cannot talk of one aspect of justice without it leading to another (Schlosberg, 2007:73): unequal distribution and constrained participation both work towards constructing claims for injustice.Sen (1999a/1999b); Nussbaum (2006); Schlosberg (2010)CapabilitiesProcedural justiceDistributive justice Perceptions of individual resources and social opportunitiesApproaching environmental injusticeWe should focus on promoting empowerment and enabling people to participate in the first place.Agency of people to cope with environmental risks and to play an active role in shaping their environment.(Sen/Nussbaum:well-being, realized freedoms, and flourishing)Assuming the perspective of the affected populationdetermineequals5. Mrz 2015Capabilities theory examines what is needed to transform available primary goods into the potential for a fully functioning life, and considers what might interrupt that process. This theory of justice gives ethical significance to human functioning and flourishing, and finds harm injustice- in forces that limit that potential. (Schlosberg, 2010)Sen: focus has to be on the freedoms generated by commodities, rather than on the commodities seen on their own. (in Schlosberg, 2010)Nussbaum explains that the central question is not how satisfied someone is, or how many resources she commands, but instead what she is actually able to do or be.Nussbaum: capability to have control over ones environment (political): being able to participate effectively in political choices that govern ones life , having the right of political participation, protections of free speech and association

How have affected residents coped with environmental burdens in their neighborhood, and how are their self-perceptions of the ability to cope shaped by biographical experiences?

Which lessons can we learn for interventions aimed at building community capacity?

Research Questions5. Mrz 2015Model On households Vulnerability towards their local EnvironmentAdapted from Kckler (2011; 2014). The model draws on Ajzens Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and HobfollsConservation of Resources Theory (COR)TPBattitude towards the behaviorsubjective norm(social pressure)perceived behavioural control (ease / difficulty of performing a behavior)CORcoping-intentioncoping -behaviourCoping Capacityobject resourcescondition resourcespersonal resources energy resourcesCoping narratives: coping as a life-long processBiographicalperspectiveCurrent self-perceptionsIndividual experiencesNarrative approacheveryday coping institutional coping Perceptions of social opportunities / external structuresBiographical experiencesCoping narratives5. Mrz 2015There is a need for research that better deals with the procedural and recognition dimensions of environmental justice using research methods that are more likely to be qualitative, experimental and participatoryWalker (2012:218/219)Narrative InterviewsResidents who are engaged in a community-based protest groupResidents who are not engaged in a community -based protest groupMethodological considerationsOpen narrativesGiving a voice to those affectedParticipatory research processUnderstanding individual experiencesAvoiding generalizationsAllowing room for complexityUnderstanding environmental justice as a process5. Mrz 2015Case Study : Dortmund harbor district

5. Mrz 2015Expert interviews with a neighborhood manager, an urban planner, and a parish priest in Northern DortmundRuhr-area in Western Germany, formerly known for mining and heavy industry

Northern part of Dortmund, an area with multiple social and environmental burdensPerception of stigmatizationAll the bad and problematic things end up in the Northern city of Dortmund. If there is no room anywhere else, they just end up there. Urban planner, DortmundNoise and air pollution

Lack of cleanliness, increased littering of the area

An unemployment rate of up to 24%

A high crime rate, alcoholism, drug abuse, prostitution

Up to 60% of the population has a migration background

High turnover rate of the population (33% per year)

Transit districtBasic facts: a stigmatized area5. Mrz 2015PCBs were released into the environment due to the inappropriate disposal of large transformers containing PCB by the recycling company Envio.

PCBs may remain there for long periods of time in the environment cycling between air, water, and soil.

Adverse health effects of PCBs: cancer, negative effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, etc.

Until now, the contaminated area has not been cleaned up

Community protest group formed in 2010 with the aim to shed light on the scandalEPA (2013); Brgerinitiative gegen den PCB Skandal in Dortmund (2015); sources of photographs: former Enviro website (no longer in use)

Contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): causes and impactsaffecting17.000 residents live in the harbor districtApprox. 5.000 workers in the harbor areaContamination of nearby allotment gardens, schools, kindergardens and local holiday spots (parks, green space, canal)1.200 people underwent blood testing320 people with very high PCB levels in their blood5. Mrz 2015PCB is an invisible noxious agentAn abstract riskYou can neither taste it, nor hear it, nor smell it.Lack of clearly reliable threshold valuesLater reconstruction of impacts is difficult (various sources of PCB: cigarettes, fish, )Long-term health impacts (higher cancer risk, etc.) but no immediate visibility of impactsBut: PCB has an impact on the quality of life

Source of photograph: Julia UnkelFighting an invisible enemy

5. Mrz 2015Those who came to the assemblies were better informed [than others]. But those who did not read the newspaper had absolutely no clue. I talked to many people in the park. They had really no idea what I was talking about. Nobody had informed them.

Former resident and activist

5. Mrz 2015First you ask yourself Should we still go [to the park] now? [] But I think it wouldnt make sense to avoid the park now. We already were affected by the pollutants earlier, when we went to the park a lot to go for a walk in the past. (resident and activist)

Coping through daily adaptationCoping through participation (community protest group)Coping through movingProtest actionsDistributing flyersCollecting signaturesAttending public hearingsEngaging with other stakeholders (roundtables): put the issue on the agendaResearching factsEngaging with politicians and the mediaMostly families with small children movedAvoid daily activities such as planting herbs or swimming in the canalCoping through suppressionLooking towards the futureBusiness as usualCoping actions (preliminary results)Changing coping behavior over time is possible5. Mrz 2015Biographical experiences" I was living very close to the [industrial complex]. [] I also had a garden in front of my house and my children were always playing there. After work I always spent my time there.Former resident and activist"I felt truly fooled: On the one hand, it was already said that this was a big environmental scandal. But at the same time, they played down the impacts when it came to a concrete level.Resident and activistMotives for participation (preliminary results) 5. Mrz 2015Active residentsNon-active residentsBiographical experiencesGrowing up in a clean or a polluted areaUpbringing / education (care for others, being a fighter)Parental values and experiences (critical attitude, etc.)Prior political activismRelated prior professional experiencesPositive experiences of engaging in community action (things can be changed)Experiences showing the importance of pro-social copingHaving successfully coped with stigmatization Negative prior experiences regarding participationExperiences of powerlessness, perception that nobody really cares (ex.: prostitution and criminality)Stigmatization due to migration backgroundSome activists quit the pressure group over time due to an increased feeling of powerlessness, loss of resources, disagreements within the groupExperiences of cultural and social exclusionPreliminary resultsExperiences of political pressure (i.e. garden plot holders)Frustration with legal proceedings5. Mrz 2015 I have tried it, and I havent reached anything. [] I have tried it once. But it hasnt worked out. You can do whatever you want. You dont get through. There are many people who think this way. Many migrants therefore do not dare try to do anything, and they do not say no to anything.

Former resident and activist from Turkey

5. Mrz 2015Hobfoll (1989); Hobfoll and Buchwald (2004)Perception of individual resourcesTypology of resources according to Hobfoll RESOURCES

CONDITION RESOURCESPERSONAL RESOURCESENERGY RESOURCESOBJECT RESOURCEShouse, car, etc.age, health, languagetime, money, knowledgepersonal characteristics, skills, communal mastery (social support)5. Mrz 2015TimeExpertiseIncomeThe only option for us low-paid workers is to find a cheap environment, apartment, to live in. You need to provide a living for the children. As a single parent you do not have any other choice [...] The financial problem is always there.Turkish mother, former resident and activistEnergy resources(they aid the acquisition of other resources)Urban plannersMedical expertisePolitical processesParty affiliationCommunity organizingSelf-employment (flexibility)Part-time jobRetirementNo children / grown-up childrenLow/mediumNon active residents: lack of energy resources

Lack of timeNo income/ unemploymentFear of the future and everyday survival issuesLack of knowledge HousewifePreliminary results5. Mrz 2015And then I am thinking that maybe this is not so bad. I have no expertise, I am not a Chemist who can give precise explanations. I am not a party member either. Actually, I do not have any particular skills and I am not much of a big talker. But maybe that is particularly good. I am simply a resident who lives here. Then nobody needs to think , Ah, she is trying to win support for her party. She is a Green, a Left-Wing, a Right-Wing, whatever. It is simply that she lives there together with her family. And she is is simply affected like many others. Maybe it is quite good if somebody who is a rather neutral person, forms part/, if you can say that. So maybe it is good that I am there, too.

Resident and activist

5. Mrz 2015Characteristics and abilitiesPro-social orientationCommunal mastery (supportive social networks)"I do not go there just for myself. I go there for all the people who live there.

There are good things where you need to give your support. But there are also bad things where you need support others. Former resident and activistPersonalresourcesSupport from friendsNew contacts but loss of old friendshipsSupport from familySupport from neighborsGive a voice to the individual in a groupNetworking skillsCourageBeing a troublemakerNon active residents: lack of personal resourcesIndifferencePessimismAfraid of personal consequencesPerceived lack of necessary skillsAbility to grasp complexity and technical issuesPreliminary resultsCultural communityOptimismAbility to confront othersOrganizational skillsResearch skillsBeing a talker5. Mrz 2015" As as a single person you feel that this makes you angry. But what can you do? Nothing, apart from getting angry. And then I read this announcement in the newspaper saying that people wanted to form a pressure group. And then I thought, Great, apparently I am not the only one who is angry and feels that something should be done about it. I really found that great. And then I immediately went to the first meeting.

Active resident5. Mrz 2015AgeLanguage skillsHealthI would not have ended up in the Envio group [] if it wasnt for my knowledge of the German language. Nobody can translate how I feel. Former resident and activist from TurkeyConditionresourcesHealth problems as a reason for leaving the protest groupAbility to communicateLoss of energy due to advanced ageHealth as a precondition for actively shaping lifeLess concern for personal health at a higher age (staying)Non active residents: lack of condition resourcesLanguage barriersPoor healthLeaving the neighborhood because of small childrenConcern for small children (moving)Preliminary results5. Mrz 2015Some quit over time: frustration, powerlessness. Some remained: personal satisfaction, fun, small victories. Changing attitudes and perceived behavioral control over time (preliminary results)5. Mrz 2015Take account of peoples perceptions of resources and self-efficacy.

Value, recognize, and encourage in order to boost peoples self-image.

Provide transparent and accessible information.

Approach people at street level - personally and individually.

Provide real and concrete possibilities for participation at eye-level.

Foster collective action and togetherness.

Think small! Make empowerment tangible.

Recommendations for capacity-building5. Mrz 2015Thank you for your attention!5. Mrz 2015Brgerinitiative gegen den PCB Skandal in Dortmund (2015). Brgerinitiative. [cited 28 February 2015] Retrieved from: http://www.pcb-skandal.de.EPA, Environmental Protection Agency (2013). Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Basic Information. [cited 28 February 2015] Retrieved from: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/about.htm. Esri, i-cubed, USDA FSA, USGS, AEX, GeoEye, AeroGRID, Getmapping, IGP (2012). World imagery. [cited 28 February 2015] Retrieved from: http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=a5fef63517cd4a099b437e55713d3d54.GeoBasis-DE / BKG( 2011). Verwaltungsgebiete 1:250,000. Staat, Bundeslnder, Regierungsbezirke, Kreise, Verwaltungsgemeinschaften, Gemeinden. Bundesamtes fr Kartographie und Geodsie.Hobfoll, S.E. (1989). Conservation of Resources. A New Attempt at Conceptualizing Stress. American Psychologist; 1989:13-24.Hobfoll, S.E. and Buchwald, P. (2004). Die Theorie der Ressourcenerhaltung und das multiaxiale Copingmodell eine innovative Stresstheorie. In P. Buchwald, C. Schwarzer and S.E. Hobfoll (Eds.). Stress gemeinsam bewltigen. Ressourcenmanagement und multiaxiales Coping. Hogrefe.Kelly, M. and Adger, N. (2000). Theory and Practice in Assessing Vulnerability to Climate Change and Facilitating Adaptation. Climatic Change; 47: 325-352. Kckler, H. (2011). MOVE: Ein Modell zur Analyse umweltbezogener Verfahrensgerechtigkeit. Umweltpsychologie; 15(2):93-113.

References5. Mrz 2015Nussbaum, M. (2000). Frontiers of Justice: Disability, Nationality, Species Membership. Cambridge, MA Harvard University Press.Schlosberg D. (2007). Defining Environmental Justice: Theories, Movements, and Nature. Oxford University Press.Sen, A (1999a). Commodities and Capabilities. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Sen, A. (1999b). Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor. Shrader-Frechette K. (2002). Environmental Justice. Creating Equality, Reclaiming Democracy. Oxford University Press.Walker G. (2012). Environmental Justice: Concepts, Evidence and Politics. Routledge.

References5. Mrz 2015