COUV ACTES - Psychologie communautaire

Community Psychology: Common Values, Diverse PracticesThis evidence supports a statement made by Paul Cotterill (2006) that “It’s time to support a new breed of peoplecommitted to changing the world”. Indeed, more is needed in terms of supporting, promoting and celebratingcommunity activism and participation. Communicators should embrace opportunities of working with communityactivists and should communicate a vision for the future. Furthermore, we suggest that climate crisis messagesthat contain less blame, use less shock tactics, are consistent and clear, and tailored to specific groups of peopleand communities (Lorenzani et al., 2001) would result in more positive and effective communication.From this exploratory study it seems clear that it is important to evaluate and monitor how communicationmethods are being used and, the effects and impact of dominant communication approaches (such as traditionalapproaches) on people’s attitudes and behaviour in relation to climate crisis. For example, the responsesprovided at the beginning of the presentation demonstrated negative schemas and associations that wereproduced from the word “environment” and created from climate crisis communication through media andliterature. Furthermore, responses were far removed from the words associated with its definition like‘surroundings’, ‘location’, or ‘ecosystem’. There also seems to be no sturdy bridge connecting individualideologies (which have been the primary target of communication methods) and planetary ideologies that activistsand authors like James Lovelock communicate, and commentators such as Algore advocate. It is felt that thisgap is something commentators should be aware of and take into consideration when communicating climatechange.Overall, it is clear that some well-meaning commentators are trying to communicate climate change issues, butoften their style fails to reinforce the intended goal. Communities have the potential and ability to achievesomething that government and leaders often lack: to provide messages that empower rather than disempowerpeople, and offer a vision that is achievable, hopeful and inspiring. Support and guidance provided, therefore,should facilitate and nourish activism, and not suffocate organic, visionary driven processes that characteriseparticipation and activist communities.ReferencesBBC (2004, July) Poll on climate change. Retrieved August 2009 fromhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_07_04_climatepoll.pdfCotterill, P. (2006, 1 December), Time to make way for new superheroes? New Start, Retrieved 18 March 2009from www.sescot.net/print_art.php?viewid+5555Dean, D. (2005). Fear, negative campaigning and loathing: The case of the UK election campaign, Journal ofMarketing Management, 21 (9), 1067-1078.Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2005). Helping people make better choices, Securing TheFuture (chapter 2) – UK government sustainable development strategy. Cm. 6467. London: The Stationery Office.Helmbrecht, J. (2002). Grammar and function of we, In A. Duszak (Eds) Us and others: social identities acrosslanguages (pp31-51) Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Co.Inigo-Mora, I. (2004). On the use of the personal pronoun we in communities, Journal of Language and Politics,3(1), 27-52.58