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Social Pressure and Recycling: A Brief Review, Commentary and Extensions

Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: This article looks at the theoretical and practical viability of using social pressure on individuals to encourage community recycling behavior. Many studies have addressed recycling behavior, but one in particular by Shackleford (2006) has suggested that our human evolutionary trait of being sensitive to social pressures to conform to the values, attitudes or behaviors of others can be exploited to increase individual participation in community recycling. Although the suggestion seems to have merit, it fails to consider a co-evolved trait allowing individuals to counter the effects of social pressure so their focus on self-interest is minimally impacted. The paper draws on empirical evidence from the extant literature and three theoretical issues to develop an argument why social pressure is inconsistent with encouraging community participation in recycling programs. For example, social pressure functions well with small group sizes of 50 to 150—common to nomadic hunter-gatherer peoples—but more than half the world’s population today live in communities measured in the millions of inhabitants. Moreover, individual recycling typically takes place inside the home rather than out in public view. The other concerns addressed include the effects of public knowledge, institutional commitment, individualism vs. collectivism, and self-deception. Together, these factors buttress the conclusion that social pressure is not only unviable, but problematic especially in contemporary modern American society.
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W27875778
FWCI: 2.671
Cites: 60
Cited by: 10
Related to: 10