Paradigm shifts
The power of shared narratives to bring nature into decision-making
The study emphasizes the power of a new kind of shared narratives in that shift from dystopia and sacrifice towards a sustainable future on a livable planet. Photo: pixelshot via Canva.
A new study by Centre Chair Carl Folke and Marty Anderies from Arizona State University argues that a paradigm shift in addressing the climate crisis and other global challenges is long overdue.
Published in a thematic issue entitled “Bringing nature into decision-making,” it underscores the limitations of solely relying on incremental adjustments of existing institutions and organizations to deal with the multifaceted issues of our time.
Instead, the study emphasizes the power of a new kind of shared narratives in shaping collective action. Narratives that shift from dystopia and sacrifice towards a sustainable future on a livable planet – stories that “create hope and meaning to help […] guide the development of society in the Anthropocene”.
Delving into the dynamics of human behavior and societal coordination, the researchers argue that it remains too costly and slow to persuade self-interested actors to consider social welfare in their decision-making. By contrast, networks of shared stories that become real (so called imagined orders) can create context, meaning and shared purpose for framing decisions and guiding action.
This is a short research news. Curious to learn more? Find the publication here »
Anderis, J.M. & Folke, C. 2024. Connecting human behaviour, meaning and nature. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 379: 20220314.
