Building a collective ecological identity: A multidisciplinary reflection

Abstract

In this article, collective ecological identity will be theoretically investigated, with the aim to understand the role of public opinion and policy in driving action. In recent years, awareness towards environmental issues is increasing; however, environmental targets set by political agendas are yet to be reached. Hilgartner and Bosk’s “The Rise and Fall of Social Problems” (1988) offers an insight into the mismatch between public opinion and action, suggesting that public attention towards certain social issues depends on interconnected public arenas that produce a feedback effect, worsening the social problem. From this point of view, public opinion on a social problem does not engender collective action. However, according to Schudson (1989), the resonance and institutionalisation of a certain cultural object is fundamental to its inclusion in the culture of a given community, making cultural policy a necessary condition to change a society.