Social learning: how we learn about the environment

by Kim, September 24, 2009 at 6:00am

Grist's Nate Berg had a great post the other day called "The Social Life of Traffic." He quotes author Tom Vanderbilt as saying, '“Traffic has a lack of a feedback system,” says Venderbilt. “There’s no repeat interaction.”' Without human feedback, people are more likely to do unethical things. Ironically, this makes for hundreds of miniature universes, little atomized consciousnesses all whizzing by on the same road. Communication between drivers can get everyone where they're going a little more consciously.

Driving's lack of a social context is mirrored in many other aspects of modern life: would we our consumer habits be the same if we got some type of human feedback for our choices? The buy local movement is attempting to close the gap between consumers and goods by production sites to our social and ethical "backyard," where we are more likely to grasp environmental ramifications and share concerns with the producers. How can we extend social feedback loops to include all of the other systems that make up our globalized lives?

Social learning theory as popularized by Bandura holds that behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions all shape human behavior. I found an interesting article about social learning and environmental restoration in Europe by Claudia Pahl-Wosti. The author writes that several aspects of social learning are helpful when dealing with complex environmental issues that involve stakeholders with seemingly mutually-exclusive needs. It's important that stakeholders are allowed to help create the models that are used to discuss the problem and formulate solutions. Secondly, the best results are attained when stakeholders become "actors," playing a different role in the discussion process than they do in real life.

There is perhaps no more convenient way to try on new hats and create  new models than on the web: online interaction also counts towards social learning.And after all, isn't that what many of us are doing right now? Checking in with other green-minded individuals, sharing tips for greening our homes, spreading the word about environmental issues...the green blogging community is a real source of support. Blogs also influence many people's purchasing decisions; hence the corporations that have tried to get in on the action.

This is not to say that online interaction is a substitute for face-to-face interaction, or that the web is the only location where environmental activism should be taking place. Just don't feel that all your screen time spent on environmental purposes is a waste; each post, comment, or forward is a drop in the ocean of green discourse.