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Rethinking political agency : The role of individuals’ engagement, perceptions and trust in transitioning to a low-carbon transport system

Wamsler, Christine LU ; Mundaca, L. LU orcid and Osberg, Gustav LU orcid (2022) In Journal of Cleaner Production 360(132197).
Abstract
Although there are many technological solutions and policy approaches for transitioning to a fossil-free society, effective action is still lacking. We need a new way to address the issue, one that inspires and attracts the widest possible group of society. Against this background, the aim of this paper is to explore citizens' political agency in influencing transport policy, and the inner and outer factors that encourage or hinder related engagement at individual and collective levels. Based on a national survey in Sweden (N = 1,210) and a mixed-methods approach, our findings show the importance of people's perceived possibilities to influence policy and their trust in authorities when engaging and exercising political agency. They also... (More)
Although there are many technological solutions and policy approaches for transitioning to a fossil-free society, effective action is still lacking. We need a new way to address the issue, one that inspires and attracts the widest possible group of society. Against this background, the aim of this paper is to explore citizens' political agency in influencing transport policy, and the inner and outer factors that encourage or hinder related engagement at individual and collective levels. Based on a national survey in Sweden (N = 1,210) and a mixed-methods approach, our findings show the importance of people's perceived possibilities to influence policy and their trust in authorities when engaging and exercising political agency. They also shed light on the complex, intertwined nature of these three factors (i.e. engagement, perceived influence, trust), and the role that the perceived environmental effectiveness of low-carbon transport options, climate change awareness, sociodemocratic issues, and underlying human inner dimensions play in this context. The findings highlight the role of perceptions and emotions that are engrained at individual, cultural and structural levels. This is key, as one identified obstacle to engagement is the belief that individuals have no influence. With due limitations, our results support calls for an expanded view of political agency that goes beyond political and institutional actors, and recognises each individual's capacity to contribute to transformative change. We conclude that fostering political agency for a low-carbon transport system is a dual process of addressing both structural and personal (capacity) factors to increase individual and collective engagement, enhance perceptions of possibilities to contribute, and address trust-related issues. All of which need to be given greater consideration to transform transport and climate policy more broadly. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Behaviour change, Citizen participation, Climate governance, Collective agency, Individual agency, Inner transition
in
Journal of Cleaner Production
volume
360
issue
132197
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85131217832
ISSN
0959-6526
DOI
10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132197
project
Transition Visions: Coupling society, well-being and energy systems for transitioning to a fossil-free society
The Contemplative Sustainable Futures Program
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dc9a4667-9973-44ae-b112-4ae131c4e96f
date added to LUP
2022-05-17 08:12:33
date last changed
2024-06-13 13:20:13
@article{dc9a4667-9973-44ae-b112-4ae131c4e96f,
  abstract     = {{Although there are many technological solutions and policy approaches for transitioning to a fossil-free society, effective action is still lacking. We need a new way to address the issue, one that inspires and attracts the widest possible group of society. Against this background, the aim of this paper is to explore citizens' political agency in influencing transport policy, and the inner and outer factors that encourage or hinder related engagement at individual and collective levels. Based on a national survey in Sweden (N = 1,210) and a mixed-methods approach, our findings show the importance of people's perceived possibilities to influence policy and their trust in authorities when engaging and exercising political agency. They also shed light on the complex, intertwined nature of these three factors (i.e. engagement, perceived influence, trust), and the role that the perceived environmental effectiveness of low-carbon transport options, climate change awareness, sociodemocratic issues, and underlying human inner dimensions play in this context. The findings highlight the role of perceptions and emotions that are engrained at individual, cultural and structural levels. This is key, as one identified obstacle to engagement is the belief that individuals have no influence. With due limitations, our results support calls for an expanded view of political agency that goes beyond political and institutional actors, and recognises each individual's capacity to contribute to transformative change. We conclude that fostering political agency for a low-carbon transport system is a dual process of addressing both structural and personal (capacity) factors to increase individual and collective engagement, enhance perceptions of possibilities to contribute, and address trust-related issues. All of which need to be given greater consideration to transform transport and climate policy more broadly.}},
  author       = {{Wamsler, Christine and Mundaca, L. and Osberg, Gustav}},
  issn         = {{0959-6526}},
  keywords     = {{Behaviour change; Citizen participation; Climate governance; Collective agency; Individual agency; Inner transition}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{132197}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Cleaner Production}},
  title        = {{Rethinking political agency : The role of individuals’ engagement, perceptions and trust in transitioning to a low-carbon transport system}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132197}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.132197}},
  volume       = {{360}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}