PowerPoint-Prsentation
Strengthening coping-capacities through community interventions:
The importance of self-efficacy and resources
National Environmental Justice Conference and Training 2015
Washington D.C., USA
March 11th, 2015
Susanne BrnerPostgraduate Researcher/ PhD StudentDepartment of
Political SciencesGoethe University Frankfurt, GermanyResearch
group Sustainable Development
[email protected]. Mrz 20152VulnerabilityApproaching
environmental injustice: distribution, participation, and
agencyResearch questionsCoping with environmental
injusticeMethodological considerationsPresentation of the study
areaCase study: coping narratives from the harbor district,
Dortmund, GermanyLessons learned for empowerment and
capacity-building in environmentally burdened communitiesOverview5.
Mrz 2015Vulnerable communities are often disproportionately
affected by environmental burdens.(exposure to polluting
facilities, noise, air pollution and hazardous living
conditions)
Vulnerability = ability or inability of individuals or social
groupings to respond to, in the sense of cope with, [] any external
stress placed on their livelihoods and well-being.Kelly and Adger
(2000)
Vulnerability5. Mrz 2015Whenever some individual or group bears
disproportionate environmental risks [] or has unequal access to
environmental goods [], or has less opportunity to participate in
environmental decision-making (Shrader-Frechette,2002:3)One cannot
talk of one aspect of justice without it leading to another
(Schlosberg, 2007:73): unequal distribution and constrained
participation both work towards constructing claims for
injustice.Sen (1999a/1999b); Nussbaum (2006); Schlosberg
(2010)CapabilitiesProcedural justiceDistributive justice
Perceptions of individual resources and social
opportunitiesApproaching environmental injusticeWe should focus on
promoting empowerment and enabling people to participate in the
first place.Agency of people to cope with environmental risks and
to play an active role in shaping their
environment.(Sen/Nussbaum:well-being, realized freedoms, and
flourishing)Assuming the perspective of the affected
populationdetermineequals5. Mrz 2015Capabilities theory examines
what is needed to transform available primary goods into the
potential for a fully functioning life, and considers what might
interrupt that process. This theory of justice gives ethical
significance to human functioning and flourishing, and finds harm
injustice- in forces that limit that potential. (Schlosberg,
2010)Sen: focus has to be on the freedoms generated by commodities,
rather than on the commodities seen on their own. (in Schlosberg,
2010)Nussbaum explains that the central question is not how
satisfied someone is, or how many resources she commands, but
instead what she is actually able to do or be.Nussbaum: capability
to have control over ones environment (political): being able to
participate effectively in political choices that govern ones life
, having the right of political participation, protections of free
speech and association
How have affected residents coped with environmental burdens in
their neighborhood, and how are their self-perceptions of the
ability to cope shaped by biographical experiences?
Which lessons can we learn for interventions aimed at building
community capacity?
Research Questions5. Mrz 2015Model On households Vulnerability
towards their local EnvironmentAdapted from Kckler (2011; 2014).
The model draws on Ajzens Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and
HobfollsConservation of Resources Theory (COR)TPBattitude towards
the behaviorsubjective norm(social pressure)perceived behavioural
control (ease / difficulty of performing a
behavior)CORcoping-intentioncoping -behaviourCoping Capacityobject
resourcescondition resourcespersonal resources energy
resourcesCoping narratives: coping as a life-long
processBiographicalperspectiveCurrent self-perceptionsIndividual
experiencesNarrative approacheveryday coping institutional coping
Perceptions of social opportunities / external
structuresBiographical experiencesCoping narratives5. Mrz 2015There
is a need for research that better deals with the procedural and
recognition dimensions of environmental justice using research
methods that are more likely to be qualitative, experimental and
participatoryWalker (2012:218/219)Narrative InterviewsResidents who
are engaged in a community-based protest groupResidents who are not
engaged in a community -based protest groupMethodological
considerationsOpen narrativesGiving a voice to those
affectedParticipatory research processUnderstanding individual
experiencesAvoiding generalizationsAllowing room for
complexityUnderstanding environmental justice as a process5. Mrz
2015Case Study : Dortmund harbor district
5. Mrz 2015Expert interviews with a neighborhood manager, an
urban planner, and a parish priest in Northern DortmundRuhr-area in
Western Germany, formerly known for mining and heavy industry
Northern part of Dortmund, an area with multiple social and
environmental burdensPerception of stigmatizationAll the bad and
problematic things end up in the Northern city of Dortmund. If
there is no room anywhere else, they just end up there. Urban
planner, DortmundNoise and air pollution
Lack of cleanliness, increased littering of the area
An unemployment rate of up to 24%
A high crime rate, alcoholism, drug abuse, prostitution
Up to 60% of the population has a migration background
High turnover rate of the population (33% per year)
Transit districtBasic facts: a stigmatized area5. Mrz 2015PCBs
were released into the environment due to the inappropriate
disposal of large transformers containing PCB by the recycling
company Envio.
PCBs may remain there for long periods of time in the
environment cycling between air, water, and soil.
Adverse health effects of PCBs: cancer, negative effects on the
immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, etc.
Until now, the contaminated area has not been cleaned up
Community protest group formed in 2010 with the aim to shed
light on the scandalEPA (2013); Brgerinitiative gegen den PCB
Skandal in Dortmund (2015); sources of photographs: former Enviro
website (no longer in use)
Contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): causes and
impactsaffecting17.000 residents live in the harbor districtApprox.
5.000 workers in the harbor areaContamination of nearby allotment
gardens, schools, kindergardens and local holiday spots (parks,
green space, canal)1.200 people underwent blood testing320 people
with very high PCB levels in their blood5. Mrz 2015PCB is an
invisible noxious agentAn abstract riskYou can neither taste it,
nor hear it, nor smell it.Lack of clearly reliable threshold
valuesLater reconstruction of impacts is difficult (various sources
of PCB: cigarettes, fish, )Long-term health impacts (higher cancer
risk, etc.) but no immediate visibility of impactsBut: PCB has an
impact on the quality of life
Source of photograph: Julia UnkelFighting an invisible enemy
5. Mrz 2015Those who came to the assemblies were better informed
[than others]. But those who did not read the newspaper had
absolutely no clue. I talked to many people in the park. They had
really no idea what I was talking about. Nobody had informed
them.
Former resident and activist
5. Mrz 2015First you ask yourself Should we still go [to the
park] now? [] But I think it wouldnt make sense to avoid the park
now. We already were affected by the pollutants earlier, when we
went to the park a lot to go for a walk in the past. (resident and
activist)
Coping through daily adaptationCoping through participation
(community protest group)Coping through movingProtest
actionsDistributing flyersCollecting signaturesAttending public
hearingsEngaging with other stakeholders (roundtables): put the
issue on the agendaResearching factsEngaging with politicians and
the mediaMostly families with small children movedAvoid daily
activities such as planting herbs or swimming in the canalCoping
through suppressionLooking towards the futureBusiness as
usualCoping actions (preliminary results)Changing coping behavior
over time is possible5. Mrz 2015Biographical experiences" I was
living very close to the [industrial complex]. [] I also had a
garden in front of my house and my children were always playing
there. After work I always spent my time there.Former resident and
activist"I felt truly fooled: On the one hand, it was already said
that this was a big environmental scandal. But at the same time,
they played down the impacts when it came to a concrete
level.Resident and activistMotives for participation (preliminary
results) 5. Mrz 2015Active residentsNon-active
residentsBiographical experiencesGrowing up in a clean or a
polluted areaUpbringing / education (care for others, being a
fighter)Parental values and experiences (critical attitude,
etc.)Prior political activismRelated prior professional
experiencesPositive experiences of engaging in community action
(things can be changed)Experiences showing the importance of
pro-social copingHaving successfully coped with stigmatization
Negative prior experiences regarding participationExperiences of
powerlessness, perception that nobody really cares (ex.:
prostitution and criminality)Stigmatization due to migration
backgroundSome activists quit the pressure group over time due to
an increased feeling of powerlessness, loss of resources,
disagreements within the groupExperiences of cultural and social
exclusionPreliminary resultsExperiences of political pressure (i.e.
garden plot holders)Frustration with legal proceedings5. Mrz 2015 I
have tried it, and I havent reached anything. [] I have tried it
once. But it hasnt worked out. You can do whatever you want. You
dont get through. There are many people who think this way. Many
migrants therefore do not dare try to do anything, and they do not
say no to anything.
Former resident and activist from Turkey
5. Mrz 2015Hobfoll (1989); Hobfoll and Buchwald (2004)Perception
of individual resourcesTypology of resources according to Hobfoll
RESOURCES
CONDITION RESOURCESPERSONAL RESOURCESENERGY RESOURCESOBJECT
RESOURCEShouse, car, etc.age, health, languagetime, money,
knowledgepersonal characteristics, skills, communal mastery (social
support)5. Mrz 2015TimeExpertiseIncomeThe only option for us
low-paid workers is to find a cheap environment, apartment, to live
in. You need to provide a living for the children. As a single
parent you do not have any other choice [...] The financial problem
is always there.Turkish mother, former resident and activistEnergy
resources(they aid the acquisition of other resources)Urban
plannersMedical expertisePolitical processesParty
affiliationCommunity organizingSelf-employment
(flexibility)Part-time jobRetirementNo children / grown-up
childrenLow/mediumNon active residents: lack of energy
resources
Lack of timeNo income/ unemploymentFear of the future and
everyday survival issuesLack of knowledge HousewifePreliminary
results5. Mrz 2015And then I am thinking that maybe this is not so
bad. I have no expertise, I am not a Chemist who can give precise
explanations. I am not a party member either. Actually, I do not
have any particular skills and I am not much of a big talker. But
maybe that is particularly good. I am simply a resident who lives
here. Then nobody needs to think , Ah, she is trying to win support
for her party. She is a Green, a Left-Wing, a Right-Wing, whatever.
It is simply that she lives there together with her family. And she
is is simply affected like many others. Maybe it is quite good if
somebody who is a rather neutral person, forms part/, if you can
say that. So maybe it is good that I am there, too.
Resident and activist
5. Mrz 2015Characteristics and abilitiesPro-social
orientationCommunal mastery (supportive social networks)"I do not
go there just for myself. I go there for all the people who live
there.
There are good things where you need to give your support. But
there are also bad things where you need support others. Former
resident and activistPersonalresourcesSupport from friendsNew
contacts but loss of old friendshipsSupport from familySupport from
neighborsGive a voice to the individual in a groupNetworking
skillsCourageBeing a troublemakerNon active residents: lack of
personal resourcesIndifferencePessimismAfraid of personal
consequencesPerceived lack of necessary skillsAbility to grasp
complexity and technical issuesPreliminary resultsCultural
communityOptimismAbility to confront othersOrganizational
skillsResearch skillsBeing a talker5. Mrz 2015" As as a single
person you feel that this makes you angry. But what can you do?
Nothing, apart from getting angry. And then I read this
announcement in the newspaper saying that people wanted to form a
pressure group. And then I thought, Great, apparently I am not the
only one who is angry and feels that something should be done about
it. I really found that great. And then I immediately went to the
first meeting.
Active resident5. Mrz 2015AgeLanguage skillsHealthI would not
have ended up in the Envio group [] if it wasnt for my knowledge of
the German language. Nobody can translate how I feel. Former
resident and activist from TurkeyConditionresourcesHealth problems
as a reason for leaving the protest groupAbility to communicateLoss
of energy due to advanced ageHealth as a precondition for actively
shaping lifeLess concern for personal health at a higher age
(staying)Non active residents: lack of condition resourcesLanguage
barriersPoor healthLeaving the neighborhood because of small
childrenConcern for small children (moving)Preliminary results5.
Mrz 2015Some quit over time: frustration, powerlessness. Some
remained: personal satisfaction, fun, small victories. Changing
attitudes and perceived behavioral control over time (preliminary
results)5. Mrz 2015Take account of peoples perceptions of resources
and self-efficacy.
Value, recognize, and encourage in order to boost peoples
self-image.
Provide transparent and accessible information.
Approach people at street level - personally and
individually.
Provide real and concrete possibilities for participation at
eye-level.
Foster collective action and togetherness.
Think small! Make empowerment tangible.
Recommendations for capacity-building5. Mrz 2015Thank you for
your attention!5. Mrz 2015Brgerinitiative gegen den PCB Skandal in
Dortmund (2015). Brgerinitiative. [cited 28 February 2015]
Retrieved from: http://www.pcb-skandal.de.EPA, Environmental
Protection Agency (2013). Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Basic
Information. [cited 28 February 2015] Retrieved from:
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/about.htm. Esri,
i-cubed, USDA FSA, USGS, AEX, GeoEye, AeroGRID, Getmapping, IGP
(2012). World imagery. [cited 28 February 2015] Retrieved from:
http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=a5fef63517cd4a099b437e55713d3d54.GeoBasis-DE
/ BKG( 2011). Verwaltungsgebiete 1:250,000. Staat, Bundeslnder,
Regierungsbezirke, Kreise, Verwaltungsgemeinschaften, Gemeinden.
Bundesamtes fr Kartographie und Geodsie.Hobfoll, S.E. (1989).
Conservation of Resources. A New Attempt at Conceptualizing Stress.
American Psychologist; 1989:13-24.Hobfoll, S.E. and Buchwald, P.
(2004). Die Theorie der Ressourcenerhaltung und das multiaxiale
Copingmodell eine innovative Stresstheorie. In P. Buchwald, C.
Schwarzer and S.E. Hobfoll (Eds.). Stress gemeinsam bewltigen.
Ressourcenmanagement und multiaxiales Coping. Hogrefe.Kelly, M. and
Adger, N. (2000). Theory and Practice in Assessing Vulnerability to
Climate Change and Facilitating Adaptation. Climatic Change; 47:
325-352. Kckler, H. (2011). MOVE: Ein Modell zur Analyse
umweltbezogener Verfahrensgerechtigkeit. Umweltpsychologie;
15(2):93-113.
References5. Mrz 2015Nussbaum, M. (2000). Frontiers of Justice:
Disability, Nationality, Species Membership. Cambridge, MA Harvard
University Press.Schlosberg D. (2007). Defining Environmental
Justice: Theories, Movements, and Nature. Oxford University
Press.Sen, A (1999a). Commodities and Capabilities. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.Sen, A. (1999b). Development as Freedom. New York:
Anchor. Shrader-Frechette K. (2002). Environmental Justice.
Creating Equality, Reclaiming Democracy. Oxford University
Press.Walker G. (2012). Environmental Justice: Concepts, Evidence
and Politics. Routledge.
References5. Mrz 2015