Table of Contents
Introduction
A few weeks ago we talked about individual action, personal responsibility and the climate crisis. We said that although we all got some benefit from taking action to reduce our emissions, placing the responsibility for tackling the climate crisis on individuals isn’t right or effective. We thought structural change was needed. This led to questions about how social structures work and how we fit into them.
That became the topic for the last meeting where we talked about how social structures shape us and how we act and, at the same time, social structures depend on our actions to reproduce them. We used the example of doing the wash to think about how social structures can affect the way we do an everyday routine activity.
Last time we only talked about how social structures shape us – we didn’t get as far as talking about how we shape social structures. So, that became the conversation topic this time.
Our notes
How could we change structures?
We brainstormed some hypothetical ways people could try to change social structures.
- By working together. Maybe it’s not something people can do by themselves.
- The depiction of everyday life in film and TV.
- It takes bravery to start a change and take on the role of trailblazer. Then others might follow you.
- Adverts
- Badvertising campaign.
- We can complain to the ASA.
- Maybe we should laugh at them. Use comedy to ridicule the products and lifestyle they’re selling.
- I’m trying to encourage changes at work so I have to be seen as respectable to be taken seriously. We have to negotiate the existing rules.