
Caring, Empathy, and the Commons
A Relational Theory of Collective Action
Raul P. Lejano(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 31. August 2023
Book
Hardback
178 pages
978-1-316-51877-9 (ISBN)
Description
People are not autonomous individuals but connected beings. Curae ergo sum - we care, therefore we are. Relationality - which refers to the ethic and manner by which relational considerations govern decisions and institutional arrangements can take advantage of the power of connection - uncovers how social connection, across divides, moves people to act for the other. Drawing from research on empathy, social networks, and determinants of pro-social behavior, Caring, Empathy, and the Commons builds on Ostrom's Governing the Commons. It offers a different mechanism by which collective action is induced, arguing that, sometimes, the individual thinks not in terms of individual gain but in terms of the other. Developing this concept of relationality, this book explores various strands of literature and examines how this idea might be used to foster collective action around climate, species protection, fair trade, and other dilemmas of the commons.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 14 mm
Weight
431 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-316-51877-9 (9781316518779)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
08/2023
Cambridge University Press
€105.99
Available for download

E-Book
08/2023
Cambridge University Press
€105.99
Available for download
Person
Raul P. Lejano is Professor of environmental education at New York University. His research revolves around two sides of relationality: how connectedness fosters collective action and disconnectedness increases vulnerability. He is a coauthor, with Wing Shan Kan, of a book entitled Relationality: The Inner Life of Public Policy (Cambridge University Press).
Content
1. Introduction: Caring for the commons; 2. Constructing a relational theory of collective action; 3. Further justifications of the relational theory; 4. Illustrations: Pro-Social/Pro-Environmental behavior; 5. Illustrations: Governing the commons; 6. Institutional considerations; 7. Prospects of relationality.