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Positive Psychology as Social Change pp 89–108Cite as

Ecological Challenges, Materialistic Values, and Social Change

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Abstract

Earth’s ecology faces significant challenges, including climate disruption, pollution, and habitat loss. Substantial research suggests that these challenges are exacerbated by humans’ strong desires for money, wealth, possessions, image, and status. I therefore present an empirically-based, two-pronged approach to decrease how much people and society focus on self-enhancing, materialistic aims: (a) remove the known causes of a strong materialistic orientation (i.e., social modeling and insecurity); and (b) promote the self-transcendent, intrinsic values which stand in opposition to materialism. This approach is applied to four concrete areas for social change action: voluntary simplicity, time affluence, restrictions on advertising, and adjustments to the capitalistic economic system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Knox College, Galesburg, IL, USA

    Tim Kasser

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  1. Tim Kasser
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Correspondence to Tim Kasser .

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  1. SE. Aldercrest Rd. 4625, Milwuakie, 97222, Oregon, USA

    Robert Biswas-Diener

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Kasser, T. (2011). Ecological Challenges, Materialistic Values, and Social Change. In: Biswas-Diener, R. (eds) Positive Psychology as Social Change. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9938-9_6

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