Big Society: An Act of Rebellion ... Not Conformity

There is still a sense that Big Society is something that government is ‘doing’ to society.  The spending cuts make it look like Big Society is being forced on the public in a sort of  ‘you will have to do it now’ way.

The government will undoubtedly be looking at a full range of social marketing techniques and talking about ‘changing social norms’ and helping the culture of society become more ‘pro-social’.  The last few years policy research have been steeped with ‘behaviour change’ thinking, from re-cycling to exercise.  How can we make other people do things that we would like them too.

There are few really successful stories – especially not ones that endure.

It is a tricky business.

Even more so when you are using behavourist psychology, which largely believes that we are products of our environment: we react to and copy the messaging, people and culture that we are exposed to.  So theoretically we should receive lots of positive Big Society messages and respond by saying ‘How big would you like me to make it?’. And of course a percentage gets through to all of us. Broadcasting and messaging penetrates our unconscious – often whether we like it or not.  We have been buying and doing a lot of stuff because of this..  for quite a long time in fact. Don't get me wrong, awareness building is likely to be an essential component to helping launch Big Society Thinking.  But may be less effective at stimulating real activity.

My own perspective, having been swimming in research about underlying mechanisms of human functioning for several years now, is that essentially Big Society is about talking control of your environment and making it your own.  This is an act of personal agency.

Psychologist Albert Bandura who started his career exploring behaviourism, moved towards his Social Cognitive Theory, which looks closely at self-efficacy and agency.  He writes: “Among the mechanisms of human agency, non is more central or pervasive than beliefs of personal agency.  This core belief is the foundation of human motivation, wellbeing and accomplishments... Whatever other factors serve as guides and motivators, they are rooted in the core belief that one has the power to effect changes by one's actions... They [people] are contributors to their life circumstances not just products of them”  Bandura also asserts that ‘intentionality’ is core to agency.  Intentionality is a self-conscious mechanism – not an unconscious one. 

Oli Barrett wrote back in January: 

"Politicians cannot change a country.  Not really change it.  Teachers, business people, parents, community leaders, social entrepreneurs, retired people and everyone currently watching and listening as the politicians get the blame.  That’s who can and should make the changes.  We’re sleepwalking into a bleak decade if we carry on projecting the wrong expectations onto the wrong people." 

Big Society should be about citizens ‘taking back’  their agency… not politicians trying to ‘give it back’. That would be like saying "here, let me give you your autonomy".  We have that already!

Undoubtedly you can encourage participation through messaging…. But getting Big Society off the ground will take more than broadcasting. It is going to take a deep understanding of internal drivers of individuals, looking for and understanding the behaviours of the positive deviants and looking for strategies which understand and spread the ideas that they are already experimenting with. The internet has given us not just the tools to do things, but a real sense of agency.  Its opened up a new sense of possibility of what individual people can do to make and shape where they live. We are benefiting enormously from internet thinking percolating into how we think more generally, particularly about attitudes to sharing, the importance of connectedness, mash ups of old business models and appreciation of what good collaboration can achieve. It is how the Social Spaces and the Travelling Pantry projects were born.

And it is happening everywhere you look ... if you are looking for it that is.

The Citizen's University launched yesterday is another example of deeper thinking and taking ideas directly into communities and I hope that in the coming months we will be able to share our experiences and support each other's work. (I am also hoping that if I don't say anything about their name they won't say anything about ours!)

David Barrie described these community innovators very notably as Militant Optimists in Hand Made, (which is full of people doing positive and extraordinary things in communities).  The torch-bearers of Big Society are creative, positive and they are already on fire. It feels very much as though these days we are more inclined to be inspired by the people close to us and watching the amazing things they are doing .... rather that looking up admiringly at important or influential people.  Government talks about devolving power to local level - but perhaps it is the deeper understanding that local people inspire each other by what they actually do that needs promoting instead.

Some think Big Society is a manipulative attempt to reduce governmental responsibility.  From where I am sitting it looks more like an act of rebellion. Only this time round it isn’t against the establishment, it’s against the pessimists, blamers and social critics.

Comments

[Tracey]

Hi Tessy,

I like your argument and I think you are right. I have a degree in psychology and see where you are coming from. People should give the idea a chance before dismissing it out of hand. I thought social enterprise was about power for the people for have I got it wrong? If it isn't then we are hypocrites

[Hannah]

If we're talking psychology, I think the stumbling block is the government backing of big society. It's kind of off putting, no? The very people who are most likely to come up with their own crazy local ideas are not so likely to want Big Man Cam taking credit for them doing so.

That is the unfortunate conundrum. Politics has rather taken the fun out of it. Which is a shame, because as you say, there are some awesome people doing some awesome stuff.

[Tessy Britton]

Thanks very much Tracey! Agree with you too!

Hannah - I take your point. The nice thing is that if promoting what is happening already is the best way of encouraging more activity, then supporting citizens and giving them the credit is likely the best way forward.