title: Where There Is a (Collective) Will, There Are (Effective) Ways: Integrating Individual- and Group-Level Factors in Explaining Humanitarian Collective Action.
abstract: The 21st century has borne witness to catastrophic natural and human-induced tragedies. These disasters necessitate humanitarian responses; however, the individual and collective bases of support are not well understood. Drawing on Duncan's motivational model of collective action, we focus on how individual differences position a person to adopt group memberships and develop a "group consciousness" that provides the basis for humanitarian action. Longitudinal mediation analyses involving supporters of international humanitarian action (N = 384) sampled annually for 3 years provided support for the hypothesized model, with some twists. The results revealed that within time point, a set of individual differences (together, the "pro-social orientation") promoted a humanitarian group consciousness that, in turn, facilitated collective action. However, longitudinally, there was evidence that a more general pro-social orientation undermined subsequent identification with, and engagement in, the humanitarian cause. Results are discussed in terms of understanding the interplay between individual and group in collective actions.
authors: Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia emma.thomas@murdoch.edu.au.
authors: Emma F
authors: EF
authors: Thomas
authors: Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: McGarty
authors: Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Reese
authors: Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Mariette
authors: M
authors: Berndsen
authors: Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors: Ana-Maria
authors: AM
authors: Bliuc
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000533:Altruism; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D012945:Social Values; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: collective action; generosity; human rights; humanitarian action; personal political salience; social identification; values